Russia: Gay rights activist released

21 Sep 10 | Index Index, minipost

A Russian gay rights activist who went missing from a Moscow airport last week, said he was kidnapped by state security agents. Nikolai Alekseyev was told he would have to undergo further security checks as he prepared for his flight to Geneva on 15 September. He was then driven to a police station in Kashira where he was detained for two days. The men holding him demanded that he withdraw a complaint from the European Court of Human Rights against Moscow’s ban on gay rights rallies. He refused to sign any documents. News agencies received text messages that appeared to be from the activist saying he was seeking political asylum in Belarus. Alekseyev later confirmed these were sent by his captors. He was released on 18 September.

Kuwait: Journalists acquitted of libel and charges

16 Jul 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

A court in Kuwait City has acquitted a journalist prosecuted for insulting Kuwait’s Prime Minister. Journalist Mohammed Abdel Qader Al-Jassem and activist Khaled Al-Fadala, had their charges dropped on 12 July . Al-Jassem was accused of libelling the prime minister on a talk show entitled “Who is to blame, the government or the parliament?”. Al-Fadala’s case was initiated following an official complaint from the prime minister following the activist’s claim that the prime minister was an “enemy of freedom of expression” in Kuwait. Al-Jassem was jailed after he was convicted of slander in April 2010 in a separate case.

China activist formally arrested

24 Jun 09 | Index Index, minipost

One of China’s most prominent political activists has been formally arrested for inciting subversion. Liu Xiaobo is accused of spreading rumours and defaming the government, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. Mr Liu’s arrest comes six months after he was taken into custody. Read more here