On January 24, just days before the scheduled release of Uzbek editor Muhammad Bekjanov, a district court in Kasan added an extra five years to his prison sentence for allegedly breaking unspecified prison rules. Bekjanov was the editor-in-chief of Erk, a now-defunct newspaper founded by Uzbekistan's opposition party of the same name and is banned in the country. Muhammad Salih, ...

Last July, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa successfully sued El Universo, one of the country's largest daily newspapers. The resulting suit sentenced three directors and one writer from El Universo to three years in prison and fined the publication $30 million, plus $10 million in damages. The paper, Correa claims, defamed him. Correa, the publication sustains, is attempting to limit freedom ...

Commodore and current Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, took control of the country in a military coup in 2006. In 2009 he abolished the Constitution, placed censors in the media, and claimed no elections would take place until 2014. This January marks the month that, according to Bainimarama, censors are supposed to be removed from the media's newsrooms. While this ...

Iranian singer-songwriter Arya Aramnejad was arrested in his home on November 8, 2011. This was the second time Aramenjad was arrested and imprisoned for “seditious activities” relating to a song he composed and released in 2009. Three months after his second arrest he remains in custody. Twenty-eight year-old Aramnejad, an outspoken supporter of Iran's democratic Green Movement, composed ...

Below is the author's personal account of a student book club in Rangoon, where she taught student union leaders who would later be imprisoned for their political views. Her account also details their January 13 release from prison under a general amnesty and a reunion with of some of the club's members via telephone. This past January 12 put me on ...

The following article was reprinted from Gandhara, a blog dedicated to Afghanistan and Pakistan written by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists from Radio Mashaal (Pakistan), Radio Azadi (Afghanistan), the RFE Central Newsroom, and other services. It was originally published on January 18, 2012. Tribal journalist Mukarram Khan Aatif was unaware of the tragedy awaiting him when he called the representative ...

Today, January 25 marks the one-year anniversary of the "Day of Revolt," the series of protests against Hosni Mubarak's government that marked the start of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Mubarak resigned last February and is now standing trial against separate charges of corruption and ordering security forces to kill over 800 protesters. At the same time, Egypt is holding ...

Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada Bloggers and Index on Censorship press freedom award nominees Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada were critical of the government on- and offline. On June 28, 2009 they uploaded a satirical video. Less than a month later, they were assaulted in a restaurant and arrested for “hooliganism.” They were released in November 2010. In 2011 a Facebook campaign ...

Even within the predictable pattern of reforms, the Burmese government keeps us pleasantly surprised. Friday the 13th was the day of choice for the recent release of 651 political prisoners and some of the former members of Burmese Military Intelligence who were arrested along with their chief Khin Nyunt in 2004. It was not the full moon day, the Buddhists' ...

A Reading with Fabienne Kanor and Marvin Victor When: Wednesday, January 25 7-7:30 pm: Reception with appetizers and beverages 7:30-8:30 pm: Reading 8:30-9 pm: Dessert and informal discussion Where: City of Asylum/Pittsburgh FREE (Reservation Required!): Email Laura Mustio to place reservations. Please include: # in party, your name and the names of each person in your party. COA/P will confirm. On January 25 at 7 PM, ...