Reposted by Freemuse
⚖️ Grand Chamber judgment: Kavala v. Türkiye (no. 2)
➡️ The European Court of Human Rights holds that Türkiye must release Mr Kavala immediately and eliminate the consequences of his conviction
🔗 Press release: hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversi...
➡️ The European Court of Human Rights holds that Türkiye must release Mr Kavala immediately and eliminate the consequences of his conviction
🔗 Press release: hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversi...
August 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM
⚖️ Grand Chamber judgment: Kavala v. Türkiye (no. 2)
➡️ The European Court of Human Rights holds that Türkiye must release Mr Kavala immediately and eliminate the consequences of his conviction
🔗 Press release: hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversi...
➡️ The European Court of Human Rights holds that Türkiye must release Mr Kavala immediately and eliminate the consequences of his conviction
🔗 Press release: hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversi...
Reposted by Freemuse
PEN Belarus (@penbelarus.bsky.social) has published its latest monitoring report on violations of cultural rights and the human rights of cultural figures in Belarus, covering January–June 2026.
Read the full report ⬇️ penbelarus.org/en/2026/07/3...
Read the full report ⬇️ penbelarus.org/en/2026/07/3...
Monitoring of violations of cultural rights and human rights of cultural figures. Belarus, January – June 2026 – PEN Belarus
This report draws on data collected by the PEN Belarus monitoring group from open sources, personal contacts, and direct communication with cultural figures. The information reflects the situation at ...
penbelarus.org
August 4, 2026 at 4:26 PM
PEN Belarus (@penbelarus.bsky.social) has published its latest monitoring report on violations of cultural rights and the human rights of cultural figures in Belarus, covering January–June 2026.
Read the full report ⬇️ penbelarus.org/en/2026/07/3...
Read the full report ⬇️ penbelarus.org/en/2026/07/3...
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At a recent media forum held in the Nagorno-Karabakh city of Shusha, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev described the country’s #Soviet past as a colonial experience.
Inventing “Soviet jazz capital”: State-sponsored myth of Baku jazz
Eurasianet commentary
eurasianet.org
July 26, 2026 at 4:35 PM
At a recent media forum held in the Nagorno-Karabakh city of Shusha, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev described the country’s #Soviet past as a colonial experience.
Reposted by Freemuse
#Egypt: Tomorrow, Ahmed Douma will attend his appeal hearing. PEN International calls on the Egyptian Court of Appeal to quash his unjust sentence, uphold his right to freedom of expression, and release him immediately and unconditionally.
Read more: www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-t...
Read more: www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-t...
Egypt: The Court of Appeal should quash the unjust sentence against Poet Ahmed Douma — PEN International | Promoting Literature & Defending Freedom of Expression Worldwide
‘With poet Ahmed Douma’s appeal hearing due to take place imminently, the Court of Appeal has an opportunity to reverse a grave miscarriage of justice and to reaffirm Egypt’s constitutional protection...
www.pen-international.org
July 15, 2026 at 1:06 PM
#Egypt: Tomorrow, Ahmed Douma will attend his appeal hearing. PEN International calls on the Egyptian Court of Appeal to quash his unjust sentence, uphold his right to freedom of expression, and release him immediately and unconditionally.
Read more: www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-t...
Read more: www.pen-international.org/news/egypt-t...
Reposted by Freemuse
Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara’s unjust five-year sentence ended on July 9, but he is not yet free. His whereabouts are unknown, as is his fate and that of more than 800 political prisoners on the island.
Where Is Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara?
The Cuban artist's whereabouts remain unknown, as do his fate and that of more than 800 political prisoners on the island.
hyperallergic.com
July 15, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara’s unjust five-year sentence ended on July 9, but he is not yet free. His whereabouts are unknown, as is his fate and that of more than 800 political prisoners on the island.
Reposted by Freemuse
#Russia: Deeply troubling reports that rock band frontman Gleb Viktorov has been hospitalised after delivering an anti-war speech on stage.
Following the speech, he was accused of taking drugs:
meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Following the speech, he was accused of taking drugs:
meduza.io/en/news/2026...
