Index is definitely not a traditional vehicle to feature an article discussing the British royal family. However, today I am going to abuse my...
CATEGORY: Ruth’s blog
An ode to two defining figures from 1989
The year 1989 saw events that shaped the world we currently live. We look at two essential figures who challenged the status quo at the time
Saudi woman’s “death sentence” for using her voice
Salma al-Shehab, who was studying for a PhD at the University of Leeds, faces a 34-year sentence for supporting other Saudi women
We need to talk about history
Hiding uncomfortable truths does not erase the past, whether they are SLAPPs from powerful actors or hidden traumas in tourist hotspots
Why we need to protect end-to-end encryption
Apps like Telegram and WhatsApp provide ways for human rights defenders and journalists to communicate without fear of discovery by authoritarian governments
A new chance to protect freedom of expression online
“Unintended consequences”, “ideologically incoherent”, “won’t change culture or make us safer”. I have written all these words and many more about...
An unwelcome return to the 1970s
Protests for women’s rights, widespread strikes, rampant inflation. Have we turned the clock back fifty years?
Why we all need to be angelic troublemakers
People forget that Pride is all about protest and we should recognise that free expression is vital to positive change
The terrible price of refusing to remain silent
On the anniversary of the murder of MP Jo Cox and as we learn of the fate of two journalists in Brazil, Ruth Smeeth says we must learn from their deaths
Raised voices: why we must continue to listen
The news coming in from Belarus, Brazil, Hong Kong and Russia is devastating, writes our CEO Ruth Smeeth