Kurdish violinist Nima Mandoumi, 23, was seized by Iranian intelligence in Alborz province on 9 December 2025 and has since disappeared into incommunicado detention. His arrest reportedly followed an international concert in Armenia involving Israeli musicians, underscoring how Iran’s security apparatus is criminalising cross‑border artistic collaboration and using enforced disappearance to silence Kurdish cultural voices
After months of religious backlash, boycott calls and a high‑profile lawsuit led by lawyer Mortada Mansour, Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court upheld the right to screen the already‑licensed feature The Atheist, reinforcing constitutional protections for artistic creativity and limiting attempts by private actors to erase controversial works from public space.
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When Pomme d’amour, a satirical short film by Fares Naanaa, was re-released online in 2025, it ignited a wave of outrage over alleged blasphemy. Yet behind the public uproar lay a deeper story , one of political distraction, fear-driven self-censorship, and the rapid erosion of Tunisia’s post-revolutionary creative freedoms.
Syrian author Khalil Sweileh’s acclaimed novel The Barbarians’ Paradise faces renewed censorship more than a decade after its first Cairo publication. Authorities demanded removal of passages depicting the Syrian conflict and changes to the text, which Sweileh refused. This episode underscores the persistent control over artistic expression in Syria and highlights the limited space for writers to challenge official narratives.
When a Basra fashion show celebrating cultural heritage sparked armed threats, it revealed how non-state actors now dictate Iraq’s moral and creative boundaries. The case exposes the deepening crisis of artistic freedom in a society struggling to reclaim its cultural voice.
When the Saudi historical drama Muawiya aired during Ramadan 2025, it ignited religious and political tensions in Egypt. Al‑Azhar issued a fatwa prohibiting its viewing, citing the portrayal of Prophet Muhammad’s companions as impermissible. Despite bans on local TV, the series remained accessible online, highlighting the clash between traditional censorship, sectarian sensitivities, and digital media’s reach in shaping historical narratives across the Arab world.
On 6 February 2025, Iraq’s Karkh Misdemeanor Court issued a one-year prison sentence in absentia against Iraqi singer and performer Taysir Al-Iraqiya for publishing content deemed “immoral” online. The ruling, based on vague morality provisions in Iraq’s Penal Code, reflects a broader state campaign targeting artists, influencers, and creators. The case highlights growing risks to artistic freedom, digital expression, and cultural diversity amid intensified online content policing.
The 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala was thrown into turmoil after India’s Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refused screening exemptions for 19 films, including Palestinian works and the classic Battleship Potemkin. The unexplained decision forced last-minute cancellations, ignited protests from filmmakers and cultural leaders, and raised serious concerns about arbitrary censorship, political interference, and India’s commitment to artistic freedom at international festivals.
The censorship of Better than Earth at the 26th Ismailia International Film Festival exposes how informal, undocumented decisions by Egyptian authorities can effectively erase a film from public view. Despite being officially selected, the film was barred through a verbal order, revealing the fragility of artistic freedom under Egypt’s censorship regime and the limited, quiet resistance available to filmmakers and festival organisers operating within state-run cultural institutions.
When journalist Naouel Bizid invited trans activist and performer Khookha McQueer to mark the 100th episode of Deep Confessions Podcast, a show about mental health became a flashpoint for Tunisia’s culture war over queer visibility and freedom of expression.
A groundbreaking Tunisian–Croatian theatre collaboration on migration drew full houses and critical praise, only to be quietly shelved by the Tunisian National Theatre without explanation.
At the 26th Ismailia International Film Festival, Mohammed Salah’s Co-directed with a Ghost won Best Film yet was barred from public screening by Egypt’s censorship authorities, exposing how opaque permit regimes quietly erase celebrated works from local audiences.
On 15 December 2025, a Moscow court designated feminist punk collective Pussy Riot an “extremist organisation,” banning all its activities across Russia after a closed-door hearing. The ruling vastly expands criminal liability for referencing the group, sharing its music or displaying its symbols. Human rights groups warn the decision marks a new stage in Russia’s use of extremism laws to erase artistic dissent, cultural memory and political opposition.
PEN America’s new list of the 52 most banned books in U.S. schools reveals a coordinated campaign against literature addressing race, gender, sexuality, and state violence. With over 22,000 documented bans since 2021 across 45 states, educational censorship is becoming normalized. Award-winning classics and YA titles alike are being removed, undermining artistic freedom, cultural rights, and young people’s access to diverse stories.
Bulgaria’s winter protests against a controversial 2026 budget and entrenched corruption have been driven not only by politics but by culture. Young demonstrators, many protesting for the first time, were mobilised by artists, musicians and digital influencers who turned posts into calls to action. From actors and pop stars on the streets to vloggers translating outrage into everyday language, culture became a key engine of collective action.
Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi remains in detention after a violent arrest at a memorial ceremony in Mashhad, where security forces beat mourners and detained dozens. Mohammadi has been hospitalized twice for serious head and neck injuries caused by baton blows and has since been returned to custody despite serious pre-existing health conditions. Authorities have opened a new security case against her, including an accusation of “cooperation with Israel,” raising urgent concerns about her health, safety, and access to medical care.
In December 2025, Russia blocked Roblox, citing extremism and “LGBT propaganda.” For millions of children, the platform is more than a game—it’s a social and creative space. The ban sparked tens of thousands of complaints to the Kremlin, protests in Tomsk, and widespread discussion about digital rights, highlighting how Russia’s push for a closed “Runet” now clashes with youth culture, creativity, and freedom of expression.
The quiet cancellation of Jumana Manna’s solo exhibition at Heidelberger Kunstverein in 2023 has ignited debates on artistic freedom, Palestine, and the use of antisemitism frameworks in cultural institutions. Critics argue that IHRA definitions risk conflating political critique of Israel with antisemitism, limiting Palestinian voices. Manna’s case highlights self‑policing, institutional caution, and calls for alternative standards like the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
The Egyptian Musicians’ Syndicate’s investigation of singer Reda El Bahrawi after his July 2025 North Coast concert highlights the body’s growing influence over live performance in Egypt. With only vague references to unspecified “violations,” the case raises ongoing concerns about transparency, due process, and the impact of discretionary cultural regulation on artistic freedom.
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Mohamed Ramadan faces a two-year prison sentence for releasing his hit “Number One, you halves” without Egypt’s required censorship permits, extending state control into music published on global platforms like YouTube. The conviction, though not yet enforced, sends a chilling signal to high-profile artists as authorities tighten oversight of digital creativity and blur the line between stardom and criminalisation.
