Latest

The extension of Raja Petra Kamaruddin¡’s period of detention to two years is another example of the nefarious uses of Malaysia¡’s Internal Security Act, But the reaction of ordinary citizens shows the tide may be turning in favour of free expression.  

At the beginning of September, four female bloggers were sentenced to prison in Islamic Republic of Iran. In a recent interview with Index on Censorship, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi reflects on the current state of free expression in the country. (12-SEP-08)
 

Magomed Yevloyev, right, owner of opposition Ingushetiya.ru webpage, was killed in Ingushetia on 31 August, soon after the police detained him in Margas airport. ARTICLE 19 and other free expression organisations have expressed their shock and outrage over the death. (02-SEPT-08)
 

Security forces prevented Index on Censorship award winner Sihem Bensedrine from leaving Tunisia on 19 August. The attack is the latest in a long list of harrassment of the prominent journalist and acitivist freedom, and exposes once again the government´s refusal to guarantee free expression among its media and human rights workers. (18-AUG-08)
 

As the Olympic Games opened in Beijing, English PEN expressed their concerns for the welfare of Beijing human rights activist, Zeng Jinyan, who disappeared on 7 August, the eve of the opening ceremony. The organisation encouraged its members to send appeals demanding that Zeng be returned home immediately. (09-AUG-08)
 

Index on Censorship is delighted to announce that John Kampfner has been appointed chief executive of the organisation. Former editor of the New Statesman, Kampfner is a prolific author and commentator. (05-AUG-08)
 

On 23 July, Toby Mendel, Senior Director of Law at ARTICLE 19, appeared before the Indonesian Constitutional Court as an expert witness in a case challenging, among other things, imprisonment for defamation. Mendel, who appeared before the Court via video-link, argued that imprisonment for defamation is inconsistent with international guarantees of freedom of expression and that it is increasingly rare for democratic states around the world to impose criminal penalties in defamation cases. (30-JULY-08)
 

-We have a nation of 1.3 billion people who seemingly are all looking forward to this Olympic big event; I do not believe it is an event that represents the national will. It is an event manipulated into misleading people into believing that we have entered a new, successful and harmonious period in our history. This is not true. There are still too many fundamental questions to be answered. I find that kind of celebration meaningless. (18-JULY-08)
 

Index on Censorship magazine was awarded the Amnesty International Media Award for best periodical at a ceremony in London last night. The award was given for a series of articles from the issue “How Free is the Russian Media?”; The magazine was praised for its “brave, impassioned journalism”.