#India: The detention of a comedian in Andhra Pradesh for jokes about Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is deeply concerning. Jokes are not a crime. He must be released ⬇️ www.newslaundry.com/2026/04/17/a...

FREE ACCESS: For a limited time, get free access to our latest magazine issue. Explore the legacy of Viktor Orbán’s illiberal democracy and its impact on Hungary and the rest of Europe. Read now ⬇️ journals.sagepub.com/toc/IOC/curr...

Thanks for having me @indexoncensorship.org and Pushkin House! It was really great to debrief with my v knowledgeable fellow panelists and audience following the Hungarian election result ✊👀

This week, we came together to launch our latest magazine & discuss the future of Europe following the Hungarian election. Huge thanks to everyone who join us. Special thanks to our speakers Victor Sebestyen, Colin Crouch, Alice McCool and @sallygimson.bsky.social, & to Pushkin House for having us.

FREE ACCESS: For a limited time, get free access to our latest magazine issue. Explore the legacy of Viktor Orbán’s illiberal democracy and its impact on Hungary and the rest of Europe. Read now ⬇️ journals.sagepub.com/toc/IOC/curr...

Cultural institutions have a responsibility in “defending their independence and safeguarding intellectual freedom and free expression.” - Index in Artnet News responding to reports that the V&A altered exhibition catalogues at the request of Chinese printers: news.artnet.com/art-world/va...

#Kazakhstan: We are deeply concerned by a new wave of legislative amendments that will impact free expression in the country’s creative industries. Including forbidding “content contrary to accepted societal norms, morals and ethics." ⬇️ advox.globalvoices.org/2026/03/14/k...

#UK: The law is being weaponised to silence survivors of sexual violence through abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs). Without an anti-SLAPP law, survivors will continue to be silenced. Nina Cresswell faced a defamation case after speaking out. Read her story ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/04/a-ne...

"SLAPPs work by weaponising the legal process to exert as much pressure as possible." @jessicanimhainin.bsky.social and @skcoughtrie.bsky.social in @politicshome.bsky.social on why urgent reform is needed to tackle abusive lawsuits ⬇️ www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Poet Mohamed Tadjadit has become the voice of #Algeria’s discontented youth - and the state has punished him for it. Currently behind bars, read some of his poetry rooted in social reality. Thanks to @thenewarab.bsky.social for republishing our article: www.newarab.com/opinion/poem...

V&A landed in this compromised place because the Chinese printers were more competitively priced than U.K./Europeans counterparts. Can people stop trading our rights to help their financial margins? Please?

Innocent people can have their lives ruined by legal bullying (SLAPPs). The government has a duty to protect them. As a first step, we need a clear commitment to stamp out SLAPPs in the King’s Speech. Hear from those targeted & take action⬇️ antislapp.uk/2026/04/15/h... #StopSLAPPs

#UK: Reports that the V&A altered exhibition catalogues following pressure from a China-based printer are deeply concerning. This is exactly the kind of censorship we warned about in our Banned by Beijing campaign. Learn more ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/banned-by-be...

Speaking out should not cost you your home, health or future. Yet without protection against legal bullies, too often it can. Join our day of action - write to your local MP today and tell them to #stopSLAPPs ⬇️ antislapp.uk/solutions/ta...

Today, media outlets across the country are joining a Day of Action to call for the UK Government to include anti-SLAPP protections in the forthcoming King’s Speech. Thanks to @indexoncensorship.org for coordinating this campaign.

Today is Anti-SLAPP Day of Action. SLAPPs can target journalists, whistleblowers, campaigners and anyone speaking out in the public interest. The government must act. Contact your MP and call for action to stamp out #SLAPPs ⬇️ antislapp.uk/solutions/ta... #StopSLAPPs

Stay informed on free expression worldwide. Each week, we spotlight the most important (and overlooked) stories on free expression globally. Subscribe ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/subscribe-to...

#Kuwait: Reports that US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been detained are deeply concerning. Arrested over social media posts on the #Iran war, his case points to a broader crackdown on speech across the Gulf. He must be released: www.newarab.com/news/kuwait-...

#Iran: A new report by Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty reveals an unprecedented escalation in executions in 2025. At least 1,639 people were killed last year: www.ecpm.org/en/2026/04/1... 1/2

#Bangladesh: Two newspaper offices burned down last year marking a troubling escalation for press freedom in the country. A month later, @saliltripathi.bsky.social visited the ruins and reflects on the symbolism of the attack in our latest issue. Subscribe ⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

Thanks @reutersinstitute.bsky.social for featuring our event among those not to miss at the upcoming International Journalism Festival in Perugia. On Thurs, our CEO Jemimah Steinfeld will moderate a discussion on journalism in repressive regimes ⬇️ reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/interna...

#Hungary: #ViktorOrbán’s 16-year rule is over. After years of promoting an “illiberal democracy,” what comes next? In our latest magazine, @viktoriaserdult.bsky.social considers the steps #PéterMagyar must take to restore the country. Subscribe now: shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

UK: More than 500 protesters were arrested over the weekend for allegedly supporting the banned #PalestineAction group. Our response in the thread ⬇️ 1/4

We are deeply concerned by the continued wave of arrests in #Iran. Dozens have reportedly been detained for “disturbing public opinion in cyberspace”. Authorities continue to deny citizens access to the internet. We call for an immediate end to this crackdown. iranwire.com/en/news/1511...

After Viktor Orbán’s loss in the weekend’s Hungarian elections, what does this moment signal for democracy, free expression and the future of Europe? Tomorrow’s @indexoncensorship.org panel features our very own Alice McCool: https://bit.ly/4tGXekv

#Hungary: After 16 years in power, #ViktorOrbán has been defeated. What does this mean for Hungary? And the future of illiberal democracy in Europe? Join us tomorrow at Pushkin House for a post-election debrief. Register ⬇️ www.pushkinhouse.org/whats-on/eve...