A Russian band’s frontman denounced the war in Ukraine onstage in Yekaterinburg. His management says the speech was the ‘raving of a drugged man,’ and that he’s now hospitalized. — Meduza
Gleb Viktorov, the frontman of the rock band Tri Dnya Dozhdya (“Three Days of Rain”), has been hospitalized and is receiving treatment after delivering a political speech at a concert in Yekaterinburg...
meduza.io
July 15, 2026 at 2:43 PM
#Russia: Deeply troubling reports that rock band frontman Gleb Viktorov has been hospitalised after delivering an anti-war speech on stage.
Following the speech, he was accused of taking drugs:
meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Following the speech, he was accused of taking drugs:
meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Reposted by Freemuse
#Turkey: Another comedian has been convicted over a joke.
Tuba Ulu received a suspended prison sentence for a joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I.
Jokes are not a crime.
bianet.org/haber/comedi...
Tuba Ulu received a suspended prison sentence for a joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I.
Jokes are not a crime.
bianet.org/haber/comedi...
Comedian Tuba Ulu sentenced over Ottoman sultan 'f-buddy' joke
The comedian received a suspended prison sentence for the joke.
bianet.org
July 14, 2026 at 1:40 PM
#Turkey: Another comedian has been convicted over a joke.
Tuba Ulu received a suspended prison sentence for a joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I.
Jokes are not a crime.
bianet.org/haber/comedi...
Tuba Ulu received a suspended prison sentence for a joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I.
Jokes are not a crime.
bianet.org/haber/comedi...
Reposted by Freemuse
Nearly two years behind bars and apparently no end to the delays and manoeuvres denying Ashraf Omar justice.
manassa.news/en/news/32896
manassa.news/en/news/32896
Ashraf Omar trial postponed, again, till Oct. 12
A Cairo Criminal Court, convening inside Badr Prison, on Monday postponed the trial of Al Manassa cartoonist, translator, and guitarist Ashraf Omar until Oct. 12, 2026, according to a Facebook post by...
manassa.news
July 14, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Nearly two years behind bars and apparently no end to the delays and manoeuvres denying Ashraf Omar justice.
manassa.news/en/news/32896
manassa.news/en/news/32896
Reposted by Freemuse
🇨🇺🔴CU URGENT: Release Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara now! CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS PEN International #FreeLuisManuel #ArtisticFreedom https://ow.ly/XVrm50ZlPPz
July 8, 2026 at 10:10 PM
🇨🇺🔴CU URGENT: Release Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara now! CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS PEN International #FreeLuisManuel #ArtisticFreedom https://ow.ly/XVrm50ZlPPz
Reposted by Freemuse
[BLOG]
" #Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky #shot #dead in the #street" - a cartoon by Rodho (France) on our blog "Libérons les crayons !" via @lemonde.fr :
💬 𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥? www.lemonde.fr/liberons-les...
" #Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky #shot #dead in the #street" - a cartoon by Rodho (France) on our blog "Libérons les crayons !" via @lemonde.fr :
💬 𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥? www.lemonde.fr/liberons-les...
Le caricaturiste russe Semyon Skrepetsky abattu en pleine rue
L’artiste et caricaturiste russe Semyon Skrepetsky a été abattu en pleine rue, lundi 15 juin à Biala Podlaska, dans l’est de la Pologne, près de la frontière avec la Biélorussie. Vu par Rodho (France)...
www.lemonde.fr
June 18, 2026 at 2:04 PM
[BLOG]
" #Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky #shot #dead in the #street" - a cartoon by Rodho (France) on our blog "Libérons les crayons !" via @lemonde.fr :
💬 𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥? www.lemonde.fr/liberons-les...
" #Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky #shot #dead in the #street" - a cartoon by Rodho (France) on our blog "Libérons les crayons !" via @lemonde.fr :
💬 𝘊𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥? www.lemonde.fr/liberons-les...
Reposted by Freemuse
Russian political dissident and artist Robert Kuzovkov, better known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, has been killed in Poland, according to local prosecutors. He was 44 years old.
