May 2023 in Europe and Central Asia: A free expression round up produced by IFEX's Regional Editor Cathal Sheerin, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
"Authorities should drop all charges against Merkis, release him immediately alongside all other imprisoned journalists, and stop retaliating against members of the press for their reporting" - CPJ
Former Belsat TV contributor Larysa Shchyrakova detained in Belarus on undisclosed charges cpj.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cpj.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Why journalists and dissidents turn to Telegram
Dissenting voices from across the world are using the software to plan protests and share information
04 Jun 2021
As you scroll through your Telegram feed, one image jumps out.
It shows crowds of young Hong Kongers, all dressed in black, at a protest, holding their smartphones aloft like virtual cigarette lighters from a Telegram channel called HKerschedule.
Calls to action like this have migrated from fly posters and other highly visible methods of communication online.
Secure messaging has become vital to organising protests against an oppressive state.
Many protest groups have used the encrypted service Telegram to schedule and plan demonstrations and marches. Countries across the world have attempted to ban it, with limited levels of success. Vladimir Putin’s Russia tried and failed, the regimes of China and Iran have come closest to eradicating its influence in their respective states.