The Justice Secretary is reported to have pledged to make English defamation laws fairer. Index on Censorship reports
Straw commits to libel reform
read more
CATEGORY: News and features
Digital bankruptcy
Lord Mandelson seems hellbent on stifling online creativity, says Bill Thompson
Turkey: Journalist detained whilst reporting on dummy soldiers
Bariş Sözal, a journalist at Sabah newspaper, and his driver Ali Kocatepe were detained for 8 hours after taking photographs at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Sözal had been gathering information for a story which revealed that airport security...
Morocco newspaper banned for articles about king’s health
Moroccan newspaper Al-Michaal was banned on 13 November after editor in chief Driss Chahtan was sentenced to one year in prison and a 10,000 dirham fine as punishment for his articles about the health of King Mohamed VI. Two other journalists on...
The Velvet Revolutionary
On 17 November 1989, the police crushed a peaceful student demonstration in Prague. The crackdown led to national protests, culminating in a general strike. Within 11 days, the mass demonstrations had overthrown the communist regime. Václav Havel was elected president on 29 December. Jan Bubeník became the youngest politician in the new government. He spoke to Jo Glanville
Matthew Parris and Brian Eno join Index
Matthew Parris, one of Britain’s most renowned newspaper columnists, has been appointed a trustee of Index on Censorship, the UK’s leading organisation promoting freedom of expression. And, in an exciting week for free speech in the UK, musical...
Libel reform: Carter-Ruck defends defamation rules
Carter-Ruck partner Nigel Tait has responded to English PEN and Index on Censorship’s libel reform report. By Padraig Reidy
Cuban bloggers under attack
An alleged assault on Generación Y’s Yoani Sánchez demonstrates the Castro regime’s fear of free expression on the web. Nick Caistor reports
Moldova drops Tweeter charges
Moldova's Prosecutor General Office has dropped criminal proceedings against the people accused of using social networking websites to organise violent street protests in Chisinau in April, following the ppposition protest against the results of...
Hamas shuts down journalist conference
Hamas officials prevented journalists in Gaza from participating in a meeting on 10 November. The reporters were due to attend a meeting organised by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). However, the venue turned the journalists away...