Russian Dissident Artist Killed in Poland
Robert Kuzovkov, known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was reportedly shot after protesting near the Russian Embassy in Berlin.
hyperallergic.com
June 18, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Russian political dissident and artist Robert Kuzovkov, better known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, has been killed in Poland, according to local prosecutors. He was 44 years old.
Reposted by Freemuse
A statement by our President @chappatte.bsky.social on Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, critic of Putin regime, shot dead on streets.
👉 freedomcartoonists.com/skrepetsky-s...
👉 freedomcartoonists.com/skrepetsky-s...
June 18, 2026 at 6:34 PM
A statement by our President @chappatte.bsky.social on Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, critic of Putin regime, shot dead on streets.
👉 freedomcartoonists.com/skrepetsky-s...
👉 freedomcartoonists.com/skrepetsky-s...
Reposted by Freemuse
Much troubling detail in the death of Russian dissident & satirical painter Siemion Skrepetski, shot while in a public space in Poland yesterday. Some local reporting has the alleged assailant(s) detained near a Belarusian consulate.
www.dw.com/en/semyon-sk...
www.dw.com/en/semyon-sk...
Russian artist critical of Putin shot dead in Poland
Three days before his killing, Semyon Skrepetsky had protested outside the Russian embassy in Berlin. He held an icon-like caricature of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Soviet leader Josef Stali...
www.dw.com
June 16, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Much troubling detail in the death of Russian dissident & satirical painter Siemion Skrepetski, shot while in a public space in Poland yesterday. Some local reporting has the alleged assailant(s) detained near a Belarusian consulate.
www.dw.com/en/semyon-sk...
www.dw.com/en/semyon-sk...
Freemuse and Selam call for legal reform, independent regulatory bodies, and an end to censorship mechanisms that undermine artistic freedom Ahead of Tanzania’s UN Human Rights Council review on 5 November 2026.
Read the UPR report here: www.freemuse.org/minimal-refo...
Read the UPR report here: www.freemuse.org/minimal-refo...
Minimal reforms are inadequate: Artistic and artists’ rights continue to be repressed in Tanzania - Freemuse
Ahead of the United Republic of Tanzania’s appearance before the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November 2026, Freemuse and Selam have submitted a joint Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report commenting...
www.freemuse.org
May 6, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Freemuse and Selam call for legal reform, independent regulatory bodies, and an end to censorship mechanisms that undermine artistic freedom Ahead of Tanzania’s UN Human Rights Council review on 5 November 2026.
Read the UPR report here: www.freemuse.org/minimal-refo...
Read the UPR report here: www.freemuse.org/minimal-refo...
Detained without trial since August 2024 as he was visiting China, sculptor Gao Zhen was brought befrore a closed court yesterday. Its verdict is not known. Gao's crime? "Defaming national heroes and martyrs" in his satirical sculptures depicting Mao Zedong.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
US-based dissident artist put on trial in China over satirical Mao sculptures, says rights group
New York-based Gao Zhen was detained in 2024 during a family visit to China and then tried for ‘defaming national heroes’
www.theguardian.com
March 31, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Detained without trial since August 2024 as he was visiting China, sculptor Gao Zhen was brought befrore a closed court yesterday. Its verdict is not known. Gao's crime? "Defaming national heroes and martyrs" in his satirical sculptures depicting Mao Zedong.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
Reposted by Freemuse
Reposted by Freemuse
Pavel Krisevich, a political performance artist from St Petersburg, has been forced out of Russia after being re-arrested multiple times, most recently in December, following his release from prison in January 2025.
buff.ly/Bs90Ztu
buff.ly/Bs90Ztu
January 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Pavel Krisevich, a political performance artist from St Petersburg, has been forced out of Russia after being re-arrested multiple times, most recently in December, following his release from prison in January 2025.
buff.ly/Bs90Ztu
buff.ly/Bs90Ztu
Freemuse is watching with deep concern as the situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. Iran has long been at the forefront of our advocacy, and the current escalation of violence is a tragedy we cannot ignore. We remain committed to monitoring developments whenever possible #iran #artisticfreedom
January 14, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Freemuse is watching with deep concern as the situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. Iran has long been at the forefront of our advocacy, and the current escalation of violence is a tragedy we cannot ignore. We remain committed to monitoring developments whenever possible #iran #artisticfreedom
Freemuse joins the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk in calling for the dropping of charges against Jung Yoon-suk www.icfr.international/cases/drop-c...
