Censorship

(New York) – Indian authorities are increasingly targeting journalists and online critics for their criticism of government policies and practices, including by prosecuting them under counterterrorism and sedition laws, ten human rights organizations said today on World Press Freedom Day. The Indian authorities should respect the right to freedom of expression

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay Dear Elon, Congratulations on the acquisition of Twitter. We hope this will help put the world on track to be a better place. You stated that “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and Twitter is the digital town square where matters

(Nairobi) – Sudan’s security forces have unlawfully detained hundreds of protesters since December 2021 and forcibly disappeared scores as part of its broader clampdown on opposition to the October 25 military coup, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces have beaten and otherwise ill-treated detained protesters, including stripping child detainees

(Istanbul) – The conviction on April 25, 2022 of the human rights defender Osman Kavala and his seven co-defendants is a shocking miscarriage of justice, Human Rights Watch said today.

Our successor to This Week in the Guardian, This Week in the New Normal is our weekly chart of the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world. 1. The French “Election” The new season of “Presidential Election” has just kicked off, and they are already repeating plot

Jack Dorsey has been talking a good game on the platform he co-founded recently, taking snipes at CNN’s Brian Stelter, criticizing the Twitter Board’s response to Elon Musk’s takeover attempt, and dropping hints that he actually, really, genuinely cared about free expression after all. It’s sad

(Beirut) – Candidates for Lebanon’s May 15, 2022, parliamentary elections should make commitments to support key reforms that would improve the human rights situation in the country, Human Rights Watch said today in letters to major political parties and candidates citing 10 key areas for reform. All candidates are encouraged

(Johannesburg) – Angolan authorities should immediately drop criminal charges against 22 protesters arrested during peaceful protests in Luanda on April 9, 2022, Human Rights Watch said today. The activists had gathered to march against the detention of political prisoners and to call for free and fair elections. Those detained included Laurinda

(Berlin) – Russia’s Justice Ministry on April 8, 2022 canceled the registration of Human Rights Watch, along with Amnesty International and 13 other offices of foreign nongovernmental organizations and foundations, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch had maintained an office in Russia for 30 years. The action was

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set to address panicked Twitter employees following his purchase of a large portion of Twitter stock and appointment to the censor-happy company’s board of directors.

Despite alleged free speech advocate Elon Musk’s purchase of a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter, the company reportedly has no plans to reinstate the accounts of former President Donald Trump and the many other conservatives blacklisted by the censor-happy platform. The company defied Musk in a statement, saying:

(Istanbul) – The Turkish government should reverse a plan approved by the justice minister and due to be rubber-stamped by a court decision to transfer the case regarding the Saudi state-sponsored murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 7, 2022, an Istanbul