Brussels bar covers up ‘sexist’ wall illustration
An “offensive” cartoon on the wall of a bar in Brussels has been covered with a large canvas sheet by the pub’s new owners who regard it as “sexist” and…
Free speech
Latest reporting and analysis on free speech.
Does Twitter under Musk really believe in free speech?
Twitter has sparked a furore by restricting the launch of the controversial transgender documentary What is a Woman?
Brussels threatens Twitter ban
Europe’s political big guns have Twitter in their sights, threatening to torpedo the social media giant if it refuses to follow European rules.
Belgian government secures release of aid worker in Iran ‘in exchange for convicted terrorist’
Belgian humanitarian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele is returning to his home country after an “excruciating” jail spell in Iran where he was subjected to “inhumane…
‘Funny cartoons’ screening lands Belgian pub owner with six-month prison sentence
Two people have been jailed in Belgium for screening what they described as “funny cartoons that you can find everywhere on the internet”, adding the images…
Belarus pardons activist famously arrested on Ryanair flight
Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist, has been pardoned by the Belarusian authorities, reports the state-run Belta News.
Euro MPs clash with Polish education minister during investigation of ‘academic freedom’
Euro MPs on a visit to Warsaw accused Poland’s education minister Przemysław Czarnek of behaving in a “brutal and aggressive” manner towards them, according…
Elon Musk backlash over Twitter content block in Turkey
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who declared himself a staunch advocate of free speech, has found himself facing a barrage of criticism for censoring his…
Female MEPs angry about ‘hate speech’ in Parliament debate on women’s rights
Three Euro MPs have been accused of using hate speech by female colleagues.
Free speech has its limits, says Brussels Commissioner
The European Commission has to protect freedom of speech—by limiting it, according to the Commissioner responsible for media freedom and fundamental rights.