Index has learned that Special Forces broke into the apartment of Nikolai Khalezin, art director of Belarus Free Theatre, this morning [20 December] and arrested him. He is reported to have been taken to unknown destination. He is already third...
CATEGORY: minipost
Belarus: Opposition candidates beaten, arrested
Reports are emerging from Belarus that opposition leaders Andrei Sannikov, Nikolai Statkevich, Rygor Katusev and Vitaly Rymanshevsky have been arrested by police. Sannikov had earlier declared a provisional coalition in Belarus, after thousands...
Belarus Free Theatre founder detained
Index on Censorship has learned that Natalia Koliada, a founder member of the Belarus Free Theatre, has been detained by authorities in Minsk. Koliada has been unable to contact other members of the dissident theatre group. Tens of thousands of...
Zimbabwe: First lady sues newspaper over wikileaks allegations
Grace Mugabe has filed a lawsuit against Standard newspaper claiming $15m for defamation. The newspaper published leaked US cables from wikileaks alleging the first lady of gaining millions of dollars from illegal diamond trade. Other high ranking...
Belarus: Opposition activists detained
Three activists from opposition Malady Front were detained in front of the presidential office. Uladzimer Yaromenak, Eduard Lobau and Hanna Sharuba were holding placards demanding President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to step down. Earlier last week...
Breaking News: High court upholds Julian Assange bail decision
The High Court in London has upheld the lower court's decision to release Wikileaks founder on bail. The 39-year-old Australian was granted bail on Tuesday but prosecutors objected to the decision and he remained in jail. Assange is fighting...
Belarus: Opposition supporters attacked
Two supporters of opposition candidates in the upcoming presidential election in Belarus have been attacked in the Western region of Hrodna. Kiryl Semyanchuk, who supports Uladzimer Nyaklaeu was assaulted by two men while he was distributing...
Kuwait: Al Jazeera office shut down
Al Jazeera's office in Kuwait City has been shut down after the news channel broadcast footage of police brutality against members of the Kuwaiti opposition. The footage showed police beating activists, and the channel aired interviews with members...
Iran: Union activist denied bail despite hunger strike
Labour activist, Reza Shahabi remains in custody despite the payment of bail USD 100,000 by his family. Shahabi, who was detained on 12 June, was due to be released on 11 October but two months on he has still not been Evin prison. In protest to...

South Africa: Jacob Zuma sues newspaper over cartoon
South African president, Jacob Zuma has filed a $440,000 defamation lawsuit over a cartoon depicting him as a rapist of the justice system. The cartoon, published in 2008 by South Africa's Sunday Times, depicts Zuma pulling his trousers down and...