27 Nov 2013 | Denmark, Europe and Central Asia, News and features
Yahya Hassan at the Copenhagen Book Fair “BogForum 2013” (Photo: Mogens Engelund)
Against the backdrop of nationwide debate and with tight security, Danish poet Yahya Hassan yesterday took to the stage at H.C. Andersen School in the Vollsmose area of the city of Odense, for a much anticipated reading of his controversial work.
While the reading took place without serious disruption, a 19 year-old man was arrested “to keep the peace”. A group of protesters had also gathered outside, telling newspaper Extra Bladet Hassan was “trampling on our culture”, and a car from the broadcaster TV2 also had its tyres slashed. The police said they had turned several people away from the premises in the days leading up to the event, and a group of about 10-15 young men were also stopped from attending. Hassan himself was smuggled out of premises by the police after the event.
Hassan, a Palestinian-Danish 18 year old, rose to fame following an interview in daily Politiken in October, where he criticised his parents’ generation for, in his words, letting their children down. The interview was in connection with the release of his self titled debut poetry collection, which is heavily critical of Islam and parts of the Danish immigrant community. It builds on his experienced growing up in the deprived area of Gellerup in Aarhus.
He has been praised for adding a new voice to the debate on integration in Denmark, but there have been worries that the far right will use his work to their advantage. Hassan has also received a number of threats, and on 19 November, he was attacked while waiting for a train in Copenhagen.
The build-up to yesterday’s reading has not been free from controversy. It was initially to take place in Vollsmose Library, but was cancelled as police said it would pose a security risk and a threat to public order. The police wanted to move it to Odense City Hall, but Hassan and the organiser refused. Vollsmose, like Gellerup, is a deprived area and Hassan reportedly did not believe he would reach his intended audience in the city hall.
Finally, it was decided the event should go ahead after all, and took place yesterday, as planned, but at the H.C. Andersen School. There was a heavy police presence and even a flying ban over Vollsmose from 10 am on Tuesday, to 2 am today. There were reports of a £110000 price tag on the security measures, but Justice Minister Morten Bødskov said this was not an issue of police resources, adding that is the job of the police and county administration to ensure that the “framework for free and open debate” is in place.
This article was posted on 27 Nov 2013 at indexoncensorship.org
16 Jul 2025 | Africa, Asia and Pacific, Denmark, DR Congo, Europe and Central Asia, India, News and features
A new survey of more than 200 environmental defenders from around the world show they are facing increasing online threats of death, sexual violence, doxxing (publishing private or identifying information about an individual online) and other cyberattacks because of their work. Worryingly, the activists say that online platforms are not doing enough to address these threats and the abuse and harassment is increasingly translating into real-world violence and intimidation. Defenders also feel that the business models employed by digital platforms are contributing to the problem.
Threats to environmental defenders are almost universal, the Global Witness survey reveals: some 92% of the land and environmental defenders who responded said they had experienced some form of online abuse or harassment as a result of their work. The threats experienced by environmental defenders are widening. The survey found that 77% of respondents had experienced attacks on their work or character, 65% had had their images shared online without their permission, 61% had experienced cyberattacks while 58% had experienced doxxing.
Facebook is the worst platform for defenders, the survey reveals, with almost two-thirds (62%) having experienced abuse on the platform, compared with 37% on X, 36% on WhatsApp and 26% on Instagram.
“Meta therefore holds a huge amount of responsibility when it comes to finding ways to address online harms to defenders,” said the report’s authors.
Defenders believe that the business models adopted by digital platforms are contributing to the harm caused to them.
“Social media companies use algorithms that can reinforce biases and reaffirm beliefs to keep users engaged and maximise time on the platform. This can create echo chambers, deepen divisions and fuel extremism,” the report said.
One defender told the survey’s authors, “Hateful comments get more traction.”
The report features testimonies from a number of environmental defenders who have received online threats because of their activism. They have asked not to have their full names published.
Warom has been working with environmental defenders in the Congo basin for nearly three years to help defend Indigenous land rights and enforce environmental protections. He also works at a radio station raising awareness of local environmental and human rights issues. He has been targeted for his activism.
“As part of our work, we sometimes document and expose abuses related to land grabbing and resource exploitation,” he said. “Already we have seen that Indigenous lands have been grabbed, and communities have been displaced and evicted, without proper consent or compensation. As a result, we believe we have been subjected to surveillance, which has included phone tapping, monitoring of our online communications, and other kinds of digital spying.”
