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Index on Censorship has announced the nominees for the 2012 Freedom of Expression Awards. This year 15 candidates were nominated in journalism, advocacy, innovation and arts categories. The winners will be announced on March 28.

At least 46 journalists were killed around the world in 2011 and 179 writers, editors and photojournalists were behind bars on December 1, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports.

Rebecca MacKinnon’s will present her new book, Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom.

Two weeks before Presidential election in Russia, board of directors of the independent radio station Ekho Moskvy was changed. This week the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office announced that the online television station Dozhd TV was under investigation to determine who financed the channel’s broadcasts of anti-Kremlin demonstrations. French journalist and author Anne Nivat expelled from the country for interviewing opposition.

Russian authorities ordered to block the website of a public health organization, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, for discussing the addiction medicine methadone. “Now, even our speaking about it seems to be banned”, says president of the foundation. Human rights organizations, including Article 19, interpret the move as an assault on freedom of expression.

Kazakhstan entered into a new year by silencing voices of criticism. The authorities search and arrest opposition activists and tighten up free speech in the internet. Uzbekistan follows the same path: editor Muhammad Bekjanov, held since 1999, has been served with an additional five year sentence.

Council of Europe member states urge to heighten sanctions against Europe’s last dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka as opposition leader Andrei Sannikov tells of fears.

Article 19 and Index on Censorship stand up against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA), that are currently being debated by US Congress. Protecting the rights of creators is an important goal; however, enforcement should not come at the expense of free speech or due process, say the organisations.

Last week 7 journalists were detained in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland. On 14 January the police stormed the headquarters of a private TV network and sealed the offices. As a result, on 15 January Somaliland journalists gathered peacefully in front of the Presidential Palace to demonstrate against the media crackdown. The police disrupted the demonstration, 22 journalists were taken into custody.