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ARTICLE 19, the West African Journalists Association and other partners welcome the ECOWAS Commission’s initiative to develop a regional Protocol on the Right to Information, and to involve civil society and media associations in its drafting.

Following our year-long campaign for greater freedom of expression in Cuba, English PEN is proud to be launching a briefing paper on Cuba for journalists and other literary professionals. The document introduces some of the key issues surrounding free expression on the island, and presents facts often missed in political and travel journalism about the island.

Journalist Maziar Bahari was sentenced on 9 May 2010 by Islamic Republic of Iran in absentia – 13 years and 6 months in jail and 74 lashes. In the last few days, Iranian activists and journalists have witnessed a new wave of arrests. They are made on the eve of the first anniversary of the election in Islamic Republic of Iran.

English PEN is seriously concerned about the deteriorating health of imprisoned Chinese activist and dissident writer Hu Jia, who was hospitalised for tests in late March 2010. Requests for medical parole have been denied. Hu Jia is serving a three-and-a-half year sentence for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ for his critical writings and dissident activities.

The Arroyo government drops the pretence it is capable of prosecuting its political allies implicated in the slaughter of reporters. The only hope for the victim’s family is that the upcoming elections on 10 May 2010 in Philippine will deliver change argues Harry Roque, counsel representing 14 victims of the Maguindanao massacre in domestic and international litigation.

Supported by Index on Censorship, campaigners from across the UK and abroad are to converge on London’s Trafalgar Square on 3 May in support of Zarganar, Burma’s most famous comedian, writer and blogger turned prisoner of conscience.

ARTICLE 19 on 29 April 2010 released an analytical report which finds that freedom of expression is under severe threat in the North Caucasus. Although there has been a well-reported outbreak of violence in the region in recent weeks, ARTICLE 19 believes that there is a systematic trend of violations of the right to freedom of expression, which is merely exacerbated by the current security situation.

English PEN, Index on Censorship are proud to present EPIC SHORT FILMS at the Free Word Centre, these events explore censorship and freedom of expression in independent filmmaking.

Burma’s most famous comedian, Zarganar, is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for his criticism of the Burmese government’s handling of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. The cyclone devastated the country – more than 140,000 people died and millions were made homeless.