29 Sep 2025 | Americas, Asia and Pacific, China, Egypt, Europe and Central Asia, In the News, India, Iran, Middle East and North Africa, News and features, Newsletters, Russia, United Kingdom, United States
If you want to take the temperature of a nation in terms of free speech just look at how it treats its comedians. Countries with robust human rights records can take a joke, the reverse is the case for dictatorships. Comedy “masquerades as folly, but it can take down an empire” wrote Shalom Auslander in a recent issue of our magazine to explain why joke tellers are so often targets. Which of course brings us to Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel. The story gripped us all and exposed both Trump’s thin-skin and the role corporations play today in censorship. Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian-American satirist who had to stop his show in Egypt following significant pressure, responded to the suspension of Kimmel with a quip on X: “My Fellow American Citizens. Welcome to my world.”
Fortunately, the USA is not el-Sisi’s Egypt – yet. Kimmel is now back on air after a public outcry and cancellations of subscriptions to Disney’s streaming services. Turns out, the dollar speaks both ways. Meanwhile, a statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein appeared in Washington this week. The bronze-painted installation, titled Best Friends Forever, depicted the two men smiling at each other. The statue made its point, though not for long. The team behind the statue, called The Secret Handshake, had apparently been granted a permit to have it remain there until Sunday evening. It didn’t last a day.
The UK is struggling with humour too. Last month, Banksy’s mural of a protester being beaten by a judge was wiped from the Royal Courts of Justice almost before the paint dried. Officials cited the building’s listed status, but the speed was telling. In a separate incident a protester holding a Private Eye cartoon was arrested at a Palestine solidarity march in July, satire clearly lost on the police.
It’s worse elsewhere. In Iran, Zeinab Mousavi, one of the first Iranian women to do stand-up comedy, is a frequent target of the authorities. Last month she was charged with making statements that were “contrary to public morality”. In China, a joke about the military led to a comedian being arrested, and the company behind him being fined millions. It was a similar story in India, after a popular comedian, Kunal Kamra, was accused of insulting a local politician. Kamra is just the latest comedian to be targeted, as highlighted by Index.
Reflecting on Kimmel, Russian journalist and dissident Andrei Soldatov offered a warning. Shortly after Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, armed operatives raided the offices of NTV, the network that aired Kukly, a puppet show taking aim at Putin. NTV owner Vladimir Gusinsky was jailed and Kukly disappeared shortly after. Soldatov said at the time many Russian journalists and intellectuals rationalised the attack. A few spoke out though. “You can’t make friends with a crocodile” they said. US executives would be wise to remember this.
29 Aug 2025 | Americas, Europe and Central Asia, Iran, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, News and features, Palestine, United Kingdom, United States
Bombarded with news from all angles every day, important stories can easily pass us by. To help you cut through the noise, every Friday Index publishes a weekly news roundup of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression. This week, we look at the Israeli “double-tap” strike on a hospital that killed 20 people, and the sexual misconduct libel case of actor Noel Clarke.
In public interest: Actor Noel Clarke loses libel case against The Guardian
Prominent English actor Noel Clarke has lost a lengthy sexual misconduct libel case in High Court against The Guardian in which 26 witnesses testified against him.
The landmark case was based on a series of articles and a podcast published by the Guardian between April 2021 and March 2022 in which more than 20 women accused Clarke of sexual misconduct, with allegations ranging from unwanted sexual contact to taking and sharing explicit pictures without consent. The actor claimed that these allegations were false, bringing libel charges against the Guardian over what he believed was an unlawful conspiracy, reportedly seeking £70 million in damages if his case was successful.
Mrs Justice Steyn, ruling on the case, gave the verdict that the Guardian succeeded in defending themselves against the legal action on truth and public interest grounds, with Steyn stating that Clarke “was not a credible or reliable witness”, and that his claims of conspiracy were “born of necessity” due to the sheer number of witnesses testifying against him. In a summary of the findings, she ruled that the allegations made were “substantially true.”
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, headed by Index on Censorship, have stated that while this is a crucial ruling, the case “exerted a significant toll on The Guardian and its journalists”, and that a universal anti-SLAPP law is necessary to avoid similar situations from occurring. Index also stated that “public interest journalism needs greater protections”. Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, wrote this was a landmark ruling for investigative journalism and for the women involved. During proceedings, the court heard that one woman had been threatened with prosecution by Clarke’s lawyers in what was described by the lawyer acting for the Guardian as an attempt at witness intimidation.