He added, “Digital platforms have been used to spread disinformation about us. We have been falsely accused of being terrorists, and of having taken illegal payments by foreign organisations in return for our work. Our attackers use many different platforms to spread these lies – sometimes they use WhatsApp, other times they use YouTube, other times they text us directly or speak about us on the radio.
“In 2022, there was a group of people who decided they wanted to ban our radio station because we were spreading information to help local communities hold on to their land title. They spread lies – saying we wanted to grab the land for ourselves. They issued threats on Twitter and on WhatsApp – telling me they were planning to kill me and two of my colleagues.”
Sharanya has been working with NGOs in the Odisha region of India for more than 20 years.
“This region is very rich in bauxite, so there are many mining projects there that have been forcefully pushed by the government sometimes using military power. Along with a few others, I have stood alongside Indigenous communities who oppose these mining projects. These communities are fighting for their land rights, against evictions, and against harassment by the police. This resistance has been met by violence. We use social media to document this violence as well as the environmental destruction these projects cause. For example, we have posted videos on our Facebook page showing the beating of protesters, and videos showing how mining companies are releasing their wastewaters into rivers which local communities are using.”
Sharanya said, “We have been attacked online and offline for doing this. For example, when we helped stage a protest against one mining project, people took our photos and circulated them on WhatsApp, accusing us of brainwashing indigenous communities and identifying our personal information like our home addresses. After these online attacks, the police showed up at our door and accused us of being criminals and served us trespassing notices.”
Fanø from Denmark manages social media, logistics and outreach for Extinction Rebellion.
He said, “I often managed the live-streams that we did during our protests. On more than one occasion, people have sent threats to us during these livestreams. Some of them were so concerning I took a screenshot so I could report them. They have said things like ‘If I were there, I would run you over with my car’ or ‘this is why I have a shotgun.’”
“I reported these threats to Facebook, who said they would investigate, but nothing seems to have happened,” said Fanø. “Facebook should stop people from sending these types of threats, but right now it seems like they are going the other way. It looks like now people are pretty much free to say anything to us, even death threats.”
The research reveals a growing link between online and offline harm.
Speaking to Index, Hannah Sharpe, a senior campaigner at Global Witness and co-author of the report, said, “We already knew that environmental defenders experienced a lot of offline harms. Our London environmental defenders team publish a report every year, and that tries to get a sense of the offline harm that they experience. This is the first time that we’ve really looked at the relationship between online and offline, and for a lot of them, they felt that online was laying the groundwork, and it was this sort of warning sign that offline attacks could be imminent.”
Some 45% of respondents had faced offline threats of physical violence while 28% had received threats to their family, friends and coworkers. These threats often materialised: 22% had experienced physical violence, 10% had had their homes attacked and 3% had been subject to sexual violence. Thirty percent of respondents had been unjustly accused of behaving illegally regardless of the actual legality of their actions.
Many of the threats appear to be coming from anonymous trolls and bots.
“Defenders who responded to our survey also report that some bots and trolls operate behind anonymous profiles, allowing them to harass with impunity. While most digital platforms have policies prohibiting inauthentic accounts and spam, they sometimes fail to effectively enforce these policies, giving abusers license to escalate harms unchecked,” the report said.
One respondent told the organisation, “Troll farms are rampant. Pages with big followings are bought and used by troll farms to reach even bigger audiences.”
Sharpe said that the trolls are being empowered in the new world being architected by climate change denier and oil fan President Donald Trump.
“I think maybe that shift has given other people licence to speak out more online. I think it’s really hard for activists to have a voice at this time. A lot of defenders were using online platforms for organising as part of their work, especially in Covid. We had a lot of people talking about that: they couldn’t be on the ground and they turned to social media platforms instead. As a result of the abuse and harassment, a lot of them have gone quiet online, it’s really silencing the movement.“
The rise of “free speech” online under Trump and the decline in content moderation at social media platforms is having a particularly worrying effect. Earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced significant changes to its community guidelines, admitting that their content moderation efforts would “catch less bad stuff”.
