Syrian authorities have released Reuters photographer Khaled al-Hariri. The Syrian national had been held for six days. He was arrested as he reached his Damascus workplace last Monday. Three other Reuters journalists have also been detained this...
CATEGORY: Middle East and North Africa
Libya releases Al Jazeera journalist
Al Jazeera reporter Lotfi Al Masoudi has been released after being detained by Libyan forces. He was one of four journalists who were arrested on 19 March. They were released on the 31 March, then rearrested later the same day. The Libyan...
Syria: Protesters shot by security forces
Security forces opened fire on protesters in the southern city of Daraa on Wednesday, killing at least 25 demonstrators. While activists claimed that many more had been killed, hospital sources reported 25 bodies with bullet wounds. Security forces...

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

Route to revolution
Digital activism has long been a way of life in Egypt; from monitoring political corruption to protesting against police brutality Egypt has always been one of the fastest and most enthusiastic cultures in the Middle East to embrace technology....
New York Times reporters freed, but 13 journalists still missing in Libya
Four New York Times reporters being held by pro-Gaddafi forces have now been released, but a further 13 journalists from various media organisations are still missing or in detention. The New York Times reporters were released to Turkish diplomats...
Libya: New York Times journalists to be freed
Four New York Times journalists who had gone missing in Libya will be released soon, it was reported on Friday. The journalists had entered Libya through Egypt and were reporting from the rebel held city of Ajdabiya, which was then overrun by the...
Egyptian politics gets messy—in a good way
Egyptians are expected to turn out to the polls Saturday in mass numbers to vote on a package of proposed constitutional amendments. It’s a national referendum that seems certain to make history on several levels. For starters, it’s the first...
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...
Bahrain expels CNN reporter
Mohammed Jamjoom, a CNN correspondent, was expelled from Bahrain on Wednesday after reporting on the violent crackdown by security forces on the main protest camp in Manama. The authorities gave no reason for the expulsion, and other CNN...