Raid during Children’s Theatre in East Jerusalem
Israeli intelligence agents raided the Palestinian National Theatre Al-Hakawati in Jerusalem during the children’s musical “Dreams Under the Olive Trees” and ordered families to leave the venue within five minutes. The shutdown of a licensed, internationally funded cultural event has triggered condemnation from theatre circles, human rights actors and media outlets, who argue that the incident illustrates a broader suppression of Palestinian cultural life and children’s rights in Jerusalem.mimeta
Haifa Wehbe’s Contested Egypt Ban
In August 2024, Egyptian unions suspended Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe’s work permits over contractual disputes, before briefly reinstating them later that month. In March 2025, the Musicians’ Syndicate escalated the case by banning her from performing after a complaint from her former manager, but in December 2025 the administrative court ultimately overturned the ban, ending a 16‑month battle with major implications for artistic freedom.mimeta
Conservative Petition Targets Vienna Religious Art
A campaign by the conservative organisation Austrian Society for the Protection of Tradition, Family, and Private Property (TFP) against a contemporary religious art exhibition at Künstlerhaus in Vienna has led to harassment and institutional pressure against artist Deborah Sengl. The action, presented as a defence of Christian values, shows how coordinated religious‑political pressure can narrow artistic freedom without the use of formal state censorship.mimeta
UK Trustees Turn Palestine into Closed Culture
The British arts foundation Queercircle documents how boards and senior executives in English cultural institutions quietly restrict Palestinian artistic programming. By branding Palestinian performances as “controversial” and moving them into closed, invitation‑only formats, institutions are building a hidden system of structural repression that keeps Palestinian perspectives out of public cultural life.mimeta
Comedy under surveillance: Styria cancels Hama
When Syria’s pioneering stand‑up collective Styria cancelled its shows in Hama during the country’s first comedy festival, co‑founder Malke Mardinali warned that “every single sentence is scrutinised and reports are being written.” The incident illustrates how surveillance, informal pressure and fear of informers still define the boundaries of artistic expression in Syria’s fragile “post‑war opening”.mimeta
Kurdish Violinist Vanishes After Israeli Collaboration
Kurdish violinist Nima Mandoumi (23) was detained by Iranian intelligence in Alborz province on 9 December 2025 and has been missing in incommunicado detention ever since. The arrest followed an international concert in Armenia featuring Israeli musicians, and the case shows how Iran’s security apparatus criminalises cross‑border artistic collaboration and uses enforced disappearance to silence Kurdish cultural voices.mimeta
Egypt’s “Atheist” film survives boycott calls and court battle
After months of religious counter‑campaigning, boycott calls and a high‑profile lawsuit led by lawyer Mortada Mansour, Egypt’s highest administrative court ruled that the feature film The Atheist may continue to be screened under its valid censorship licence. The ruling strengthens constitutional protections for artistic creativity and curbs attempts by private actors to remove controversial works from public view through the courts.mimeta
“Blasphemy or Distraction? The ‘Pomme d’amour’ Controversy in Tunisia”
When the satirical short film Pomme d’amour by Fares Naanaa was re‑released online in 2025, it sparked a wave of outrage and accusations of blasphemy. Behind the loud indignation lies a deeper story of political distraction, fear‑driven self‑censorship and the rapid erosion of the creative freedoms won after the revolution.mimeta
Khalil Sweileh’s Novel still Faces Censorship in Syria
Award‑winning Syrian author Khalil Sweileh’s novel The Barbarians’ Paradise is facing renewed censorship more than a decade after its first publication in Cairo. The authorities demanded the removal of passages about the Syrian conflict and changes to the text, which Sweileh refused, and the case shows how tight control over artistic expression persists and how little room writers have to challenge the official narrative.mimeta
Basra’s Fashion Show and the Fragile State of Artistic Freedom in Iraq
When a fashion show in Basra celebrating cultural heritage triggered armed threats, it became clear how non‑state actors in practice set Iraq’s moral and creative boundaries. The case reveals a deeper crisis for artistic freedom in a society still trying to reclaim its cultural voice.mimeta
Muawiya banned from Egyptian screens but not from Egyptian eyes
When the Saudi historical series Muawiya aired during Ramadan 2025, it triggered religious and political tensions in Egypt. Al‑Azhar issued a fatwa banning the series on the grounds that depicting the Prophet’s companions is unacceptable, but despite bans on local TV channels it remained available online, highlighting the clash between traditional censorship, sectarian sensitivities and the reach of digital platforms in shaping historical narratives in the Arab world.mimeta
Iraq Sentences Singer Over “Immoral” Content
