The banning of a poster depicting the Flying Spaghetti Monster as God is the latest attempt by UK student unions to crack-down on the free speech of students
Five things banned from university campuses
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CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Harry Potter and the Inevitable Sectarian War
The desire to believe in the purity of a text leads to dangerous places, writes Padraig Reidy
Meltem Arikan: “We were prevented from expressing ourselves freely”
After the Gezi Park protests, Meltem Arikan became a target of social media vitriol against anyone thought to be an organiser of the demonstrations. Julia Farrington spoke with Arikan about how this government-orchestrated terror campaign was to change her life.
Belarus: A distorted media market strangles independent voices
The authorities in Belarus tilt the media market toward state-owned players to help cement the government’s hold on power and deny the rise of a truly independent press.
Belarus: Europe’s most hostile media environment
Belarus continues to have one of the most restrictive and hostile media environments in Europe.
Natwest refuses account for author of book on porn censorship
Index on Censorship writer told bank doesn’t do “this sort of thing”. Padraig Reidy
Who are Putin’s Olympic guests?
Obama might be snubbing Sochi, but these lesser-known politicians should get their share of the spotlight
Belarus: Time for media reform
In a new policy paper, launched today in Minsk, Index on Censorship calls for the much-needed reforms of the media field in Belarus.
Reprehensible 5651 calls into question Turkey’s commitment to democracy
The decision by Turkey's parliament to approve a new internet law that tightens restrictions is a major blow to freedom of expression in Turkey. The European Union must make it clear that Turkey is jeopardising its membership talks with the Union...
Russia’s Winter Olympics: A fake show of LGBT tolerance
Drawing a screen around the realities of life for gay Russians, President Vladimir Putin and the organizers of the Sochi Winter Olympic games are presenting a decidedly friendly face to international visitors. Elena Vlasenko reports