#Iran: We are saddened to learn of the death of Marjane Satrapi. An outspoken critic of the Iranian government, Satrapi chronicled her childhood in the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution in her acclaimed graphic memoir and film, Persepolis: www.lemonde.fr/en/obituarie...

Two weeks left to apply! Are you a journalist who is passionate about freedom of expression? Index is looking for a Senior Editor to help shape our magazine and website. Find out more and apply by Friday 19 June ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

#Ghana: We utterly condemn the passing of a bill which criminalises homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities. The bill is set to be approved by President John Dramani Mahama. We urge him not to sign it into law: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a day that must not be forgotten. Yet #China continues its efforts to erase it. @jemimahsteinfeld.bsky.social examines how the authorities are suppressing memory of that day worldwide: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/the-...

#China: In 1989, factory worker Lijia Zhang joined the pro-democracy protests with excitement. Then came the gunfire. Thirty-seven years on, she reflects on the Tiananmen Square massacre and the CCP’s efforts to erase it from history ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/the-...

Today marks 37 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. To honour those killed, the Index on Censorship team lit a candle to keep their memory alive. Join us in remembrance.

#Israel is tightening restrictions on foreign journalists reporting critically on its actions in the #WestBank. Ben Lynfield reports on how authorities are compiling dossiers on journalists and using them to deny entry to the country ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/isra...

#HongKong: We are deeply concerned by reports that two performance artists, Chan Mei-tung and Sanmu Chan, have been arrested by police for showing up in Causeway Bay ahead of the Tiananmen Square anniversary tomorrow. We call for their immediate release: hongkongfp.com/2026/06/03/h...

#Afghanistan: We condemn the forced closure of Bamyan Radio, a longstanding independent media outlet. Its operations have faced growing restrictions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. We call for the station to be reopened: afjc.media/english/inde...

Wonderful to see so many courageous individuals and organisations nominated for the IPA's 2026 Prix Voltaire shortlist. Congratulations to Georgy Urushadze, Dar Al Jundi Publishing, Yehya Fekry, Gantala Press, Samyan Press and Vitali Ziusko ⬇️ publishingperspectives.com/2026/06/inte...

#Russia: We condemn the six-year prison sentence handed in absentia to Alexandra Pugach for allegedly spreading “false information” about the Russian military. Now living in Georgia, Pugach fled Russia because of her anti-war views: meduza.io/en/news/2026...

#Iran continues its relentless persecution of peaceful protesters. Maryam Babajani, who helped organise the January protests, has been sentenced to more than 32 years in prison. We call for her immediate and unconditional release: iranwire.com/en/news/1531...

#Nicaragua: We call for an independent investigation into the death of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera while imprisoned. After criticising President Daniel Ortega, Rivera was barred from re-entry. He smuggled himself in and was later arrested: www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/...

“Free speech is tested by hard cases and, in this instance, the UK is failing.” Our CEO @jemimahsteinfeld.bsky.social responds to the #UK entry ban for #HasanPiker and #CenkUygur in @theguardian.com ⬇️ www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...

#Israel: Court documents have revealed that police compiled dossiers on foreign journalists, using their work covering the West Bank as grounds to deny entry to the country. Ben Lynfield reports on this troubling development from Jerusalem⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/isra...

📢 WORK WITH US: SENIOR EDITOR Are you a journalist who is passionate about freedom of expression? Index is looking for a Senior Editor to help shape our magazine and website. Find out more and apply⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

#Mexico: We are deeply concerned by a congress-backed amendment that would allow elections to be annulled if evidence of foreign interference is found. The move would drastically weaken the electoral process, making it easier for leaders to overturn results: www.internazionale.it/ultime-notiz...

#USA: We condemn the vandalism of the Tiananmen museum, just days before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Sq Massacre. The attack reflects the desperate efforts to suppress remembrance of the massacre & control what people know about it in China & abroad: hongkongfp.com/2026/06/01/v...

The #UK’s use of exclusion orders on the grounds that a person’s presence is “not conducive to the public good” is being applied with increasing frequency, and against both the far right and the far left. 1/2

#Belarus: Don’t miss Zekameron, a powerful new album built from the poetry of political prisoners and created for the play of the same name. The production draws on the prison writings of Maksim Znak, who was released in December 2025: nashaniva.com/en/395744

#Norway: We’re in Oslo this week for the Oslo Freedom Forum, bringing together activists, journalists and advocates united by a shared vision: a world free from tyranny. Learn more: oslofreedomforum.com

#UK: Sarah Wynn-Williams was forced to sit in silence on stage at Hay Festival because of legal action brought by Meta. That is exactly why Index awarded her the Freedom to Publish Award - she is being silenced for speaking out: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

#Iran: Don’t miss @iranintlen.bsky.social’s important documentation project on the deadly crackdown against protesters in Rasht on 7 January 2026. Witnesses describe protesters being trapped by security forces, fired upon and engulfed by flames as violence unfolded: www.iranintl.com/en/202605281...

#India: We condemn the cyber harassment & doxxing of Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng after she criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We stand in solidarity with Lyng and join calls to end the vicious campaign against her: rsf.org/en/india-nor...

#US: We welcome news that Larry Bushart has received an $835,000 settlement after being unjustly jailed over a Charlie Kirk post. The retired police officer spent 37 days in custody before charges were dropped. He should never have been arrested: apnews.com/article/char...