On 6 February 2025, the Karkh court in Iraq sentenced singer and performer Taysir Al‑Iraqiya in absentia to one year in prison for posting online content deemed “immoral”. The verdict, based on vague morality provisions in the penal code, forms part of a broader state campaign against artists, influencers and creators and illustrates growing risks to artistic freedom, digital expression and cultural diversity in a climate of tightened content control.mimeta
Syrian Singer Abducted, Humiliated Over Lyrics
In July 2025, Syrian folk singer Omar Khairy was abducted from a wedding in his hometown of al‑Bab by armed men claiming to act on behalf of “general security”. Hours later, videos showed him beaten, shaven and forced to sing under duress for allegedly praising Bashar al‑Assad, exposing how rival authorities in northern Syria enforce red lines for cultural expression through intimidation and public humiliation.mimeta
IFFK Film Blockade made Censorship Debate in India
The 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala was plunged into crisis when India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refused exemption certificates for 19 films, including Palestinian titles and the classic Battleship Potemkin. The unexplained decision led to last‑minute cancellations, mobilised cinephiles and cultural leaders in protest and raised serious concerns about arbitrary censorship, political interference and India’s willingness to protect artistic freedom at international festivals.mimeta
Al-Kindi Cinema Eviction Tests Freedom
The closure of the historic Al‑Kindi cinema in Damascus in July 2025, carried out by Syria’s Ministry of Religious Endowments, has become a litmus test for post‑Assad cultural policy. The case pits promises of renewal against fears that religious and political authorities are tightening their grip on what counts as legitimate art and public memory.mimeta
Informal, verbal Censorship Silences Egyptian Independent Cinema
The censorship of Better than Earth at the 26th Ismailia International Film Festival shows how informal and undocumented decisions by Egyptian authorities can effectively erase a film from public view. Despite its official selection, the film was halted through a verbal order, revealing how fragile artistic freedom is under today’s censorship regime and how limited and muted resistance filmmakers and festivals can offer within state cultural institutions.mimeta
Iraqi Artist Jailed For Online Expression
Iraqi digital artist and performer Joanna Al Aseel was arrested in Baghdad on 12 May 2025 after a committee in the Interior Ministry labelled her online content “immoral”. Her conviction and three‑month prison sentence on 20 November 2025 illustrate Iraq’s growing use of vague morality clauses to police artistic expression online and to frighten female artists and creators away from the digital public sphere.mimeta
Moral Policing Shuts Down Mosul Café
In August 2025, security forces closed the Um Al‑Rabe’ain café in Mosul after a video of two female staff dancing on the premises went viral. The women and several other employees were detained for allegedly violating “public morals”, showing how digital outrage now drives state intervention and shrinks space for culture, leisure and women’s visibility in Iraq’s rebuilding cities.mimeta
Informal Security Ban Silences Iraqi Novel
Iraqi writer Rusly Al Maliki says security agents have informally banned his new book A Year of Decline, a sharp portrayal of corruption and social decay in Iraq in 2024. The book has reportedly been blocked from bookshops, the Baghdad Book Fair and distribution services without any court ruling, and Al Maliki calls the intervention unlawful and threatens to release the work online for free if the authorities do not reverse course by 26 September.mimeta
Damascus University Ban Nude Act Models
In August 2025, the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Damascus University ordered a total ban on the use of nude models in all final‑year projects and threatened students with a grade of zero if they refused to comply. The decision sparked protests, a forceful student statement and fierce online debate, reigniting long‑running conflicts over morality, religion and artistic freedom in Syria.mimeta
Karbala’s Sanctity Law Closes Café
In March 2025, security forces closed the “Umm Kulthum” cultural café in Karbala under the city’s 2021 sanctity law solely because its name honoured the iconic singer Umm Kulthum. The case shows how religiously framed regulations are reshaping public space in Iraq, restricting cultural venues and pressuring owners to adopt an explicitly religious profile to avoid trouble.mimeta
Erbil’s Labubu Ban Blends Culture, Commerce
In July 2025, authorities in Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish region, banned the sale and distribution of Labubu collectible figures, citing misleading “blind box” marketing, consumer exploitation and possible psychological effects on children. The measure, presented as both consumer protection and cultural safeguarding, has sparked debate on child welfare, market regulation and the state’s role in controlling cultural products.mimeta
Deep Confessions at 100: Tunisia’s Mental Health Podcast Meets a Queer Backlash
