The UK Government is trying to break encryption - again. Apple is pushing back & so should the rest of us. Encryption is essential for privacy & privacy underpins free speech. Here's why this matters👇 www.indexoncensorship.org/2024/09/brea...

Travel bans are increasingly being weaponised to silence journalists, activists and dissidents. Our new report with the University of Essex reveals how governments are using travel bans to ensure dissidents are stopped from entering/leaving their countries⬇️ www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/07/how-...

Good news story! This week the UK Supreme Court sided with dissidents against the Kingdom of Bahrain. Sending a strong signal to all those perpetrators of transnational repression. Me @indexoncensorship.org on why this matters. www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/07/no-m...

No more hiding behind borders, Bahrain told - Index on Censorship

A landmark Supreme Court ruling means foreign states can no longer rely on immunity to target dissidents on British soil

indexoncensorship.org

“The latest case breaks my heart” writes Nathan Law on Wu Chi-wai, a Hong Kong legislator who spent years in prison there for his advocacy only to be treated terribly in the U.K. too. If we don’t shout loudly he’ll be returned - tomorrow. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Britain promised to protect Hongkongers from China. Why does it now seem ready to sacrifice us? | Nathan Law

Activists under threat from Beijing are facing strange difficulties with UK immigration. Our safety must not be traded for warmer relations with China, says pro-democracy activist Nathan Law

theguardian.com

What depressing times we live in 👇 www.thebookseller.com/news/jessica...

Jessica Kingsley Publishers to offer ‘safety covers’ for books

JKP has launched a new removable dust jacket created in response to increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised communities

thebookseller.com

CNN issued a statement halfway through President Trump's one-hour mostly insulting speech to the White House Correspondents' Association.

A shocking @thebookseller.com investigation reveals that LGBTQ+ authors in the #UK are having school visits cancelled. School visits are vital for promoting books. Cancelling them denies young people access to a plurality of voices: www.thebookseller.com/features/lgb...

LGBTQ+ authors see rise in cancellations of school visits after 'complaints from parents'

Authors of books featuring same-sex families, gay characters and other LGBTQ+ themes have told The Bookseller they have had school speaking events cancelled, or pupils withdrawn, amid complaints from ...

thebookseller.com

“Today’s ruling is a major victory in our ongoing fight to protect free speech” - We welcome the suspension of a Trump administration immigration policy targeting non-citizen technology researchers. Now, the suspension must be made permanent ⬇️ knightcolumbia.org/content/fede...

Federal Court Suspends Trump Immigration Policy Targeting Technology Researchers

knightcolumbia.org

An incredible privilege to be at the memorial celebration of Sir Tom Stoppard yesterday. His contributions to both the stage and the fight for free speech were seismic. @indexoncensorship.org is proud to have always been closely connected to him.

Interesting tidbit in this rare Chinese MeToo court victory: the victim says she only felt her suffering was acknowledged after talking to DeepSeek.

‘I have successfully defended my personal dignity’: woman wins rare MeToo court victory in China

Former intern and employee awarded 5,000 yuan (£554) in emotional damages after court found former manager had harassed her

theguardian.com

#Uganda: We are deeply concerned by reports that the country's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the closure of TV stations, newspapers and radio outlets. At the time, the army chief reportedly tweeted "I DO NOT believe in a free press!" www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/... 1/2

NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor remain under military siege as Gen Muhoozi, Mwenda signal talks on reopening

NMG says military raid disrupted operations

monitor.co.ug

It’s 2026 and still many women & babies around the world, including in the U.K., are dying during childbirth. This is a travesty and it’s a story about censorship. Cover ups & women not being listened to leads to deaths. Avoidable ones. www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/sile...

Silencing mothers and covering up baby deaths is censorship - Index on Censorship

Women in maternity care are being neglected with deadly consequences

indexoncensorship.org

Samreen longs to see the world, to meet new people, to taste new dishes, to ride rollercoasters. Instead she’s trapped in Afghanistan living under punishing Taliban rule. This is what she wants the outside world to know. Our new letter from an Afghan woman 👇 www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/this...

This is my life: an Afghan woman’s plea to other 21‑year‑olds - Index on Censorship

An Afghan teacher reflects on education, resilience and the freedoms denied to her generation

indexoncensorship.org

Yes @sianberry.bsky.social this is completely right. It’s totally bankrupt that those who sit at the top of our state are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. @indexoncensorship.org campaigned on this point a few years back. End royal secrecy now. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Green MP seeks to end royal secrecy with Freedom of Information Act expansion

Sian Berry says the release of royal-related documents and data would be a ‘huge step for transparency’

independent.co.uk

#Tigray: From 2020-2022, 280K+ cases of conflict-related sexual violence were documented. Many survivors are still being silenced. Birhan Gebrekirstos Mezgbo & Veronica Blecker discuss breaking the silence in their upcoming documentary, Not Ours to Carry: www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/no-m...

