The dissident fought hard for free expression and paid dearly. Here we shed more light on his amazing life
In memory of Viktor Fainberg, 1968 Red Square demonstrator
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Index on Censorship
Contents – Crown confidential: How Britain’s royals censor their records
The winter issue of Index takes as its central theme the censorship of British royal history.
Crown confidential: How Britain’s royals censor their records
Volume 51.04 Winter 2022
Why end-to-end encryption is essential for national security and public safety
As the Online Safety Bill makes its way through Parliament, we look at why at least one element of the proposed legislation has not been thought through properly
Crown Confidential: Access to Historical Records about the Royal Family
]Are the British Royal Family the real enemies of history? Over the decades they have actively suppressed uncomfortable narratives about themselves. Hundreds of files in the national and royal archives remain inaccessible to the general public,...
Who is 2022’s Tyrant of the Year?
Choose from our shortlist of 12 despots and vote on who you think has done most to crack down on freedom of expression this year
Tyrant of the year 2022: Xi Jinping, China
Xi Jinping has excelled with his tyrant credentials this year. Earlier this year, a controversial United Nations‘ report said that “serious human rights violations” have been committed in Xinjiang while Xi’s government is behind moves to repress...
Tyrant of the year 2022: Vladimir Putin, Russia
Vladmir Vladimirovich Putin is the tyrant’s tyrant in more ways than one. Over the two decades he has dominated Russian politics as president and prime minister, he has set a new standard in the brutal oppression of opponents at home and abroad....
Tyrant of the year 2022: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo may not be an obvious choice for our 2022 ‘Tyrant of the Year’, but he certainly wins awards for many aspects of his dictatorial reign. Gaining power before three of his fellow inductees on this list were even born,...
Tyrant of the year 2022: Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar
The atrocious worker conditions and contempt for basic human rights in Qatar have certainly been on our minds over the last year. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the man pulling the strings. “Al Thani holds a relatively lower...
Tyrant of the year 2022: Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia
“Mohammed bin Salman should be awarded the title of ‘tyrant of the year’ not only because of his track record of censorship and suppression, but also because of the potential for violent tyranny to come” says Emma Sandvik Ling, partnerships and...
Tyrant of the year 2022: Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar
“As a child Aung San Suu Kyi was a celebrated heroine in my family home and Myanmar, an authoritarian regime determined to squash democracy. For a few years there was hope, although not for the Rohinghya community (thanks to Min Aung Hlaing),...