Sharpe said, “Environmental defenders see social media as essential for their work, it is really important for organising, raising awareness, finding an audience and engaging with other activists. All the defenders we spoke to were unsatisfied when they’ve reported issues and the platforms haven’t responded in a satisfactory manner. The platforms should be doing more.”
4 Jul 2025 | Europe and Central Asia, News and features, Statements, Turkey
International free expression, media freedom, human rights and journalists’ organisations are deeply alarmed by reports that an arrest warrant has been issued for the Kurdish writer, journalist and poet Nedim Türfent on the charge of “Disseminating propaganda in favor of a terrorist organization”. Türfent is currently living in exile in Germany due to the ongoing persecution he has faced by the Turkish authorities. While the arrest warrant was issued on 7 May 2025 by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of Yüksekova district in Hakkari, Türfent was only made aware of it on 25 June. The existence of the warrant was made public by the Dicle Firat Journalists’ Association (DFG) on 27 June.
This is the latest in a litany of threats and judicial harassment aimed at Türfent in recent years. He spent six years and seven months in prison after he was detained in May 2016 in response to his reporting on special police forces’ ill-treatment of Kurdish workers. This came amidst a severe clampdown on public interest journalism, where Kurdish writers and journalists were explicitly targeted. According to PEN International, as a result of his reporting he “began receiving death threats from the police and was the target of an online harassment campaign.” The day after his arrest, he was formally charged with “membership of a terrorist organisation”. Out of the 20 witnesses called during the court hearings, 19 retracted their statements, saying they had been extracted under torture. Türfent spent almost two years in solitary confinement. After spending over 2,400 days behind bars, he was released on 29 November 2022.
As reported by DFG, the basis of the warrant appears to be four news-related posts and retweets Türfent shared on his X account. The charge of “Disseminating propaganda in favor of a terrorist organization”, outlined in Article 7 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law (Law no. 3713), has long been used to stifle critical speech or public interest reporting. In 2024, 82 accounts on X, including those used by Kurdish politicians, journalists, publishers and media houses, were blocked by Turkish courts on the basis of this charge, as well as other provisions commonly used to restrict free expression. Other journalists and civil society representatives, including Erol Önderoğlu (Reporters Without Borders representative in Turkey and International Press Institute member), Şebnem Korur Fincancı (Chair of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey) and writer Ahmet Nesin have also been charged under this provision in 2016. While they were acquitted, this verdict was overturned in October 2020.
As Türfent is now based in Germany, the warrant may result in an extradition request. Turkey has long requested the extradition of those in exile, many of whom were targeted for their criticism of the ruling party and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or for acts of public interest journalism. For instance, in 2017, a year after the failed coup, it was reported that Turkey had requested the extradition of 81 people from Germany. While German courts have previously rejected a number of requests on human rights grounds and in reference to the European Court of Human Rights, we are deeply concerned by the possibility of Türfent being forcibly returned to Turkey. This fear is enhanced by the fact that his visa expires at the end of August 2025.
We, the undersigned, condemn the issuance of this arrest warrant targeting Türfent for acts of protected speech and for his work as a journalist. Speaking to Index on Censorship in 2023 about his persecution, Türfent said: “My journalism was then declared a ‘crime’.” This cannot happen again and we call for the warrant to be retracted without delay. We will continue to monitor the situation.
Signed by:
Index on Censorship
Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
Dicle Firat Journalists’ Association (DFG)
English PEN
Human Rights Association (İHD)
Gefangenes Wort
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)
PEN Kurd (Kurdish PEN)
PEN Melbourne
Wahrheitskämpfers e. V.
DİSK Basın-İş
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Stimmen der Solidarität – Mahnwache Köln e.V.
PEN International
Croatian PEN Centre
PEN Norway
PEN America
Vietnamese Abroad PEN Centre
PEN Netherlands
Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD), Turkey
Deutsche Journalistinnen und Journalisten Union (dju) in ver.di
Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM)
PEN Català (Catalan PEN)
International Society for Human Rights (ISHR)
San Miguel PEN
PEN Sweden
Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS)
PEN Denmark (Danish PEN)
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
IFEX
P24 Platform for Independent Journalism
Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD)
Giuristi Democratici Association – Italy
International Press Institute (IPI)
PEN Esperanto
Research and Development Center for Democracy (CRED)
ARTICLE 19
Articolo 21
PEN Sydney
German Journalists’ Association (DJV)
28 Jun 2024 | Europe and Central Asia, European Union, News and features
While the outcome of the 2024 election is yet to be finalised, results at the time of writing show that Eurosceptic conservatives are on course to win an extra 14 seats (taking them to 83), while right-wing nationalists will gain nine seats (to 58). Overall, the right, including centre-right politicians of the European People’s Party grouping, has done well, largely at the expense of the liberal and green party groupings. With just five nations out of 27, including Italy and Estonia, remaining to publish their final results, the overall picture is unlikely to change dramatically.