“When women express pain or cry, they are mocked and treated violently.” A story from Egypt but could be from anywhere frankly. Women’s pain still doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This must change. www.madamasr.com/en/2026/06/1...

The care that’s missing from Egypt’s maternity wards

Women and patient advocates break the silence on rampant obstetric abuse in public hospitals.

madamasr.com

Hope his artwork is seen more as a result. Share, share, share. Don’t let the Kremlin win.

Index on Censorship@indexoncensorship.org · 2mo ago

#Russia: We are outraged by the murder of artist and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, Robert Kuzovkov, in Poland. While full details have yet to be released, it is clear that an artist has been killed in Europe for their free expression. We call for a transparent investigation.

This extreme social media ban will likely fail - the kids will find ways to bypass, as they’ve done in Australia. And then the UK government are going to come after VPNs. So if you think tools such as VPNs are a basic privacy good, prepare to fight hard for them.

We could soon have a situation where 16 & 17 year olds can vote in the U.K. but they can’t have unlimited access to the internet. That’s insane & illiberal.

“Everyone pretended not to see because in that moment even looking too long could be dangerous.” Our latest letter from an Afghan woman. Powerful and devastating. www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/afgh...

Afghanistan under the Taliban: A stone in my throat - Index on Censorship

An Afghan woman explains how teaching has changed dramatically since the Taliban returned to power

indexoncensorship.org

A feminist bookstore in the lovely city of Chengdu is amazing on many levels. I wanna go. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Being a woman in China is getting harder. But in Chengdu, female-only spaces are flourishing

The socially relaxed city sees a cautious feminist revival in the face of growing alarm by authorities towards women who shun traditional roles

theguardian.com

More bad news 👇The UK government's plans are putting everyone's privacy at risk. Protecting children online is essential, but we must not sacrifice our safe communications in the process: www.thetimes.com/article/0ab6...

Tech bosses threatened with prison if they fail to protect children

Ministers have drawn up plans for criminal sanctions on companies that do not prevent children from seeing nudity on their devices

thetimes.com

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-...

The Tiananmen Square massacre must not be forgotten - Index on Censorship

Beijing is doing everything in its power to erase what happened

indexoncensorship.org

A beautiful piece from acclaimed writer Zhang Lijia and a surprising one too, reflecting on 37 years since Tiananmen Square Massacre www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/06/the-...

The memory that refuses to die - Index on Censorship

A Chinese rocket factory worker who organised a protest in 1989 looks back 37 years after Tiananmen Square

indexoncensorship.org

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.

“Chan later told reporters that he was displaying a piece of red string that was 6.4 metres long.” I continue to be impressed by the creativity of people in China, and now Hong Kong, trying to bypass the Tiananmen censors and keep the memory alive. All hail them. hongkongfp.com/2026/06/03/h...

HK police stop another artist on eve of Tiananmen crackdown anniv.

Another Hong Kong performance artist has been stopped and searched by plainclothes police after showing up in Causeway Bay on the eve of the Tiananmen crackdown anniversary.

hongkongfp.com

“We live in a time when debates about China are increasingly dominated by extremes. Some see the country as a miracle state; others see it only as a dystopian nightmare. Both views fall short.” This, 💯 this www.whatsonweibo.com/subscribe/ www.whatsonweibo.com/look-only-at...

Look Only at the Ugly Sides, and You Won’t See China

A response to a Dutch debate on China, and why nuance matters in an age of geopolitical polarization.

whatsonweibo.com

Glad to be quoted here in a meaty way. Ultimately one can be clear-eyed about these people and still think it’s bad they were denied entry www.theguardian.com/media/2026/j...

Free speech activists condemn UK entry ban for Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur

Two leftwing US commentators, who have both been accused of propagating antisemitism, barred from visiting for event

theguardian.com

The rate we’re going soon none of us will be able to (easily) talk about Tiananmen hongkongfp.com/2026/06/01/v...

Vandals break into Tiananmen crackdown museum in US, founder says

The Tiananmen crackdown museum in Los Angeles was broken into and vandalised over the weekend, according to its co-founder Wang Dan.

hongkongfp.com

Being denied entry to the UK because your presence is “not conducive to the public good” isn’t new but it sure seems like it’s being used a lot more right now. The people who’ve been banned are all pretty vile, at least from where I stand, but I fear more government overreach

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 2mo ago

Two US political commentators say they have been banned from entering UK