31 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost
A reporter for Dunya News was assaulted outside his residence on 29 August and has received death threats after he filmed two brothers being lynched by a mob in Sailkot earlier in the month. Hafiz Imran was reportedly pushed against a wall by unidentified men on motorcycles and sustained fractures to his shoulder. On 15 August he witnessed the brutal killing of two teenage brothers. The boys were beaten to death with sticks after being accused of robbery. A number of police officers witnessed the killings but failed to intervene.
27 Aug 2010 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Three newspapers have been closed and a jail sentence has been imposed on one journalist in the past few days. The Commission for Press Authorisation and Surveillance, the censorship arm of the ministry of culture and Islamic orientation, has suspended the business daily Asia and withdrawn the licences of the weeklies Sepidar and Parastoo. Asia was suspended for publishing sensitive images and critisising the government’s economic policies. Badrolsadat Mofidi, the secretary-general of the Association of Iranian Journalists from Tehran, has been sentenced to six years in prison was sentenced for “assembly and collusion to commit a crime” and “propagating against the regime.” She is banned from any press related activities for five years.
23 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost
An opposition leader and two other activists have been charged with “resisting police” and “holding an unsanctioned march“. Former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was arrested, along with activist Mikhail Schneider and human rights campaigner Lev Ponomaryov, at a march marking Russia’s National Flag Day on 22 August. The men were detained at a Moscow police department and later a magistrate’s court, before being released early this morning. All three deny the charges and say that they were simply walking down the street carrying a flag. The court hearing is expected to continue on 24 August.
20 Aug 2010 | Events
Index on Censorship celebrates the launch of its new magazine on music and free expression with performances by the Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat and oud player Khyam Allam at the Free Word Centre.
Mahsa Vahdat is winner of the Freemuse Award 2010.
Khyam Allami is the first recipient of BBC Radio 3’s World Routes Academy scholarship and made his debut at Womad and the Proms this summer.
Index on Censorship invites you to join the festivities and tune into Smashed Hits 2.0 Live.
To reserve a place, call 020 7324 2570 or click here
6:30pm. 21 September 2010. Free Word Centre, London
