Irish state-run television broadcaster RTE has come under heavy criticism after offering a full apology and possible financial compensation to the Iona Institute, a conservative Catholic lobby groups declared “homophobic” by a talk show guest
CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Turkey’s internet law following nebulous drafting process
Some freedom of speech activists insist that the most effective resistance to censorship will be promoting internet security, writes Catherine Stupp
Azerbaijan blocks screening of documentary on artistic freedom
A power outage prior to the screening of an arts documentary in Azerbaijan has raised concerns as to the government’s involvement in censoring artistic freedom of expression
The Labour bill that could end equality under the law
A bill would blur the boundaries of discrimination in the United Kingdom, so that it no longer refers only to who you are, but what you do. This would be a massive legal change. Ian Dunt reports
UK’s web filtering seems to be blocking common sense
Connoisseurs of a good political bust-up may have noticed a subtle change in tempo to the online filtering debate over the Christmas period. Jane Fae brings you up to date
Online privacy as an active pursuit
The age of mass surveillance has brought with it a need for individuals to manage their online privacy — and human dignity, Scott Ainslie writes
“Blasphemous” play cancelled in UK after protests by religious fundamentalists
Renowned theatre group has Bible show cancelled after complaints. Padraig Reidy reports
Ukraine: “It is all about the right to live in a free country”
As the conflict in Kiev continues to unfold, Ukrainian civil society activists tell Index negotiations and urgent reaction of the international community are vital to resolve the crisis, Andrei Aliaksandrau writes
Greece: When satire cannot be tolerated
A satirical Facebook page created by a blogger to mock a well-known Greek Orthodox monk has resulted in a prison sentence and opened a debate on Greece’s blasphemy laws. Christos Syllas reports
Gagging bill defeat: Britain’s democracy just got worse
The parliamentary struggle over the UK government’s gagging bill, which has overshadowed Westminster in recent months, is all but over. And the end result is bad news for British democracy. Alex Stevenson reports