Western Europe

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Spotlight: United Kingdom Digital Rights Censorship

Why is no one talking about the UK's impending "porn ban"?

14 April 2019
Index on Censorship

A new law has the potential to pose a severe threat to the anonymity of people in the UK.

United Kingdom Digital Rights United States Free Expression & the Law

Extraditing Julian Assange to the US could threaten investigative journalism in the digital age

In considering whether to extradite Assange, the UK should also consider the detention conditions he could be subjected to in the US as a person charged with national security crimes.

‎ Human Rights Watch (HRW)‎12 April 2019

United Kingdom Digital Rights Free Expression & the Law

UK government should proceed with care in attempting to tackle "online harms"

The UK government has just released its proposal for tackling "online harms", including how content on social media platforms should be monitored and regulated.

‎ Privacy International‎ 8 April 2019

Censorship Free Expression & the Law Italy

Italy's Interior Minister pursues criminal defamation suit against Roberto Saviano

Roberto Saviano faces up to 6 years in jail if convicted of criminally defaming the far right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini; Salvini has previously threatened to remove police protection from the mafia-threatened journalist.

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)‎31 March 2019

Latest from Western Europe

Daphne Caruana Galizia: The voice they couldn't silence

‎ IFEX

Malta Impunity Attacks 16 March 2019
Roberto Saviano and the unacceptable price of exposing corruption

‎ IFEX

Attacks Italy 14 March 2019
Finland sets precedent in sentencing journalists' harassers

‎ International Press Institute (IPI)

Attacks Digital Rights Finland Gender 8 February 2019
French police try to search news outlet following article on Macron's ex-security officer

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

France Free Expression & the Law 5 February 2019
Spain: Excessive charges against Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart must be dropped

‎ PEN International

Free Expression & the Law Freedom of Assembly Spain 21 January 2019
French police and protesters attack the media in Yellow Vest protests

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

France Attacks Digital Rights 7 January 2019
French police injure students, demonstrators and journalists during Paris protests

‎ Human Rights Watch (HRW)

France Attacks Freedom of Assembly 16 December 2018
Stansted 15: UK convicts peaceful protesters using anti-terrorism legislation

‎ ARTICLE 19

United Kingdom Free Expression & the Law Freedom of Assembly 16 December 2018
One year after suspects arrested, still no justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), IFEX, Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI) , PEN America, PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Malta Impunity Attacks 4 December 2018
Germany should use UN Security Council role to promote press freedom

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

International Germany Attacks Free Expression & the Law 13 November 2018
International mission says Malta is failing to protect press freedom

‎ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Press Institute (IPI) , PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Malta Impunity Free Expression & the Law 20 October 2018
Prison sentences for Kremlin trolls who harassed Finnish reporter

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Digital Rights Attacks Finland 18 October 2018
Rights groups call for public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder

‎ ActiveWatch – Media Monitoring Agency, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), IFEX, Index on Censorship, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Press Institute (IPI) , PEN American Center, PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), South East Europe Media Organisation

Malta Impunity 8 October 2018
UK intelligence agency admits unlawfully spying on Privacy International

‎ Privacy International

United Kingdom Access to Information International Digital Rights 26 September 2018
ECtHR: UK mass surveillance violates rights to privacy and free expression

‎ Privacy International

United Kingdom Digital Rights 13 September 2018
PEN International visits jailed Catalan civil society leaders

‎ PEN International

Free Expression & the Law Spain 9 August 2018
Son of Daphne Caruana Galizia speaks up about violence against women journalists

‎ PEN International

Malta 20 June 2018
NGOs to Mayor Andy Burnham: Join our call to free Ahmed Mansoor

‎ Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

United Kingdom United Arab Emirates 31 May 2018
Spanish officials are filing criminal defamation charges to intimidate journalists

‎ International Press Institute (IPI)

Censorship Free Expression & the Law Spain 29 May 2018
Sicilian mafia planned to murder organised crime reporter Paolo Borrometi

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Attacks Italy 30 April 2018
Terrorism laws are threatening freedom of expression in Spain

‎ Freedom House

Censorship Free Expression & the Law Spain 19 April 2018
Open Letter – 6 month anniversary of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

‎ PEN International, Norwegian PEN, PEN American Center

Malta Impunity Europe & Central Asia Attacks Free Expression & the Law 15 April 2018
The 50:50 Challenge: Driving greater gender balance at the BBC

‎ World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

United Kingdom Gender 15 April 2018
UK's Data Protection Bill must ensure it protects press freedom

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

United Kingdom Digital Rights 15 March 2018
Murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia still faces barrage of libel suits

‎ Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Malta Free Expression & the Law 5 March 2018
German initiative brings refugee reporters into local journalism

‎ World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

Access to Information Germany 8 February 2018

At a glance

Europe & Central Asia

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See list

Most covered free expression issues in this region

More from Europe & Central Asia

DEMOCRACY AT RISK: THREATS AND ATTACKS AGAINST MEDIA FREEDOM IN EUROPE

Annual Report 2019 by the Partner Organisations to the Council of Europe Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists

ARTICLE 19 12 February 2019
Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region: A Comparative Study

This study examines the existence of criminal defamation and insult laws in the territory of the 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In doing so, it offers a broad, comparative overview of the compliance of OSCE participating States’ legislation with international standards and best practices in the field of defamation law and freedom of expression.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 7 March 2017
Journalists caught in the middle: Protests turn violent from France to Finland

Violence against journalists in Europe increased in the second quarter of 2016, reports submitted to Index on Censorship’s Mapping Media Freedom platform show, as a government crackdown in Turkey intensified and protests turned violent in countries from France to Finland.

Index on Censorship 2 August 2016