When journalist Naouel Bizid invited trans activist and performer Khookha McQueer to episode 100 of the Deep Confessions podcast, a programme about mental health suddenly found itself on the front line of Tunisia’s culture war over queer visibility and freedom of expression. Reactions ranged from hate campaigns and boycott threats to strong defences of both the guest and editorial autonomy, showing how media platforms for care and conversation can be drawn into polarised identity politics.mimeta
In the Belly of the Whale: How a Migrant Testimony Play Was Silenced in Tunisia
A groundbreaking Tunisian–Croatian theatre production based on migrants’ testimonies filled venues and won enthusiastic reviews, but was then quietly shelved by the national theatre without explanation. The silent cancellation shows how state cultural institutions can use non‑decisions and a lack of communication to stop politically sensitive works without taking formal responsibility.mimeta
Co-directed with a Ghost: The Award-Winning Egyptian Film Audiences Were Not Allowed to See
At the 26th Ismailia International Documentary Film Festival, Mohammed Salah’s Co-directed with a Ghost won the prize for best film but was still denied public screening by Egyptian censors. The case exposes how opaque permit regimes can erase acclaimed productions from home audiences even when they receive international recognition.mimeta
Russia brands Pussy Riot extremist
On 15 December 2025, a Moscow court declared the feminist punk collective Pussy Riot an “extremist organisation” and banned all activity related to the group throughout Russia after a closed hearing. The ruling dramatically expands criminal liability: it may now be punishable to refer to the group, share their music or display their symbols, including for past protests and online activity, and human rights organisations warn that the decision marks a new phase in Russia’s use of extremism laws to erase artistic dissent, cultural memory and political opposition.mimeta
PEN America Exposes School Censorship Crisis
PEN America’s new list of the 52 most censored books in US schools reveals a coordinated campaign against literature addressing race, gender, sexuality and state violence. With more than 22,000 documented book bans since 2021 across 45 states, censorship in education is becoming normalised, as prize‑winning classics and young adult titles are removed side by side, undermining artistic freedom, cultural rights and young people’s access to diverse stories.mimeta
Artists And Influencers Power Bulgaria’s Protests
The winter protests in Bulgaria against the contested 2026 state budget and deep corruption are driven not only by politics but by culture. Young demonstrators, many on the streets for the first time, are mobilised by artists, musicians and digital influencers who turn posts into concrete calls to action, and as actors and pop stars join marches and vloggers translate frustration into everyday language, culture becomes a key engine of collective action.mimeta
Iran: Narges Mohammadi Hospitalized After Violent Arrest
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi remains imprisoned after a violent arrest at a memorial in Mashhad, where security forces assaulted mourners and detained dozens. Mohammadi has twice been hospitalised with serious head and neck injuries from baton blows before being returned to custody despite grave pre‑existing health conditions, and the authorities have opened a new security case against her that includes accusations of “collaboration with Israel”, sparking acute concern for her health, safety and access to medical care.mimeta
Russia Blocks Roblox, Youth Outcry Grows
In December 2025, Russia blocked the Roblox platform, citing extremism and “LGBT propaganda”. For millions of children the platform is more than a game; it functions as a social and creative space, and the ban triggered tens of thousands of complaints to the Kremlin, protests in Tomsk and a broad debate on digital rights, highlighting how the authorities’ attempt to create a closed “Runet” now clashes with youth culture, creativity and online freedom of expression.mimeta
Jumana Manna, career with cancellations and controversy
The quiet cancellation of Jumana Manna’s solo exhibition at Heidelberger Kunstverein in 2023 has sparked new debates on artistic freedom, Palestine and the use of antisemitism frameworks in cultural institutions. Critics argue that the IHRA definitions risk conflating political criticism of Israel with antisemitism, thereby limiting Palestinian voices and prompting institutions to self‑censor, and Manna’s case exposes a practice of institutional caution and “risk management” while renewing calls for alternative standards such as the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.mimeta
Reda El Bahrawi and the boundaries of live performance in Egypt
The Egyptian Musicians’ Syndicate’s investigation into singer Reda El Bahrawi after his concert on the North Coast in July 2025 shows how the union is gaining ever greater control over live performances. With only vague references to undefined “violations”, the case raises questions about transparency, due process and how discretionary cultural regulation affects artistic freedom, and many see the proceedings as part of a wider pattern in which licensing systems and disciplinary cases are used to punish artists who do not follow the authorities’ moral and political line.mimeta
