Rights activists have said there has been an onslaught of freedom of expression violations in Russia as the country's 4 December parliamentary elections draw closer. Russia's leading independent election watchdog, GOLOS (voice) Association, has...
CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Macedonia: media freedom sliding backwards
The International Partnership Group of freedom of expression organisations visited Macedonia last month to assess the state of media freedom in the country.
Mike Harris reports on the findings
Russia: “Defamation suits a key factor in suppressing free speech as long as Vladimir Putin rules the country”
Earlier this month, Russia’s Department of Presidential Affairs won three defamation lawsuits against newspaper Novaya Gazeta in just one week. “The court is being used as a censorship instrument; it has been serving officials rather than law...
Ukraine: Young news photographer stabbed to death
A young photographer was stabbed to death in Kiev on Monday night. Vitaly Rozvadovsky, a photographer for the Ukrainian weekly 2000, was stabbed at around 11pm and died in hospital around four hours later. The murder of the 30-year-old is being...
Index condemns Max Mosley’s attack on web
Index on Censorship today condemned former motorsports boss Max Mosley's attack on search engine Google Testifying to the Leveson Inquiry into the press in London today, Mosley said: "The fundamental thing is that Google could stop this appearing...
Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski sentenced to 4.5 years in prison
The founder of one of Belarus’ leading human rights organisations has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for alleged tax evasion.
Index calls on the UK Foreign Office to press for Bialiatski’s freedom
Defamation decriminalised in Russia
The Russian State Duma has decriminalised defamation, having passed amendments to the Criminal Code. There are two major legislative threats to freedom of expression in Russia: libel and antiextremism legislation. Both are frequently abused to...
Azerbaijan: dangerous words
This weekend’s stabbing of Rafiq Tagi is a stark reminder of just how risky it can be to write about politics or religion in Azerbaijan. Emin Milli, who was jailed after criticising the government, describes the dangers of speaking out
UPDATE: Index on Censorship is sad to report that Rafiq Tagi died from his wounds in hospital on 23 November
Voice of Russia host fired after criticism of South Ossetia president
Russian journalist Maxim Shaligin, a presenter on pro-government radio station Voice of Russia has been fired for criticising the outgoing president of South Ossetia. Maxim Shalygin was sacked on 14 November, just ten minutes before his show was...
NTV censorship strikes again
A scandal is flaring in Russia as two segments for popular NTV programme "Unreal Politics" were shot and then blocked by NTV's management. The first one subjected the leader of a pro-government youth movement Nashi and the chairman of State...
