Home Secretary Theresa May’s plan to store information on every citizen’s use of email, the web, and phones have been dealt a severe blow by a parliamentary committee. Padraig Reidy reports
In Azerbaijan, it is not only journalists who face intimidation, arrests and violence: artists, musicians and writers also come under attack for exercising their right to artistic freedom. To coincide with the UN's International Human Rights Day,...
Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act could be adjusted to remove the word "insulting" from legislation, it was announced today (10 December). Director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer has said that past cases could be classified as "abusive",...
In Turkey, television drama is big business. A handful of big-budget productions attract millions of viewers every week, both at home and abroad. According to Abdullah Çelik, the head of property rights department in the culture ministry, more than...
French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo is being sued by two Muslim organisations for cartoons it published of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in September. The organisations, Algerian Democratic Rally for Peace and Progress and the United Arab...
The gay community is one of the most vulnerable minorities in Russia, and homophobia is one of the country’s most rampant prejudices. According to Levada centre research, around 74 per cent of Russian citizens consider members of the Lesbian, Gay,...
As an arcane UN body seeks new relevance and campaigns to take over internet governance, Dominique Lazanski outlines the risks it poses to net freedom and free speech
A blogger sued for libel by a Tanzanian media tycoon won her case today (30 November). At the High Court in London, Mr Justice Bean ruled in favour of Sarah Hermitage, who used her Silverdale Farm blog to criticise Reginald Mengi, Executive...
The judge’s part is done, now its up to the press and parliament. Can the press convince politicians they are capable of reform? Or will the government decide it needs powers to control the press?
Index on Censorship launches its UK Free Expression Scorecard warning there is a worrying outlook for free speech in Britain today