Drop All Charges Against Jung Yoon-suk Now! - The ICFR calls on the film community to sign the petition in support of Jung Yoon-Suk, appealing his unjust conviction and facing a prison sentence on Dec...
news, cases
www.icfr.international
December 19, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Freemuse joins the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk in calling for the dropping of charges against Jung Yoon-suk www.icfr.international/cases/drop-c...
Reposted by Freemuse
The fast-paced cycle of policy changes, executive actions, and judicial rulings makes it hard to stay up-to-date on what’s happening within art institutions. So we compiled a month-by-month recap of how US politics impacted the cultural sector in 2025.
How Trump Impacted Arts and Culture in 2025
In 2025, Hyperallergic’s reporting exposed and chronicled funding cuts and threats to artistic freedom in the United States.
hyperallergic.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
The fast-paced cycle of policy changes, executive actions, and judicial rulings makes it hard to stay up-to-date on what’s happening within art institutions. So we compiled a month-by-month recap of how US politics impacted the cultural sector in 2025.
18 December 2025, on the occasion of minorities day - Freemuse and its partners announce the launch of the fifth edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists (2026). The 2026 theme of the Contest is War and Reconciliation.
www.freemuse.org/internationa...
www.freemuse.org/internationa...
International Contest for Minority Artists 2026: War and Reconciliation - Freemuse
Geneva, 18 December 2025. On the occasion of minorities day – the anniversary of the adoption in 1992 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religi...
www.freemuse.org
December 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
18 December 2025, on the occasion of minorities day - Freemuse and its partners announce the launch of the fifth edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists (2026). The 2026 theme of the Contest is War and Reconciliation.
www.freemuse.org/internationa...
www.freemuse.org/internationa...
ArtsEquator has quietly launched RADAR, the first searchable archive of its kind tracking artistic restrictions across Southeast Asia. Covering six countries and over 800 cases since 2010, RADAR goes beyond monitoring violations.
Read the article here: www.freemuse.org/resisting-er...
Read the article here: www.freemuse.org/resisting-er...
Resisting Erasure: How RADAR Tracks Artistic Freedom in Southeast Asia - Freemuse
Billboard ads, socks, plates, even kickboxing: are these really matters of artistic freedom? The boundary is more blurred than it seems.
www.freemuse.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:33 AM
ArtsEquator has quietly launched RADAR, the first searchable archive of its kind tracking artistic restrictions across Southeast Asia. Covering six countries and over 800 cases since 2010, RADAR goes beyond monitoring violations.
Read the article here: www.freemuse.org/resisting-er...
Read the article here: www.freemuse.org/resisting-er...
Freemuse joins people around the world in marking the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, reaffirming their UN-recognised rights, including self-determination, the right of return, and an independent state free from occupation.
www.freemuse.org/creativity-u...
www.freemuse.org/creativity-u...
December 1, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Freemuse joins people around the world in marking the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, reaffirming their UN-recognised rights, including self-determination, the right of return, and an independent state free from occupation.
www.freemuse.org/creativity-u...
www.freemuse.org/creativity-u...
Reposted by Freemuse
Today, Index and others call for the release of Algerian poet #MohamedTadjadit ahead of upcoming court dates. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Tadjadit is being persecuted for his poetry and peaceful activism. All charges must be dropped:
www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/11/join...
www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/11/join...
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Today, Index and others call for the release of Algerian poet #MohamedTadjadit ahead of upcoming court dates. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Tadjadit is being persecuted for his poetry and peaceful activism. All charges must be dropped:
www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/11/join...
www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/11/join...