Egypt star’s YouTube hit becomes crime
Mohamed Ramadan faces up to two years in prison for releasing the hit “Number One, you halves” without obtaining the necessary censorship approvals, extending state control to music published on global platforms such as YouTube. The conviction, not yet enforced, sends a powerful signal to high‑profile artists at a time when the authorities are tightening oversight of digital creativity and making the boundary between stardom and criminalisation increasingly blurred.mimeta
Iranian, Parastoo Ahmad, stages hijab‑free “imaginary concert”
Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi, 27, staged a bold hijab‑free “imaginary concert” in a historic caravanserai, livestreamed on YouTube without a physical audience but watched by thousands. In a sleeveless dress and without covered hair, she performed with three male musicians, directly challenging Iran’s ban on women singing in public, and within 24 hours the judiciary announced that a case had been opened against her, turning a single virtual concert into a high‑risk test of artistic freedom.mimeta
Tunisia: Chaima Issa Arrested After Court Upholds 20-Year Sentence
Poet and opposition leader Chaima Issa has become a central symbol of Tunisia’s shrinking civic space. She was arrested on 29 November during a women’s protest in Tunis and is now serving a 20‑year sentence in the politically motivated “conspiracy case”, while on hunger strike in Manouba prison, using her own body as a last means of protest to draw attention to President Kais Saied’s increasingly authoritarian course and the high cost for those who fight for democracy and rights.mimeta
Sudan: 55 artists killed since 2023
A new report brings brutal clarity to Sudan’s ongoing war, confirming that more than fifty‑five artists have been killed since fighting began in 2023. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) published the findings in its report Tears of Guitars on 26 November, the first verified overview of cultural losses in the conflict, painting a shocking picture of how Sudan’s artistic community – once a backbone of social identity and resilience – has become a deliberate target in a war marked by fragmentation, impunity and struggles over national memory.mimeta
Uganda: when the soundtrack of protest is silenced
As Uganda approaches the 2026 elections, opposition‑aligned musicians are being drawn into an increasingly harsh crackdown that includes arbitrary arrests, siege‑like house arrest and live ammunition used at political events. From repeated police cordons around Bobi Wine’s home to the arrest of Nubian Li and the shooting at Omukunja Atasera, the state is treating music as a security threat rather than a space for artistic expression.mimeta
Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado’s double freedom image
María Corina Machado is celebrated as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a symbol of resistance to Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule, but her closest international allies are not in centrist politics. Instead, she is closely aligned with a hard transnational right anchored in Washington, Madrid, Rome and Jerusalem, shaping what “freedom” means in and beyond Venezuela, and Mimeta analyses how these alliances influence understandings of democracy, sanctions and geostrategy around the Venezuelan opposition project.mimeta
Censorship, Threats and Protest in Ecuador Under President Daniel Noboa
While President Daniel Noboa attends the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Ecuador’s cultural sphere is coming under increasing pressure at home. From the cancellation of a political cartoon exhibition in Quito to direct threats against the installation “Son de las Malvinas” at the Cuenca Biennial, artists face censorship, intimidation and growing self‑censorship alongside heavy‑handed policing of demonstrations, media shutdowns and a shrinking civic space, making artistic protest ever more risky.mimeta
Paraguay’s quiet crackdown on art and dissent
While President Santiago Peña appears as a guest at the Nobel Peace Prize, a darker reality is unfolding at home. Paraguay’s independent arts scene faces mounting pressure through vandalism, court rulings and moral panic, and from the violent destruction of Ruth Flores’ work to the criminal conviction of the head of the cultural centre La Chispa, artists and cultural workers are paying the price for defending dissent, diversity and free expression.mimeta
Chinese censorship crisis: the Yu Menglong case
Chinese actor Yu Menglong, 37, died in Beijing on 11 September 2025. His death was officially declared an accident, but online speculation has triggered debate in both China and Taiwan, and attempts to stifle discussion at home have clashed with conversations in the diaspora and international media, exposing tensions between the Chinese authorities’ narrative control and cross‑border media scrutiny and showing the limits of digital censorship, the strength of global fan communities and the complexity of information warfare in a highly politicised media landscape.mimeta
Palestinian Filmmaker Abdallah Motan Detained Indefinitely?
