Friday, 31 December 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, here are the top stories from Index on Censorship

This year has been a rollercoaster. In the shadow of Covid-19 the focus of every country turned to their own streets. Public health has understandably dominated the news agenda as more than 260 million of us have been infected by a disease unheard of two years ago, with over five million of our friends and family now taken by it.

But we must consider what the additional costs of being distracted by this terrible disease have been:the impact of our leaders going missing in action from the global stage and, if not missing, then impotent to the challenges undermining our rules-based world order.

As we end this awful year, we take a look at the stories that have drawn the attention of those who support freedom of expression around the world.

Heart-breaking letters from Lukashenka's prisoners in Belarus

Illustration: Natasha Garlukovich

One of our most hard-hitting campaigns in 2021 has been one which has seen us publish censored letters from political prisoners held in Belarus following the disputed re-election of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The letters come from students, clothing designers, artists and politicans and show that despite the harsh conditions in which they are being held, their spirits remain unbroken. Read the heart-rending words sent to the loved ones of those who have dared protest against the Belarusian regime.

Jewish Chronicle editor on Ken Loach

Filmmaker Ken Loach at the Filmoteca de Catalunya/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

In February, Stephen Pollard, the former editor of The Jewish Chronicle, wrote about the response to Ken Loach being invited to speak at St Peter’s College, Oxford and efforts to no-platform him. Find out what Pollard hads to say about the highly controversial film maker here.

Anti-Ha: an exclusive short story by Shalom Auslander

Photo: Franco Vogt

Shalom Auslander likes to shock. His latest novel, Mother for Dinner, is about a family of cannibals. It’s funny, outrageous and a bitter critique on US society and identity politics. Auslander was born into an ultra-orthodox Jewish family in Monsey, New York, which he has also written about in his memoir, Foreskin’s Lament.

It is this upbringing which has inspired much of his work – the rituals and religion he rebelled against but is still attracted to, and in which he finds comfort. In April 2021, Auslander wrote an original short story for Index based on a ritual joke which he subverts, to challenge our sense of humour and readiness to be offended.

The Washington Post called the story "a must-read" and said it was "reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut...a dystopic story set in a future where jokes — the latest targets in the global battle against offence — are outlawed".

Read Auslander's story here.

ICYMI: The other stories making waves

The above represent some of our widely read stories in 2021 but there are plenty of other features, news stories and statements you may have missed during the year.

Here's a round-up of some of the most read:

Don't forget to vote for your
Tyrant of the Year 2021

At the end of every year, Index on Censorship launches a campaign to focus attention on human rights defenders, artists and journalists who have been in the news headlines during the past twelve months and their oppressors.

This year, we are asking for your help in identifying the Tyrant of the Year. There is fierce competition, with many rulers choosing to use the cover of Covid to clamp down on their opponents.

Up for the award this year are (in alphabetical order): Aleksandr Lukashenka (Belarus), Ali Khameini (Iran), Bashar al-Assad (Syria), Donald Trump (USA), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (Turkmenistan), Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Kim Jong Un (North Korea), Min Aung Hlaing (Myanmar), Mohammad Hasan Akhund (Afghanistan), Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Turkey), Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Teodor Obiang (Equatorial Guinea), Vladimir Putin (Russia) and Xi Jinping (China).

Register your vote here.

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