The families of political prisoners detained in Belarus after the 19 December election have instructed a London law firm to launch civil proceedings against the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko. This is the first time that a serving...
CATEGORY: News
History lessons: Islam’s tradition of debate
London Imam Usama Hasan has been caught up in a storm of religious controversy over his views. In an article from the Index archive, he argues that Islam traditionally embraces debate
Freedom sacrificed for an easy life, in Apple’s Brave New World
Apple should be part of the open online society, rather than the architects behind a system of control, argues Bill Thompson
Belarus: British actors put on blacklist
Influential US and British actors and musicians including Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Kelvin Kline, the Pet Shop Boys, Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Tom Stoppard and Samuel West, have been put on a “blacklist” of artists banned...
Post-traumatic libel syndrome
His three-year defamation battle may be over, but Hardeep Singh still faces an uphill battle to recover his costs
Fighting political internet censorship in Turkey: one site won back, 10,000 to go
With its strict regulation law, Turkey has become the land of internet censorship, argues Dr Yaman Akdeniz
Speak no evil: the grip of religious extremism on Pakistan’s political culture
Pakistan’s blasphemy law is a tool for persecution, says Kamila Shamsie, in the upcoming issue of Index on Censorship magazine
Azerbaijan: The long shadow
Investigative reporting is a dangerous business in Azerbaijan. On the anniversary of Elmar Huseynov’s murder, Natasha Schmidt is among those gathered in Strasbourg to call for release of independent journalist Eynulla Fatullayev
Royalty free Freedom of Information
The British Royal Family is now even more protected from the Freedom of Information Act since the removal of the public interest test. Judith Townend reports
Four year legal battle ends for Labour Home bloggers
A judge has refused libel litigant Johanna Kaschke leave to appeal, bringing to an end a long-running defamation row. Judith Townend reports
