France divided over ‘Yadan Law’ anti-Semitism bill
A new bill to fight anti-Semitism in France is causing heated debate and a wave of public protest.
Free speech
Latest reporting and analysis on free speech.
Spanish police open probe into anti-Muslim chants at Egypt friendly
Spanish police said on Wednesday that they were investigating "Islamophobic and xenophobic" chants heard during the Spain-Egypt international football match in Barcelona,…
67 year-old German retiree fined €800 for “insulting” politician
A 67-year-old retired Bavarian woman had a conviction confirmed for "insulting a public official", by carrying a sign caricaturing the state's Minister-President…
UK scraps its controversial non-crime hate incidents
The UK government has formally scrapped its system of recording non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), which for years has controversially seen police forces divert their…
Sweden charges man for selling wife to 120 men
A Swedish prosecutor on Monday charged a man, suspected of exploiting his "vulnerable" wife to have sex with men for money, with aggravated pimping, several rapes…
Appeals court acquits German comedian over tasteless Trump assassination ‘jokes’
An appeal court in Berlin has upheld the acquittal of Sebastian Hotz, a German leftist comedian who had been charged with “condoning criminal offences” after…
Austrian High Court rules Putin mask at protest legal despite face-coverings ban
Austria’s Constitutional Court (VfGH) has decided that wearing a mask at a political protest can be a permissible form of expressing oneself, even though the country…
Finland convicts MP for hate speech over 2004 pamphlet supporting classic Christianity
Finland’s Supreme Court has found parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen guilty of “hate speech” relating to the expression of her beliefs on marriage and sexual…
Strasbourg clears path for medically-assisted suicide in landmark case
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected a last-minute request to suspend the euthanasia of Noelia, a 25-year-old woman from Barcelona, marking a decisive…
EU lawmakers back ban on sexualised AI deepfakes
EU lawmakers today approved a ban on AI systems generating sexualised deepfakes, after a global outcry over non-consensual nudes created by Elon Musk's chatbot Grok.
Attack on Rotterdam synagogue by group claiming to target Jews
A synagogue in Rotterdam has been targeted in an arson attack early this morning.
Spain’s PM Sánchez unveils ‘Hodio’ tool to combat ‘online hate speech’
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced the launch of a new government tool designed to monitor and quantify so-called hate speech on digital platforms.
Iranian female footballers granted asylum in Australia, ditch headscarves
Five members of Iran's women's national football team have been granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia after fleeing their squad during the Women's Asian…
Harsh prison terms for seven Spaniards for hate speech against illegal migrants
Spain's Supreme Court has upheld prison sentences for seven individuals convicted of hate crimes over social media posts targeting unaccompanied foreign minors in…
German police conduct 13th Day of Action against online ‘hate’
On Wednesday, February 25, German law enforcement carried out a nationwide “Day of Action Against Online Hate” involving raids and interrogations in connection…
Belgian media outlet officially reprimanded for publishing JD Vance speech in full
A right-leaning news outlet in Belgium, 21News, violated journalistic ethics by publishing the complete transcript of the speech made by US Vice-President J D Vance…
Italian trial highlights rise of a ‘remigration lobby’ in Europe
A right-wing Italian activist is set to stand trial for hate speech over statements he published on social media in recent years.
Exclusive interview: German lawyer decries ‘bias’ in trans-child cases
A German lawyer is accusing German authorities of bias in cases of children who want to have their sex medically changed against their parents’ wishes.
UK Quran burner wins landmark blasphemy case
A man who burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London has had his acquittal upheld by the High Court.
German court allows outdoor prayer meetings of banned Islamist group
The Administrative Court of Hesse has allowed members of the Imam Ali mosque in Frankfurt to continue holding twice weekly outdoor prayer meetings.
EU rules Hungary violated freedom of expression with radio shutdown
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that Hungary violated European Union laws on freedom of expression by shutting down the country's Klubrádió…
Trying to bring it down? Poland’s popular YouTube channel smeared by PM Tusk allies
The head of a popular Polish YouTube current affairs channel has produced documented evidence that a publicly funded NGO has commissioned a PR operation aimed at…
The decline of liberty
Never was there more high-minded talk about republican ideals in ancient Rome than in the age of Augustus, the first de facto emperor who definitively buried the…
‘Child porn found in cell’ of notorious Belgian paedophile and killer
Images depicting the sexual abuse of minors were reportedly found in the prison cell of Marc Dutroux, the infamous convicted Belgian paedophile and serial killer.
Turkey to introduce mandatory ID verification for social media users
Turkish users of Facebook and X may soon be forced to sign up using their official government ID.
Mélenchon wants French media conglomerates to be broken up or seized
Jean Luc Mélenchon, leader of radical left La France Insoumise (LFI), announced today at the party press conference that, if LFI wins the 2027 presidential election,…
‘Regulate platforms, not children’: Council of Europe criticises ban on social media for teens
Going against several European Union countries' moves to ban social media for teenagers, the Council of Europe criticised a possible blanket ban on social media,…
German police launch investigation against pensioner for calling Chancellor Merz ‘Pinocchio’ online
The police in Heilbronn in Southwestern Germany have launched an investigation against a pensioner who referred to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as “Pinocchio”…
Frenchman charged over alleged abuse of 89 boys in several countries
A 79-year-old Frenchman once known locally as “Monsieur Jacques” in Moroccan communities, has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of at least 89 teenage…
US to host website to help users circumvent EU-style content bans
The US is reportedly planning a new digital tool to help users bypass local content bans, allowing people worldwide to continue to watch banned content.