Since October 2015, Index on Censorship’s Mapping Media Freedom project has recorded a total of 40 verified violations against press freedom in Ukraine, six of which took place in Crimea.
An audit by Poland’s bureau of internal affairs (BSW) has uncovered that two informal press surveillance units of police were set up to monitor journalists
Belarusian authorities were busy in 2015: the government introduced new laws aimed at restricting media outlets and distributors; freelance journalists contributing to foreign media outlets found themselves facing prosecution; and websites publishing material that “may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus” were extrajudicially blocked.
Judge Liam McNally’s decision to allow the unpleasant Pastor James McConnell walk free is a little triumph for free speech
Two Italian journalists are being prosecuted by The Vatican for revealing confidential information and could face up to eight years in prison
Dissident artists are no better off post-Fidel, and renewed relations with the US haven’t helped as many hoped or claimed they would
Journalists of the Bulgarian investigative news website Bivol.bg are facing an orchestrated smear campaign that’s unusual even for Bulgaria
To highlight the most pressing concerns for press freedom in Europe, Index’s Mapping Media Freedom correspondents discuss the violations the stood out most
Threats against freedom of expression come in all shapes and sizes. We need to stand up to the bullies together.
With the new year comes a new battle in South Africa as critics hit back at the proposed “draconian” Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill they say doesn’t differentiate “between espionage and an act of journalism”.