Back–to–back strikes: more journalists killed in “double tap” attack on Gaza hospital
An Israeli attack in which two missiles hit back-to-back on the same Gaza hospital has killed at least 20 people, including four health workers and five journalists.
The attack struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, at approximately 10am on Monday 26 August. An initial missile hit the hospital, killing at least one person – then approximately ten minutes later, when rescue workers and journalists had flooded the scene, a second strike hit the hospital. This second attack was broadcast live on Al Ghad TV, and showed a direct hit on aid workers and reporters,. The nature of the attack has led to it being dubbed a “double-tap”, a military tactic in which an initial strike on a target is followed up shortly after with a second strike, which targets those who rush to the scene.. The IDF have released an initial inquiry into the attack, and are further investigating “several gaps” in how this incident came to pass.
The five media workers killed were Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri who died in the initial strike, and Mohammad Salama of Al-Jazeera, Mariam Dagga of Associated Press, Ahmed Abu Aziz of Middle East Eye, and independent journalist Moaz Abu Taha killed subsequently. The attack follows a targeted Israeli strike on 10 August that left four Al-Jazeera journalists and three media workers dead. The Committee to Protect Journalists have documented that at least 189 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the war.
Putting out fires: Trump attempts to ban the burning of American flags
Donald Trump is moving to ban the burning of United States flags – an act that has been protected under a Supreme Court ruling since 1989.
Stating that burning the flag “incites riots at levels we’ve never seen before,” Trump signed an executive order that calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to challenge a court ruling that categorises flag burning as legitimate political expression under the constitution. He outlined how anyone caught committing the offence would be subject to one year in jail – a statement that will be tested soo. Mere hours after signing the order a 20-year-old man was arrested for burning an American flag just outside the White House.
The White House published a fact sheet that described desecrating the American flag as “uniquely and inherently offensive and provocative”, and referenced the burning of the flag at the 2025 Los Angeles protests alongside conduct “threatening public safety”. They argue that despite the 1989 ruling, the Supreme Court did not intend for flag burning that is “likely to incite imminent lawless action” or serve as a form of “fighting words’” to be constitutionally protected.
The crime of online activism: Iranian activist sentenced to prison over social media activism
Iranian student activist Hasti Amiri has been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for her social media advocacy for women’s rights and against the death penalty.
Amiri, who previously served 7 months in a Tehran prison in 2022 over her anti-death penalty stance, has been sentenced by a Revolutionary Court in Iran to three years imprisonment and a 500 million Iranian rial fine for “spreading falsehoods” and “propaganda against the state”, as well as a 30.3 million rial fine for appearing without a hijab in public.
Amiri reported all of the charges against her in a post on Instagram, writing that “When simply opposing the death penalty is considered propaganda against the state, then execution itself is a political tool of intimidation”. She is the latest human rights activist to face criminal charges in Iran – Sharifeh Mohammadi was recently sentenced to death for “rebelling against the just Islamic ruler(s)”, and student activist Motahareh Goonei was this week sentenced to 21 months in prison for the same crime of “propaganda against the state”.
Reforming local government: Reform UK bans local press access in Nottinghamshire
Journalists from the Nottingham Post have been banned from speaking to Reform UK members of Nottinghamshire County Council in what has been called a “massive attack on local democracy.”
Mick Barton, Reform’s council leader in Nottinghamshire reportedly took issue with the paper following an alleged dispute over an article covering a disagreement between councillors. The decision has been condemned by three former county council leaders, and has drawn scrutiny from national groups such as the National Union of Journalists and the Society of Editors.
The ban also covers reporters at the Nottingham Post from the BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporting Service which shares stories with media outlets across the country. The newspaper has also found out that press officers at the council have been told to take reporters off media distribution lists, meaning they won’t get press releases or be invited to council events. Leader of the opposition and former council leader Sam Smith criticised the ban: “The free press play a key role in keeping residents informed of actions being taken by decision makers and in return the press express the views of residents to the politicians and public in publishing balanced articles.”
