Index on Censorship

Representatives of Amnesty International and Platform have been highly critical of President Ilham Aliyev’s government, and its continuing targeting, jailing and prosecution of activists and journalists.

On 21 May 2015, a court in Angola indicated that libel charges against Rafael Marques de Morais – the author of Blood Diamonds: Torture and Corruption in Angola – would be dropped, but on 25 May 2015, the public prosecutor said he would proceed with a conviction.

On World Press Freedom Day, organisations from around the globe commit to defending the right to freedom of expression, even when that right is being used to express views that may be offensive.

A social media campaign is undercutting Azerbaijan’s attempts to use the upcoming European Games to whitewash human rights abuses in the country.

Some prominent commentators have argued that the recent detentions of women activists will cement the feminist movement. China watchers wait with bated breathe to see how the story will unfold, pinning their hopes on a positive outcome.

ARTICLE 19 and NGOs around the globe urge the Inter-Parliamentary Union to reject Jordan’s proposed resolution, which could potentially legitimise the use of blasphemy laws by governments everywhere.

Azerbaijanis protested the poor state of human rights in their country with 87 days to go until the inaugural European Games

The International Press Institute and 23 IFEX members sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad calling for the release of lawyer and human rights defender Mazen Darwish ahead of his court hearing on 25 March 2015.