Palestinian documentary filmmaker Abdallah Motan has been held in Israeli administrative detention since January 2025 without charge or trial. Known for films including Deferred Reclaim, he has become a symbol of the repression of Palestinian cultural workers as festivals and organisations worldwide call for his release, and the lack of clear information about his status underscores deep problems around freedom of expression, due process and artists’ rights under occupation.mimeta
Early December: A real face to US Free Speech Policy
The Trump administration’s policies in December 2025, visa restrictions targeting content moderators, attacks on European platform regulation and support for nationalist movements, sketch a picture of a coordinated strategy in which “free speech” is used as a political weapon. These moves weaken platform accountability, undermine international cooperation and threaten the democratic infrastructure that protects artistic expression and research worldwide.mimeta
Art and Culture as Resistance, The Sahrawi “Second Front”
In Western Sahara, art is not decoration but defiance. From refugee camps where film festivals replace embassies, to occupied cities where poems and cameras lead to prison, Sahrawi culture has become a frontline of resistance. Through music, poetry, cinema, and the bodies of activists themselves, a stateless people wage a powerful struggle for visibility, memory, and self-determination. Against walls, prisons, and exile, culture becomes both shield and weapon in a war fought with words, images, and sound.
Analysis of Artistic Censorship Memos published by Mimeta in November 2025
From blasphemy accusations in Bangladesh to algorithmic suppression of Palestinian content, from the criminalization of artistic intention in Turkey to the chilling effect of vague laws in Peru—artistic freedom is no longer a niche issue. It's a barometer for democracy itself. The report shows that when governments arrest musicians for anti-war songs, prosecute filmmakers for planning documentaries, or shut down galleries and festivals, society loses not only cultural expression but also the capacity to challenge power, imagine alternatives, and hold authority accountable.
Iran Jails Panahi for “Propaganda” Again
Renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, 65, has been sentenced in absentia by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to one year in prison, a two‑year travel ban and a ban on political and social group membership for alleged “propaganda activities against the system.” The ruling comes as his Cannes‑winning film “It Was Just an Accident” garners major international awards and renews focus on Iran’s assault on artistic freedom.
Rapper Pause Flow Case Tests Free Expression in Marocco
Moroccan rapper Pause Flow is facing criminal prosecution in Sefrou over lyrics from nearly ten songs accused of insulting public officials and an organized body. After arrest and pre-trial detention, his potential release now depends on a high bail. The case has triggered national debate on artistic freedom, with fellow rappers and rights groups warning of rising pressure on critical voices in Morocco’s music scene.
Young Kurdish Singer Arrested in Iran
Iranian security forces arrested young Kurdish singer and cultural activist Asmar Hamidi during a raid on her family home in North Khorasan, transferring her to an undisclosed location without charges. Authorities later blocked her social media accounts, erasing her artistic platform. Her case reflects escalating pressure on women artists, Kurdish identity, and all who use culture for peaceful expression. Following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, musicians face intimidation and prosecution under vague security charges.
Syria in transition: error by a local employee not a policy decision
In August 2025, performances of the Malas brothers’ play All Naked, and You’re Doing Fine were abruptly halted in Tartus following their public criticism of ongoing abuses. While local reports described cancelled shows and suspended workshops, the Ministry of Culture denied issuing any ban, calling it a “misunderstanding.” Performances later resumed.
Saad Bouakba Arrest Shakes Algeria’s Press
The arrest of veteran Algerian journalist Saad Bouakba has reignited debate over shrinking space for free expression in Algeria. Detained after remarks on alleged historical financial misconduct linked to the FLN, Bouakba now faces charges of defamation and insulting state symbols. His case highlights the growing criminalization of dissent, the fragility of historical debate, and the mounting risks faced by journalists, artists, and commentators who challenge official narratives.