Reform MP for Ashfield Lee Anderson, who has a history of disagreements with the Nottingham Post, has announced that he will also be joining the boycott. This follows social media posts from the MP accusing journalists of having a negative bias towards the party.
22 Aug 2025 | Africa, Americas, Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Iran, Middle East and North Africa, News and features, Russia, United Kingdom, United States
Bombarded with news from all angles every day, important stories can easily pass us by. To help you cut through the noise, every Friday Index publishes a weekly news roundup of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression. This week, we look at a human rights defender sentenced to death in Iran, and a crackdown on media freedom in Guinea-Bissau.
The price of rebellion: Human rights defender sentenced to death in Iran
Iranian human rights defender Sharifeh Mohammadi has had her death sentence confirmed by Iran’s supreme court, for the crime of “Baghi” or “rebelling against the just Islamic ruler(s).”
Having been sentenced to death in July 2024, her sentence was then overturned in October that year due to “flaws and ambiguities” by the same branch of the Supreme Court that confirmed it this week.
Mohammadi, who advocates for women’s rights and labour rights, was first arrested on 5 December 2023 while on her way home from work. She has remained imprisoned ever since, and her family allege that she has been subjected to torture and several months in solitary confinement. Her cousin, Vida Mohammadi, stated that her charges were “not based on justice from the outset but rather on a scenario fabricated by the Intelligence Ministry.”
Access denied: Portuguese media outlets shut down in Guinea-Bissau
The authorities in Guinea-Bissau have ordered the closure of two Portuguese media outlets, LUSA and RTP and the discontinuation of local broadcasts of RTP, ordering their journalists to leave the country.
The authorities did not provide an explanation for their actions but promised to release a statement, which has yet to be shared. While President Sissoco Embaló declined to give a reason for the measure, he reportedly told journalists it is “a problem between Guinea-Bissau and Portugal.”
The act is being viewed as part of Embaló’s broader crackdown on media freedom within the country.
Safety not guaranteed: Hong Kong summons UK envoy after activist offered asylum
Hong Kong has summoned British and Australian envoys after both nations granted asylum to individuals who fled the territory.
Pro-democracy activist Tony Chung announced on the weekend that the UK Home Office granted his asylum claim. He had been one of the youngest people to receive a jail sentence under Hong Kong’s notorious national security law and left the country in 2023.
The day after, former lawmaker Ted Hui announced his successful asylum claim in Australia.
The move comes as part of a campaign of transnational repression by the Hong Kong authorities to silence those who fled for their safety.
The price for reporting: Ice’s continued detention of Atlanta reporter
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have called for the release of Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara who remains detained by Immigration and customs enforcement (Ice).
Guevara was detained on 14 June 2025 while covering the “No Kings” protest. Shortly after his arrest, prosecutors dropped the criminal charges and an immigration judge granted him bond on 1 July. His family attempted to pay the bond, yet Ice refused to release him and instead transferred him to Gwinnett County on a traffic violation charge. Despite those charges being dropped, Ice refused to release him.
Guevara arrived legally to the USA from El Salvador where he has lived for more than 20 years.
Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project has called for his release, stating “Mario Guevara is being detained solely because of his journalism — specifically his livestreaming of immigration and other law enforcement officials.”
Censored screens: our favourite TV shows are heavily censored in Russia
According to the New York Times, ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian citizens have been turning to streaming platforms for respite.
However, despite watching the same shows we know and love, what we see and Russians see is entirely different. TV shows such as Just Like That, White Lotus, and The Wire have been censored and edited to remove content featuring trans and LGBTQ+ content, reference or mention of President Vladimir Putin or scenes which show intimacy between men.
Since the start of the war, the Kremlin has ramped up its attack on LGBTQ+ rights. Part of their crackdown includes a “gay propaganda” law targeting activists.
15 Aug 2025 | Americas, Asia and Pacific, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, News and features, Palestine, Thailand
Bombarded with news from all angles every day, important stories can easily pass us by. To help you cut through the noise, every Friday Index publishes a weekly news roundup of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression. This week, we look at the targeted killing of four Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, and the arrest of hundreds of protesters in the UK.
