Belarus’s president “pardons” nine of 41 political prisoners on 11 August, the same day when US toughened economic sanctions against his regime. Olga Birukova reports
Lukashenko to release political prisoners
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South Korea: Plans to scrap real-name system
South Korea's government will go ahead with plans to scrap the current real-name system for internet users in the wake of the country's worst online security breach. Last month, personal information including names, mobile phone numbers and email...
Yemen: Copies of newspaper confiscated
Yemeni security forces confiscated copies of Ahdath al-Madina, a local independent newspaper, on 7 August. Security forces seized the paper from newsstands in order to stop its distribution on the national level. Last April, security forces...
Pakistan: Art curator beaten by police
On 2 August, a Pakistani police station supervisor allegedly beat a female curator for "indecent behavior". The incident occurred in Nairang Art Gallery, a well-known gathering place for left-leaning intellectuals in Lahore. According to the Human...
Index on Censorship reaction to David Cameron comments on social media
Index on Censorship news editor Padraig Reidy said today: “David Cameron must not allow legitimate anger over the recent riots and looting in the UK to be used in an attack on free expression and free information. Too often, channels of...
United Kingdom: David Cameron considers banning rioters from social media
Noting how social media, particularly the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service, were used to organise this week's intense riots, David Cameron today told parliament that the government is looking into banning people from using social networking sites...
Belarus: Viasna leader arrested
Ales Bialiatski, head of Viasna, Belarus's leading human rights group, has been arrested on suspicion of "concealment of income" and tax evasion. Tatsiana Reviaka, A member of Vesna, told Human Rights House Belarus that she believed "the reason...
Barefoot into Cyberspace
An extract from Becky Hogge‘s new book, asking if the web can really set us free
Website blocking: gone but not forgotten?
The UK government’s dropping of blocking plans are to be welcomed, says
Peter Bradwell. But there are questions over what happens next with web copyright
Egypt: BBC journalist detained
The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil has been arrested in Egypt while reporting from Cairo. In her most recent tweet, Khalil said she and those with her were "OK" and on the way to see district prosecutors. She had travelled to Tahrir Square after Egyptian...