To the Hungarians I’ve met over the years during my time @indexoncensorship.org - who never gave up the fight for civil liberties despite Orbán’s attacks - here’s to a better tomorrow starting today

#Hungary: Polls are open, already with a record turnout. The result could shape not just Hungary, but Europe’s political future. What happens next for Orbán’s illiberal democracy? Join us this Tuesday at Pushkin House for a post-election debrief ⬇️ www.pushkinhouse.org/whats-on/eve...

#Serbia: Tomorrow marks 27 years since the assassination of publisher and editor Slavko Ćuruvija. His killing remains one of the most emblematic cases of impunity for the murder of a journalist in the Balkans. Decades on, justice is still unmet ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/04/serb... 1/2

"Gone are the days when the country could be considered a safe haven for journalists from neighbouring countries." Our CEO @jemimahsteinfeld.bsky.social reflects on #Georgia’s slide into autocracy following the hasty deportation of Afgan Sadigov ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/04/gone...

#Serbia 🇷🇸 A two-day mission led by a coalition of media freedom organisations assessed that the past year had seen a continued deterioration, leaving the country in a prolonged and worsening press freedom crisis. @indexoncensorship.org

#Hungary: With a pivotal general election approaching this Sunday, historian Victor Sebestyen examines Hungarian nationalism under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Explore more in Index on Censorship’s latest magazine⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

#Israel carried out deadly strikes in Gaza & Lebanon on Wednesday, killing journalists Mohammed Samir Washah, Ghada Dayekh & Suzan Khalil in a sharp escalation of attacks on the press. For over 2 years, there has been no accountability. Without it, the killings will continue. 1/2

📅 EVENT: WHAT NEXT FOR EUROPE? Join us & Pushkin House on Tue 14 April for a timely panel on Hungary, Russia & the rise of illiberal democracies, following Hungary’s general election. With Victor Sebestyen, Alice McCool, Colin Crouch & Sally Gimson. Register: www.pushkinhouse.org/whats-on/eve...

#US: In an unprecedented move, Pope Leo has cancelled a US trip after threats linked to his criticism of #Trump. The alleged warning from a senior Pentagon official underscores growing tensions between the US government and Catholic Church⬇️ newrepublic.com/post/208820/...

#Egypt: HRD & poet #AhmedDouma has been detained for 4 days pending investigation. His arrest follows an opinion piece on the use of imprisonment to silence critical voices across the Middle East. He must be released immediately and all charges dropped ⬇️ www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/huma...

Last year, @martinbright.bsky.social attended Battle for the Soul of Europe, organised by Orbán-funded MCC Brussels. The event brought together far-right figures from across Europe, highlighting growing networks opposed to the EU & free expression. Read more ⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

#Georgia: We, with @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social partners, condemn the arrest and deportation of journalist Afgan Sadygov to #Azerbaijan. This is a clear violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and raises serious concerns for his safety ⬇️ ipi.media/georgia-afga...

Event: Join Index CEO @jemimahsteinfeld.bsky.social at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit this Friday, discussing censorship and freedom of expression with Emma Briant, Nora Benavidez & Jameel Jaffer. Learn more ⬇️ www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/events/cambr...

"A free media is not a luxury but the lifeblood of any democracy." In @thetimes.com, Index CEO @jemimahsteinfeld.bsky.social warns of an alarming escalation in threats to media freedom around the world.

In #Hungary, children’s books with LGBTQ+ themes are sealed in plastic. It’s not just writers being targeted, artists are censored too. Index's @katiedd.bsky.social writes in our latest magazine issue. Read it now⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

#USA: We welcome news that journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released. Abducted in Baghdad last week by Kataib Hezbollah, she is believed to have been freed in a prison swap in #Iraq.

I’m speaking at this event next Tues following my investigation into a far-right, anti-gender network in the UK funded by Viktor #Orbán. This may sound niche but #Hungary matters. JD #Vance is there rn trying to save Orbán whose 16yr rule might come to an end on Sunday… Get your tickets here 👇👀

#Georgia: In case you missed it - it happened at lightning speed and that's part of the problem -journalist Afgan Sadigov was just arrested and deported to Azerbaijan. No due process occurred and he's now in a country where his dangers have multiplied. 1/2

#USA: Trump has escalated his attacks on the press, threatening to jail a journalist who reported on the downing of a US jet in #Iran in order to reveal their source. This is the latest move in a wider campaign against the media. Journalists and their sources must be protected.

The relationship between the #USA and #Europe has perhaps never been as fractured as it is today. Read Evan Sandsmark's article featured in our latest magazine on Trump's indifference to Europe ⬇️ shop.exacteditions.com/index-on-cen...

From Roger Scruton cafes to paying Matt Goodwin $10k a month, Viktor Orban has built a network of populist right think tanks, journalists and activists Today Democracy for Sale delves into Orban’s allies on the British right Well worth a read democracyforsale.substack.com/p/orbans-brits

#Iran: This weekend, the country’s internet blackout became the longest nationwide shutdown on record. The blackout is a clear attempt by authorities to tighten their grip on the population. As the war deepens, access must be restored immediately.

#Hungary: Polls open on Sunday for what is expected to be a decisive general election for the country & Europe. JD Vance is already heading there to show support for PM Viktor Orbán. Join us on Tuesday for a post-election debrief at Pushkin House: www.pushkinhouse.org/whats-on/eve...:

Thank you BBC Essex for giving me space to talk about finding out that my book had been banned at a school in Manchester, and @indexoncensorship.org for blowing the whistle. As someone who grew up during Section 28, I'll never stop fighting for autistic teenagers' right to access books like mine.