Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship calls into question Israeli spokesperson’s statement on the legitimacy of attacks on Hamas-affiliated media in the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza strip.

While they exist harmoniously on paper, free expression and religion often conflict in practice, and free speech is often trampled in the name of protecting religious sensibilities – whether through self-censorship or legislation that censors.

Civil society delegates at a UN Inter-Agency meeting have agreed to support the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

How do the oil, gas and mining industries exert influence over the cultural sector? A recent American example is instructive, demonstrating how this influence can lead to institutions buckling under political pressure, censoring art and lying to the public.

India’s most prominent rationalist, Sanal Edamaruku, famous for debunking religious “miracles”, is facing up to 3 years in jail on blasphemy charges; in turn, he plans to challenge the country’s blasphemy law.

In the first half of 2012, Google received over 20,000 demands for user data from government proxies around the world – a 33 per cent increase from the same period last year. Take down requests from government entities are also on the rise.

While the Chinese Communist Party Congress is notorious for its secrecy, considerable resources were also used to gag the media and dissidents in the lead-up to the Beijing event, IFEX members report.

Artsfex, the first international civil society network dedicated to promoting free expression for artists, was recently created to document violations and support artists at risk.