May 2025 in Europe and Central Asia: A free expression and civic space round-up produced by IFEX’s Regional Editor Cathal Sheerin, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.

Ahead of the UN Human Rights Council’s 60 th session (8 Sep­tem­ber-8 October 2025), we, the un­der­si­gned civil society orga­ni­sa­tions, write to urge your delegation to support a mandate extension ...

RSF reports that Choi Chin-sop, a journalist charged under the National Security Law (NSL), remains in prison after two years of a three year sentence. His physical condition is apparently ...

While Rwanda has advanced data protection and e-service initiatives, uneven digital access continues to undermine online rights, especially for women, rural communities, and dissenting voices. This ...

The IPI global network today joined seven media freedom and international human rights groups in expressing our concern over Sri Lankan authorities’ harassment of of Tamil photojournalist ...

Freedom Forum described the government decision as "authoritarian" and a violation of the people's right to free expression. This statement was originally published on freedomforum.org.np on 4 ...

Civil society groups warned that under the draft amendments, anyone accused of affecting national security or sovereignty can lose their Cambodian citizenship. This statement was originally published ...

The Afghanistan Journalists Center recorded at least 190 press freedom violations over the past year highlighting a pattern of intensified media repression. This statement was originally published on ...

While AI presents opportunities, it also carries serious risks - including the amplification of false or manipulated content and the spread of deepfakes - that no current regulation is able to ...

On 25 August, Israeli strikes killed five journalists at Nasser hospital in southern Gaza. To date, 185 journalists have been killed in these attacks, a deliberate attempt to silence the truth and ...

The approval of French Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice, by South Africa's Competition Tribunal, raises concerns of a de facto media monopoly in Africa. This statement was originally published on ...

On the night of 28 August, drones hit the offices of newspapers "Mezhivskyi Meridian" and "Ukrainska Pravda", and of news outlet "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty". This statement was originally ...