A targeted strike: Five Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli missile in Gaza
Four Palestinian journalists working for Al Jazeera, as three other media workers, were killed in a targeted Israeli strike on 10 August, bringing the total number killed in Gaza to at least 184 journalists since 2023 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Anas al-Sharif, one of Al Jazeera’s most prominent reporters on the conflict in Gaza, was one of those killed in the strike. Having consistently reported on the ground since 7 October 2023, al-Sharif was subject to numerous death threats online. Israeli officials have repeatedly made unverified claims that al-Sharif was the leader of a Hamas terrorist cell, claims vigorously denied by Al Jazeera, the CPJ and others. The IDF gave this as justification for the targeted strike on al-Sharif’s location, however no such justification was given regarding the lives of the others killed.
With foreign journalists banned from entering the Gaza strip, the only reporting from the ground is coming from Palestinian journalists.
Spare no protestor: More than 500 demonstrators arrested in one day for supporting Palestine Action
A demonstration in London’s Parliament Square in support of proscribed group Palestine Action saw 522 arrested on suspicion of breaking terrorism laws in one day – more than doubling the amount arrested on these terms in the entirety of 2024.
Taking place on Saturday 10 August, the demonstration organised by Defend Our Juries asked participants to hold up signs or placards stating “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Such a statement is a criminal offence, as the UK government banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws after two members of the group broke into RAF Brize Norton airbase and defaced aircraft.
An age breakdown by the Metropolitan Police revealed that of those protesters arrested who could have their ages verified, 49.9% were over the age of 60, with nearly 100 being in their seventies. Over 700 people have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action since its proscription, bringing widespread condemnation. UN human rights chief Volker Türk, argued that the proscription was an “impermissible restriction” on freedom of expression, while former cabinet minister Lord Peter Hain said the government were “digging themselves into a hole” by proscribing Palestine Action.
Gang violence: Two journalists attacked, one killed, while investigating gang activity
Two journalists were violently attacked on consecutive days while investigating gang activity in the city of Gazipur, Bangladesh, with one of the journalists being killed in the assault.
Reporter Anwar Hossain, 35, was interviewing rickshaw drivers about allegations of extortion on 6 August when he was brutally attacked by seven to eight men in broad daylight, one of whom repeatedly beat Hossain with a brick, injuring him severely. A video of the assault went viral on social media, with police seen nearby taking no immediate action. The following day, journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin, 38, was filming armed men chasing a young man through a market, when the men turned on him and hacked him to death with machetes.
Following the death of Tuhin, five people have been arrested in connection with his murder. Attacks against journalists for their reporting have become more common in recent months in Bangladesh – in July, journalist Khandaker Shah Alam was assaulted in retaliation for reporting on a case that landed the assailant in jail. He later died of his injuries.
Art under attack: Pieces removed from Bangkok gallery under pressure from China
An art gallery in Bangkok has been forced to remove or alter a number of works by Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur artists, following a visit from Chinese embassy officials.
The exhibition, titled Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity, was curated by the Myanmar Peace Museum, and aimed to lay out the interconnected nature of authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia and Iran. Held at The Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, the exhibition opened on 24 July – but just three days later, Chinese embassy officials alongside Bangkok city officials “entered the exhibition and demanded its shutdown”, according to the co-curator of the exhibition.
The gallery was reportedly warned that the exhibit “may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China”. Under this pressure, they removed a number of works, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, and censored many more – removing the words “Hong Kong”, “Uyghur” and “Tibet” from artworks, redacting artists’ names, and taking down any content featuring Chinese president Xi Jinping. They also insisted that the gallery enforce the “One China policy” that iterates that the People’s Republic of China is the only government representing all of China, including the self-governed island of Taiwan.
A long struggle: Colombian presidential hopeful dies two months after being shot
Two months after he was shot at a campaign rally in Bogotá, Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has died in hospital from his injuries, his wife has confirmed.
Uribe was shot twice in the head and once in the leg at the rally on Saturday 7 June. Colombian President Gustavo Petro launched an investigation into the incident as it was revealed that Uribe’s protection team had been reduced from seven to three people on the day of the attack for unknown reasons. The alleged gunman, a 15-year-old boy, was among six individuals arrested regarding the murder – the boy reportedly stated he acted “for money, for my family”.
Uribe was a member of the right-wing Democratic Centre party. He stated his inspiration for running for public office was his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, who was herself kidnapped and killed by a gang alliance in 1991 over her reporting. Uribe’s death brings back unwanted memories of a nation that was fraught with gang violence.
