Stories about War & Conflict
Pakistan on edge: Protests continue as Imran Khan's arrest sparks outrage
Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan was arrested from a courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. The news of Khan's arrest has sparked heated demonstrations and raised concerns about political instability in Pakistan.
The plight of Kurdish journalists in their struggle for free expression
Kurdish journalists lack a recognized nation state and political recognition. They face opposition from their host countries, which attempt to erase their identity and suppress their freedom of expression.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Myanmar
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Myanmar is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Cameroon
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Cameroon is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
A Russian girl drew anti-war picture. Now she is in a children's shelter and her dad is under arrest
One year ago, a fifth-grade student, Masha Moskaleva, drew an anti-war picture. Now, her father faces up to three years in prison and Masha may be sent to an orphanage.
Fake Russian fact-checkers spread propaganda about the war in Ukraine
PolitiFact analyzed this website and found its fact-checks that use well-known techniques of Russian propaganda — incoherence, a large number of claims, repetition of statements on obvious untruths — to confuse the public.
Charity treason: The legal practice of persecuting Russians who donate to Ukraine
Despite the authorities agreeing that sponsoring the Ukrainian army constitutes treason, in a year, there has not been a single reported criminal case instigated for such donations.
Interview with Romanian anti-disinformation activist reveals disinformation campaigns often target refugees from Ukraine
The position of Romania regarding the war in Ukraine remains in line with the EU and NATO, despite pro-Russian destabilizing efforts. However, at general level, disinformation had become part of political discourse.
Every Friday, Russia labels new citizens and organizations as ‘Foreign Agents’
Labeling people and organizations as 'foreign agents' resembles Stalin's repressive regime. It is now being used to push dissenting voices out of the country.
Infrastructural content moderation: the case of Mariupol
In addition to the obvious humanitarian consequences that internet shutdowns in a war zone bring, infrastructural content moderation is a potent and dangerous approach to spreading disinformation.
Rights organization OVD-Info gives an overview of repression in Russia in 2022
In 2022 in Russia, there were more than 21,000 arrests and at least 370 defendants in criminal cases for anti-war statements and speeches. More than 200,000 Internet resources have been blocked including 11 sentences in cases of state treason.
Kosovo: Six attacks against journalists in December following escalating tensions
The Kosovo media sphere is endangered by the recent physical assaults and their implications for press freedom and reporting on developments in the northern part of the country
LIVE on November 24: Disinformation and censorship in Russia
Join us on YouTube live on November 24 for a discussion exploring the convergence of Russia’s rapidly strengthening censorship infrastructure, and its use of disinformation both internally and externally.
TikToker Nekoglai was deported from Moscow to Moldova with signs of torture
The “ritual of guilt and shame” has been increasingly used by the Russian police to publicly show the “remorse” and fear of those protesting
Eight months of ‘fakes’ and ‘discreditation’: How the Kremlin’s new laws against anti-war dissent are applied online
Censorship and political repression are not new to Russia, but, in 2022, they reached new heights. Alongside new digital tools, new legislation allows the state to expedite and industrialise the repression of dissidents.
How Palestinian youth resisted Israeli occupation: With a haircut
A new generation that has become hopeless over the brutal realities of Israeli apartheid now leads the fight. Palestinians express sympathy for those youngsters but also support their resistance.
Activists predict homophobic and transphobic violence in Russia, but most avenues of escape are slammed shut
The law on prohibiting "propaganda" from the LGBTQ+ community might trigger homophobic and transphobic violence. Time is running out, and the plea to help needs to be urgently heard.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Information
Advox research into misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Russia
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Russia is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
War in Ukraine is fundamentally changing the relationship between the internet and geopolitics
Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed what internet and war scholars have long predicted: the line between civil and military reality is being erased, further fracturing the world along "sovereign internets."