The first weeks of January have been marked with a number of public moves, which opposition activists say are aimed at smearing them. Russian general prosecutor Yuri Chaika has alleged that participants of two historically large rallies for new,...
A freelance reporter was sentenced to 11 days in prison following his coverage of an unsanctioned protest in Belarus. Aleksandr Borozenko, who was working for Poland-based satellite broadcaster Belsat at the time, was detained on 8 January, along...
The trial of several accused of being involved in an alleged plot to overthrow the government had degraded the status of press freedom in the country, writes Ece Temelkuran
Europe’s last dictatorship is clamping down on online activism, with a new law effectively requiring everyone to be a state spy. Mike Harris reports
Huge crowds protest Hungary’s new constitution as the country’s political elite celebrates legislation which cements their power. Sándor Orbán reports
A Tibetan writer has been sentenced to four years in jail by a Chinese court in eastern Tibet. Kalsang Tsultim, also known as Gyitsang Takmik, was first arrested in July 2010 for committing what the Chinese authorities termed "political error." He...
In response to an open letter from Index and a number of media freedom groups, Foreign Secretary William Hague outlines the Coalition Government's policy on freedom of expression and the internet. Thank you for your letter of 1 November about the...
Opposition activist Taisiya Osipova was sentenced to ten years on charges of drug trafficking on Friday. Rights activists allege that her arrest is a political move to silence both her and her husband. Both are members of The Other Russia...
Opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov has spent much of December under arrest and on hunger strike --- but the unity of his supporters grows stronger as his health continues to deteriorate. “The authorities are trying to silence me, but they cannot...
Azerbaijani Facebook activist Jabbar Savalan was released on 26 December after almost 11 months in prison. The teenager was released by presidential pardon along with 91 other political prisoners. Savalan was arrested in early February after...