Musician faces death sentence after three years of judicial harassment, including arrest, imprisonment and torture
Toomaj Salehi, who was beaten and tortured in jail, has just 20 days to appeal charges of “corruption on Earth”
Index on Censorship has issued a joint statement with ARC and PEN America condemning a decision by an Iranian revolutionary court
Our weekly newsletter leads on the announcement of a sentence we all feared for rapper Toomaj Salehi
Campaigner Bill Browder calls the jailed Putin critic “the type of person that our world needs the most”
Steinfeld will succeed Ruth Anderson, who is leaving Index to focus on her role as a Labour Party shadow minister in the House of Lords
Index has joined with more than 25 other human rights organisations to call for the release of the Bahraini human rights activist
A great privilege of working at Index is, and always has been, the amazing people we get to encounter, such as Iranian musician Toomaj Salehi
The final stage of Assange’s UK appeal begins today. The international community must unite in their support to free him
The human rights activist Narges Mohammadi faces yet more charges for her activism and her refusal to wear hijab
Index Awards 2017: Celebrating defenders of free expression
Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.
Index’s aim is to raise awareness about threats to free expression and the value of free speech as the first step to tackling censorship.
Index relies entirely on the support of donors and readers to do our work.
We work in four ways:
Index on Censorship publishes an award-winning quarterly magazine that has featured some of the world’s best-known writers. We publish original creative writing and articles about free expression from across the globe.
Our website offers additional information to help people understand the current threats to free expression globally. And we reach a wider audience through social media.
Each year, Index on Censorship identifies some of the greatest threats to free speech around the world and develops advocacy campaigns to push for change in legislation or public attitudes. We choose topics where our work can make a significant impact – and deliberately choose areas where others might not be focused. You can see our current areas of focus on our Campaigns and Projects work.
We use a mixture of research, reporting, direct advocacy and media campaigning to achieve our goals.
Index on Censorship believes that free expression encourages more open and tolerant societies. We actively promote debate with an exciting series of events each year to help people better understand the value of free speech. This includes performances, exhibitions, talks and concerts. We are also regularly quoted in international media on free expression issues. Read more about our current events programme here.
Index on Censorship directly supports groups and individuals facing censorship through our Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship. The fellowship offers a year-long programme of tailored support to a small group of fellows selected for their outstanding work in the fields of journalism, arts, campaigning and digital advocacy. Read more about this innovative work here.