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On 21 March, Hardy and Kathy Will visited Mexico City and Oaxaca, where their son Brad Will was gunned down at Santa Lucia del Camino on 27 October, 2006. They arrived in the country intent on securing a more thorough investigation into the death of their son, who was shot while convering an annual protest. Contrary to state and federal prosecutors´ claims that responsibility for the violence fell to the protesters, several eyewitnesses insist the police and government officials opened fire on the crowd. The incident has had a profound effect on the atmosphere of protest in the state, and has taken a significant toll on the media there. (06-APRIL-07)
 

Sihem Ben Sedrine is just one of the many voices featured in English PEN’s new book entitled Another Sky . It contains writing, many previously unpublished, from ‘voices of conscience’ around the world. These writers decry the brutality and repression of their country’s governments and champion the advancement of free expression and non-violence. Whilst they have met with a wide variety of fates, theyare unified in the strength of their conscience. Their resistance to censorship has led to their imprisonment, torture, exile, or even death. Yet their writing bears witness to the resilience and good humour with which they have sustained themselves. (23-APR-07)
 

Following a campaign of brutal intimidation against opposition leaders and civil society activists and the second arrest of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in as many weeks, President Mugabe´s Zanu PF party is considering the future of its leader. As the Zimbabwean dollar continues to plummet and clashes between police and civilians increase, the international community waits as discussions take place concerning re-election. And it could be that the ´solidarity´ for him from the country´s neighbours is starting to falter. (30-MAR-07) 
 

Acknowledging the interdependence of fundamental human rights, ARTICLE 19´s report Pioneering Women’s Voices: A Celebration of Women’s Journalism Across the Globe,  looks at freedom of expression and access to information as essential components of broader freedoms such as the right to political participation. Looking at women and journalism, the report documents how women´s work and identities are shaped by multiple issues –including age, class, religion and political affiliation. (15-MAR-07)
 

Like many people living in countries where expressing unorthodox views can be difficult, Egyptians have turned to the Internet. The recent surge in blogging has given many Egyptians the opportunity to voice opinions about a range of subjects. Women in particular have tapped into the blogosphere, and female bloggers speak up on relevant issues facing women, considerably more confident than if they were to voice these opinions using a less anonymous medium. (08-MAR-07)
 

In a country that Reporters sans Frontiers labelled ‘the biggest prison for journalists in the Middle east’, the internet has become the last public arena for dissenting voices.  But even this relatively safe haven is threatened by new laws demanding the registration of all websites and weblogs sourced in the country by 1 March 2007.  Iranian bloggers are incensed by the move, which they say will stifle the already tenuous right to free speech. (01-MAR-07) 
  

On 22 February, 22-year-old Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer was sentenced to four years´ imprisonment for criticising Egyptian President Mubarak and insulting Islam. The blogger, who writes about issues such as secularism and women’s rights, has been held in solitary confinement since November. To bring his case to international attention, demonstrations were held in nine cities around the world on 15 February. Free expression advocates have expressed alarm at this most recent attack on Internet freedom in Egypt. (22-FEB-07)
 

The Freedom of information Act is under attack. While the government attempts to ‘emasculate’ the Act by increasing the likelihood of information being denied on ground of cost, MPs are also threatening the Act through a private members bill passed by a Commons committee on 7 February. The two-clause bill, which proposes to exempt MPs, Parliament and the House of Lords from inquiries made under the Act, has been condemned by freedom of expression groups such as ARTICLE 19, English PEN and Index on Censorship. (20-FEB-07)
 

The arrest of an African pastor for accusing children of witchcraft has turned the spotlight on African customs and the recent revamping of laws regulating witchcraft in Zimbabwe.  In Zimbabwe, where state sanctioned violence and apathy colludes with a spiraling economic crisis, reliance on traditional occult practices appears to be on the rise.   However, the government’s response to people’s fears of bewitchment has been decidedly controversial. (14-FEB-07)