Jo Glanville responds: Narrow definitions of a bona fide protester smack of Victorian ideals of the deserving poor — Index defends everyone’s right to protest
Defining bona fide protest
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CATEGORY: News
Bangladesh: Wife of arrested political leader appeals to UN
Shaheda Yesmin, the wife of Shamsher M. Chowdhury appeals for help from the United Nations. Chowdhury, a UN commissioner and the country’s former Foreign Secretary has been arrested on arson charges that his family say are politically motivated
The white noise of protest
The right to freedom of expression does not entitle indefinite occupation of public land. Brett Lock of Harry’s Place responds to Index’s support for Parliament Square protesters
Belarus: Demonstrators attack new online legislation
Sir Tom Stoppard grills Belarusian ambassador over the Lukashenko government’s poor record on free speech
Why Lord Puttnam is wrong about the PCC
Labour peer’s call to end the self-regulation system if newspapers do not “improve their behaviour within a year” would endanger press freedom. The PCC’s Stephen Abell asks: Does Puttnam really want a public body to dictate the tone of political coverage?
Parliament Square protesters face eviction
As Boris Johnson wins his fight to evict “democracy village”, Bibi van der Zee asks if the courts intend to end the great British tradition of camping in protest
Nightmare on holy street
My victory over “his Holiness” reignites the debate on the place of religion in secular courts but the ordeal is not over yet. Hardeep Singh reports from the libel coalface
Iran: Hossein Derakhshan trial begins
After 21 months, the trial of Iran’s blogfather, controversial blogger Hossein Derakhshan finally begins
Plus Iran’s satellite silence, Irena Maryniak talks to Sadeq Saba, head of BBC Persia
Iran’s satellite silence
Irena Maryniak talks to Sadeq Saba, head of BBC Persian service, about the channel’s future, signal jamming and impartiality
Russia’s rules of engagement
Independent Radio station Ekho Moskvy is well known in Russia as a bastion of free speech. Editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov tells Maria Eismont about everyday dealing with death threats, censorship and the Kremlin