UN publishes Xinjiang report but ultimately fails the Uyghurs

“Serious human rights violations” have been committed in Xinjiang and the arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs “may constitute…crimes against humanity” according to a controversial UN report that the Chinese government has been trying to quash. Yet the delay and language of the report means the Uyghurs' plight remains dire. Read the story here.

Mikhail Gorbachev: the Soviet leader who learned to love freedom of expression

In 2000 Mikhail Gorbachev wrote a short piece for Index on Censorship about the dangers to free expression in 21^st century Russia. It followed raids carried out by masked, armed police on the offices of the Media-MOST consortium, then one of the most powerful media organisations in Russia. It was a show of force by the incoming president, Vladimir Putin, and a chilling sign of things to come. Read Martin Bright's tribute to the Soviet leader who has died aged 91. Photo: Flickr/European Parliament

An ode to two defining figures from 1989

In every field there are people who become living legends, people who inspire their colleagues and shape their chosen field. They add to our collective knowledge, they shape the world we live in and their contributions ensure that we both question the status-quo and think again about our individual and collective core values, writes our CEO Ruth Smeeth in her latest blog post.