Even before the internet, dissidents in exile were able to create networks that provided a lifeline to those back home, writes Index editor Jo Glanville
Chen Guangcheng knows exile isn’t easy, but it may be his best bet
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Marta Cooper
Argentina: Journalist beaten to death
A reporter was beaten to death as he entered his home in Neuquén, Argentina, on 29 April. Adolfo Salazar, journalist and owner of the FM radio station La Radio de Fito, is reported to have died from head trauma. According to local police, the...
Russia: Activist fined for spreading “gay propaganda”
Russian gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseyev has been fined 5,000 roubles (104 GBP) under a St. Petersburg law for spreading "gay propaganda" among minors. The fine was imposed after the court ruled that Alekseyev had spread propaganda about...
United Kingdom: Government to consult with ISPs on blocking online porn
The coalition government has announced plans to consult with internet service providers on new measures to block online adult material in the UK. Under the plans it would be up to customers to opt in if they wish to view pornography on the internet...
Government to apply for core participant status at Leveson Inquiry
Marta Cooper: Government to apply for core participant status at Leveson Inquiry
Chen Guangcheng asks to leave China with Hillary Clinton
In a day of dramatic developments, the blind Chinese lawyer who left the US embassy in Beijing yesterday has called on Barack Obama to do everything possible to let his family leave China. “I would like to say to (President Obama): Please do...
Doubt cast over part two of Leveson Inquiry
Marta Cooper: Doubt cast over part two of Leveson Inquiry
Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng leaves US embassy
Update: the Associated Press has spoken via Skype to a close friend of Chen, Zeng Jinyan, who claims that Chinese officials forced the activist to choose between going into exile alone or staying in China with his family. More details as we get...
Liberia: Journalist who reported on female genital mutilation forced into hiding
Threats have forced Liberian journalist Mae Azango into hiding after she reported on female genital mutilation (FGM). Azango, who is currently in the United States, faced a backlash after she wrote an article for leading independent daily...
Rupert Murdoch "not a fit person" to run major global company, MPs say
Rupert Murdoch is “not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company”, a committee of MPs has concluded today. In a damning report on News International and phone hacking, the Commons culture, media and sport select...
Montenegro: Journalist jailed for libel
A Montenegro court has jailed a journalist for four months for libel. Journalist Petar Komnenic was convicted in February 2011 over a 2007 report in Montenegrin weekly news magazine Monitor, which alleged that the state had illegally placed several...
Colombia: French journalist suspected kidnapped
Update 02 May 2012: Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) confirmed in a statement today that they are holding French journalist Roméo Langlois prisoner. A French television journalist injured during a clash between Colombian Army troops and...