After a performance in the House of Commons in support of Belarus’s imprisoned opposition activists and journalists, Denis MacShane warns the leaders of Europe’s last dictatorship that justice plays a long game
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Czech Republic grants asylum to Belarusian opposition candidate
Belarusian politician Ales Mikhalevich has been granted political refugee status in the Czech Republic. He was imprisoned after running against Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus' presidential elections. He claims that he was tortured in the custody...
Belarus: Journalists arrested
Reporters Aleksandr Lomashkin and Ales Asiptsu were arrested in separate incidents on Thursday, 24 March. Both were detained on the eve of "Freedom Day", an unofficial holiday traditionally celebrated by members of the opposition. Lomashkin is a...
Azerbaijani reporter kidnapped and beaten
Eminent opposition journalist Seymur Haziyev was abducted and beaten on Saturday night (26 March). He was attacked by six masked men and tortured for two hours. The contents of his laptop were scrutinised and his two telephones were taken from him....
Sir Tom Stoppard: “The prisoner of conscience figure should have been consigned to history”
British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has highlighted the anomaly of Belarus’s “way of dictatorship”, with a special commendation at the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards
Wilmshurst hit with fresh libel suit
Cardiologist Peter Wilmshurst is facing a fourth libel suit from medical instrument firm NMT. The case relates to the writ NMT issued on 26th Nov 2010 about Peter's interview on the Today programme on 27 Nov 2009.

Winners of the Freedom of Expression Awards 2011
The 11th annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards were presented tonight (24 March) at a ceremony in London hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby
Keynote speech: Howard Jacobson speaks out for scepticism
Gao Zhisheng awarded Bindmans Law and Campaigning prize
Video: The human rights lawyer’s wife, Geng He, accepted the award on his behalf in a video shown at tonight’s Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression awards, sponsored by SAGE

Route to revolution
On the eve of Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression awards — sponsored by SAGE — Ashraf Khalil reports on digital activism in Egypt in the new issue of the magazine
University threatens MP with libel case over Gaddafi criticism
Liverpool John Moores University has threatened to sue a Conservative MP after he criticised its relations with the Libyan regime, Index on Censorship has learned. Robert Halfon MP, whose grandfather was expelled from Libya in 1968, has been...