Censorship

Direct and indirect suppression of speech, books, music and other materials considered morally, politically or otherwise objectionable.

3982 articles
People gather in solidarity with the victims of an attack against satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Paris, 7 January 2015, AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Free speech advocates condemn attack on Charlie Hebdo

Free expression advocates worldwide condemn the 7 January attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Several organisations have published cartoons from the publication in solidarity.

A woman uses her mobile phone to download books in a free mobile library in Kiev, Ukraine, 17 September 2013 , REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

New report demonstrates damaging impact of surveillance on free expression

Concern about surveillance is now nearly as high among writers living in democracies (75%) as among those living in non-democracies (80%), according to a PEN survey of nearly 800 writers worldwide.

Map of Pakistan locating Peshawar, capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa province, 2012, Reuters

Proposed media regulations are “draconian”, says Pakistani group

Bytes For All is alarmed by the recommendations made by the Pakistani parliamentary body that seeks to impose McCarthyism-style regulations on the media and Internet, in reaction to the December Peshawar school attack.

Kalachavadu/scroll.in/

Tamil novelist’s portrayal of Hindu shrine, female devotees angers organisations in India

In December, Hindu organisations in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu launched a campaign against writer and professor Perumal Murugan, culminating in the burning of copies of his novel in protest of the book’s portrayal of a Hindu shrine and its female devotees.

Link to: Call for media freedom as Sri Lankan presidential election approaches

Call for media freedom as Sri Lankan presidential election approaches

Sri Lanka is slated to vote for a new president on 8 January 2015. Disturbingly, the IFJ has already had reports of incidents that violated media freedom.

Link to: Female journalist fired for reporting sexual harassment at Haitian broadcaster

Female journalist fired for reporting sexual harassment at Haitian broadcaster

After a group of women working for state-owned broadcaster RTNH made allegations of sexual harassment against its director-general, four of them were fired on the grounds of defamation and insubordination.

A security guard stands at the entrance of United Artists theater during the premiere of the film "The Interview" in Los Angeles, California, 11 December 2014 , REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian

Sony urged to reconsider decision to pull the film “The Interview”

PEN American Center expresses its profound regret at Sony Pictures’ statement that “The Interview” will not be released on any platform as a result of threats made by unidentified sources. It urges Sony Pictures to release the film through every channel that does not pose a safety risk, to combat this chilling effect and stand up for creative freedom.

Link to: Somali reporter detained, protestors attacked for demanding his release

Somali reporter detained, protestors attacked for demanding his release

Osman Adan Areys, a reporter for Somali Channel TV, was arrested after covering the election of a youth leader for the Hiran Regional Administration. At least one protestor was wounded in a demonstration calling for Arey’s release.

REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Macau government continues to deny entry to journalists

Macau’s immigration department has a notorious reputation of casually blocking entry to the territory in the lead-up to so-called sensitive periods. It reflects the government’s abuse of power and does not defend people’s right of movement.

Link to: Turkey: Crackdown on opposition media

Turkey: Crackdown on opposition media

On 14 December 2014, the editor of the daily Zaman newspaper was arrested, along with the head of Samanyolu broadcasting group and other media personnel.

Link to: Blogger detained in Vietnam amid clampdown on dissent

Blogger detained in Vietnam amid clampdown on dissent

Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Quang Lap was detained by police in Ho Chi Minh City, the second blogger to be arrested in as many weeks in Vietnam, according to news reports.

The Dalai Lama is seen during a visit to the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, 9 May 2014. On the wall is a portrait of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, REUTERS/Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix

Six years after his arrest, China urged to release Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and wife Liu Xia

8 December 2014 marks the sixth anniversary of the arrest of poet and human rights defender Liu Xiaobo. His wife, poet and artist Liu Xia, was placed under house arrest following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Xiaobo in October 2010.

Link to: Alarm over the creation of “Orwellian” information ministry in Ukraine

Alarm over the creation of “Orwellian” information ministry in Ukraine

On 2 December 2014, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a proposal to create a new body called the Ministry of Information Policy with the aim of “confronting Russia’s formidable propaganda machine.”

Link to: On Human Rights Day, call for greater protection of linguistic rights

On Human Rights Day, call for greater protection of linguistic rights

On Human Rights Day, PEN International calls for greater protection of linguistic rights, cultural diversity and minority languages. PEN International has long recognised the vital role that language plays in identity, communications, social integration, education and development and has continued to defend linguistic rights of writers, journalist and others across the globe.

He Zhengjun, director of the Transition Institute and prominent writer Xu Xiao were both detained on November 26, along with Xue Ye and Liu Jianshu, a sign of growing suppression against government critics in China, http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/china-writers-and-publishers-arrested-in-a-new-wave-of-repression/

Writers and publishers arrested in China in new wave of repression

There is alarm over a new wave of arrests of writers, journalists, publishers and civil society activists in China in recent weeks, apparently for their public support of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Link to: Space for free expression on news websites in Egypt may soon shrink further

Space for free expression on news websites in Egypt may soon shrink further

There are indications that the space for free expression on news websites may shrink in the near future, under pressure from a combination of new legislation and, reportedly, new surveillance tactics that may set precedents for the whole of the Middle East and North Africa.