Russian human and media rights group OVD-Info on Sunday claimed police arrested at least 109 people during demonstrations supporting imprisoned opposition leader, Alexey Navalny. The group stated two journalists are known to be among those detained. The demonstrations in 23 Russian cities was organized by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (AFD) and coincided with Navalny’s birthday. OVD-Info [...]

A spokesman for the Kremlin Dmitri Peskov announced on Sunday that journalists from ‘unfriendly countries’ were banned from covering St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) which is scheduled for mid June. The ban, announced just days before the event, effectively prohibits independent media organizations and critical journalists from reporting on one of Russia’s most prominent [...]

The Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) ruled Monday that Poland’s 2019 court reforms violated EU laws on effective judicial protection, judicial independence and the rule of law. The court sided with the EU Commission, which launched infringement proceedings against Poland over the reforms in 2019. The Court of Justice found that several parts [...]

A new Code of Practice for UK Police came into effect Saturday that will ensure officers document hate incidents that do not constitute crimes only when absolutely necessary. The new law introduces a threshold whereby, once reached, police must record the personal information of someone for a non-crime hate incident. The new code of practice [...]

Police in Leipzig, Germany on Saturday broke up a protest orchestrated by left-wing groups involving over 700 people over the sentencing given to one of four far-left activists who attacked Neo-Nazis over a period of two years. More demonstrations are expected despite local court bans on protests. Protestors set up roadblocks, threw projectiles and started [...]

A French Parliamentary report leaked to the French press Thursday claimed Marine Le Pen’s far-right party  “Rassemblement national” knowingly spread Kremlin talking points. Le Pen called the report “sectarian, dishonest and politicized,” despite the fact that it was Le Pen herself who demanded an investigation into foreign interference in French politics. Le Pen is known [...]

On Friday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that he was proposing amendments to the current law on Russian influence that is set to take effect next week. In a televised statement Duda said that he will be making amendments to the law to address the controversies from critics, including the removal of a ban which [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced on Friday Macau’s decision to expand their national security law, which takes effect this week. The effect of these changes, according to RSF, “increases the pressure on journalists and further threatens the residents’ right to information.” Macau’s National Security Law defines seven crimes that can result in a maximum sentence [...]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 14 on Friday, which bans gender-affirming care for minors and places restrictions on children already taking gender-affirming prescription drugs. The law becomes effective on September 1, 2023. SB 14 provides that child health plans may not provide coverage for services intended to “transition a child’s biological sex as determined [...]

The Senegal government announced a blanket ban on the use of social media Friday, following clashes between police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko that left nine people dead. In a televised press conference, Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome claimed that some social media sites were utilized by demonstrators to incite violence, including [...]