The move to the far right is evident across Europe. France, which elects 81 members to the European Parliament (EP), was perhaps where this was most evident. Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party is projected to receive around 31-32% of the vote, against President Macron’s centrist party, which is estimated to reach around 15% of the vote. Macron was so concerned about his party’s poor showing that he has called an election in the country. Belgium’s prime minister also handed in his resignation after the nationalist New Flemish Alliance emerged as the big winner after regional, national and European Parliament elections were held in the country on Super Sunday.
In Germany, Eurosceptic parties are projected to secure over 16% of the EP vote. The AfD tripled its support from voters under 24 from 5% in 2019 to 16% and gains six seats to reach 15. The Greens lost nine seats from 21 last time around. Austria’s far-right Freedom Party gained nearly 26% of the vote, gaining three seats, while in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’s anti-immigration Party for Freedom gained six seats with 17% of the vote. A similar story played out in Poland, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia.
But what is driving Europe’s veer to the right?
There is some evidence that the success of the far right comes from millennial and Gen Z voters shifting towards these parties. A third of French voters under 34 and 22% of young German voters favour their country’s far right, while in the Netherlands, the Party for Freedom has become the largest party among under-34s.
Young Europeans, mainly those aged 18-29, overwhelmingly rely on social media for daily news consumption. In Italy and Denmark, nearly three-quarters of young adults use social media for news daily (74% and 75%). A recent German youth study found that 57% of youth prefer social media for news and political updates.
There is growing concern that external actors, particularly from Russia, may have influenced the elections.
Media reports reveal that EU leaders were so concerned about foreign interference in the elections that they set up rapid alert teams to manage any serious incidents. Officials told the Guardian that disinformation has reached “tsunami levels.”
The evidence points to Russia.
Last December, France’s VIGINUM group, which is tasked with protecting France and its interests against foreign digital interference, published a report revealing a network of nearly 200 websites with addresses of the form pravda-xx.com or xx.news-pravda.com, where xx is the country identifier.
The sites, which generate little new content themselves, instead amplify existing pro-Russian content from state sources and social media, including posts from military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk. Pro-Russian content relating to the Ukraine war is a particular favourite.
Thirty-four fact-checking organisations in Europe, showed that the Pravda network had spread to at least 19 EU countries. Fact-checking organisation Greece Fact Check, in cooperation with Pagella Politica and Facta news, has since noticed that the Pravda network has been attempting to convey large amounts of disinformation and pro-Russia propaganda to sway EU public opinion.
The organisation said that “minor pro-Russian politicians who run for the elections are quoted by state media such as Ria and then further amplified by the Pravda network, in what seems an attempt to magnify their relevance”.
A report by EDMO on EU-related disinformation ahead of the elections found that it was at its highest ever level in May 2024. Ministers for European affairs from France, Germany, and Poland cautioned about efforts to manipulate information and mislead voters. Across the EU, authorities observed a resurgence in coordinated operations spreading anti-EU and Ukraine narratives through fake news websites and on social media platforms Facebook and X.
Among the false stories that emerged and covered were reports that EU President Ursula Von der Leyen had links to Nazism and had been arrested in the European Parliament.
In Germany, there were stories circulating that the country’s vote was being manipulated, ballot papers with holes or corners cut were invalid and that anyone voting for the far-right party AfD would follow stricter rules. Other stories attempted to trick voters into multiple voting or signing their ballot papers, practices that would invalidate their votes.
The report also noted that around 4% of such disinformation articles have been created using AI tools.
The tsunami of disinformation looks unlikely to fade away any time soon. The Guardian says that the EU’s rapid alert teams have been asked to continue their work for weeks after the election.
A senior official told the paper, “The expectation is that it is around election day that we will see this interruption of narratives questioning the legitimacy of the European elections, and in the weeks around it.”