#Egypt: We are deeply concerned by reports that activist Mariam Mohamed El-Sayed AbdelBasette has been detained in Oman, with fears she could be deported to #Egypt. Her detention is believed to be an act of transnational repression. She must be released: ldsf.info/blog/2026/05...

#Russia: The state is advancing a draft “civic death” law targeting exiled critics with harsh restrictions including denying access to passports, bank accounts and other essential services, escalating the Kremlin’s campaign of transnational repression: www.hrw.org/news/2026/05...

Don’t miss the extraordinary story of dissident Dong Guangping, who has fled #China to South Korea by rubber boat. A former policeman, he was dismissed after signing a petition linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and was later imprisoned: hongkongfp.com/2026/05/28/c...

Index on Censorship is hiring! We are looking for a journalist who is passionate about freedom of expression to join our editorial team as our new senior editor. Deadline to apply: Friday 19 June. Learn more: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

A depressing statement a) that the British Museum of all places can’t figure out how to keep participants safe and b) that the event has been potentially infiltrated www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/pre...

#USA: We welcome news that the Pulitzer Prize-winning Roots has returned to shelves in Knox County Schools after being flagged by Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act. 123 books remained banned from school libraries. They must also be returned: www.whatimreading.net/p/knox-count...

#Ukraine: Last weekend brought some of the most devastating attacks on Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Alongside the deaths and injuries, Ukraine’s cultural heritage also came under attack: kyivindependent.com/russias-late... 1/2

#Iran: Authorities have lifted the country’s 88-day internet blackout, but social media platforms remain blocked. We call on the authorities to restore full internet access and end their relentless crackdown on the Iranian people: www.iranintl.com/en/202605251...

#UK: Labour appears set to introduce new limits on children’s access to social media. But banning social media is not the answer. It risks undermining young people’s speech rights while failing to address the real issues. Read Index’s analysis ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/02/bann...

#USA: In a dangerous move, the #Trump administration is threatening NDAs for federal employees. Effectively criminalising the sharing of information with reporters. This threatens transparency and democracy. It must not go ahead: www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

📢 WORK WITH US: SENIOR EDITOR We are looking for a passionate journalist to join our editorial team and help shape our magazine and website. Find out more and apply⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

“Freedom of expression and media freedom, which we never truly had to begin with, have been suppressed in the most severe manner.” Toomaj Salehi, former political prisoner, denounces the death sentences for 4 Ekbatan protestors in #Iran⬇️ iranwire.com/en/news/1528...

#Azerbaijan: Ilgar Aliyev has died in prison. He was arrested in 2023 in connection to a broader wave of repression targeting @abzasmedia.bsky.social. This cannot stand. We demand an urgent, independent and transparent investigation into his death: abzas.info/en/2026/5/hb...

Index is hiring! We are looking for a senior editor to join our editorial team. Are you a journalist passionate about freedom of expression? Learn more and apply ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

#Belarus: Journalist and former Index colleague Andrei Aliaksandraŭ has been imprisoned since 2021. His "crime"? Helping detained peaceful protestors in the aftermath of the fraudulent elections. We continue our call for his immediate release: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/we-w...

#HongKong’s biggest LGBTQ+ event has been cancelled for the 2nd year in a row after not receiving approval from the “relevant authorities.” LGBTQ+ events have become increasingly scarce in the years since the National Security Law was imposed: hongkongfp.com/2026/05/18/h...

We mourn the loss of longtime dissident Nina Litvinova, who cited the war in Ukraine and growing repression in #Russia before taking her own life. A tireless advocate for political prisoners, she spent decades defending human rights: www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/15/r...

#USA: In 1973, copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five were burned by a North Dakota school. Over 50 years later, the novel is once again under attack through book bans. We spoke to his daughter Nanette Vonnegut about taking on the State of Utah⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/kurt...

📢 WORK WITH US: SENIOR EDITOR Are you a journalist who is passionate about freedom of expression? Index is looking for a Senior Editor to help shape our magazine and website. Find out more and apply⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/inde...

#Pakistan: The man who murdered 17-year-old TikToker Sana Yousaf has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Last year, we examined the growing violence faced by women influencers around the world simply for speaking online ⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/06/fema...

Today, on International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in #Belarus, we renew our call for the release of journalist and former Index colleague Andrei Aliaksandrau. Jailed for supporting peaceful protesters, he remains imprisoned in a penal colony. He must be freed.

#UK: We warned that the Online Safety Act could stifle speech. Now we are seeing it play out, with political parties using it to shut down opposing voices. Editor writes on how, unless speech is aired in a public forum, it cannot be challenged⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/05/refo...

Today, Uyghur scholar #RahileDawut spends her 60th birthday behind bars. She disappeared in 2017 and was held in secret for five years. It is now believed she is serving a life sentence for her academic work. We join calls for her immediate release.

We welcome news that a judge has thrown out Claudio Di Giovanni’s lawsuit against @londonermag.bsky.social. The libel claim was a clear abuse of the courts and should never have been allowed to proceed: www.the-londoner.co.uk/we-won-our-d...

#Iran: The crackdown continues. Seven people have been detained in Zanjan Province and dozens more have had their assets confiscated. We call on the authorities to release those imprisoned and end the relentless persecution of the Iranian people: iranwire.com/en/news/1526...