German curator and arts manager Hella Mewis was abducted by unidentified armed men outside her office in central Baghdad.

ART UNDER THREAT IN 2016: WHAT DROVE VIOLATIONS The following section of the Art under Threat in 2016 report explores the issues and tendencies that drove governments and other groups to limit artistic expression. TABLE OF CONTENTS * Click on the following titles to be taken to that part of …

Filmmaker Moataz Abdel Wahab remains detained on charges of "membership in a terrorist group" and "publication and dissemination of fake news and false data".

ART UNDER THREAT IN 2016: EGYPT SERIOUS VIOLATIONS: 18 ACTS OF CENSORSHIP: 19 State censorship of the arts in the name of “protecting public morals and state interests” continues to stifle artistic freedom of expression in Egypt. Restrictions on art and literary works that address politics, sex and religion, remain …

Assala Nasri has been condemned by the Lybian authorities for showing the image of Omar Al-Mukhtar next to Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in her new music video.

ART UNDER THREAT IN 2016: IRAN SERIOUS VIOLATIONS: 30 ACTS OF CENSORSHIP: 9 Iran continues to intimidate, persecute, imprison and ban artists, cultural producers and publishers, bringing it up from the second country with the most serious violations in 2015 to first in 2016. In 2016, Freemuse registered 30 serious …

  In a country where public performances by women are forbidden, the internationally acclaimed Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat struggles to make her voice heard. She is an optimist, and remains hopeful that one day things will change. Directed by Kiarash AnvariLanguage: English and Persian. English subtitles. 16 minutes Iran. 2013 …

Egyptian filmmaker Sanaa Seif has been detained in Cairo after being forced into a minivan outside of Cairo’s General Prosecutors office on 23 June. Twitter posts from the artist’s sister Mona Seif appear to indicate that Sanaa remains detained.

  Documentary about a group of hip hop artists sharing a dream: To organise a professional concert. Unfortunately resistance is strong in their society and resources scare. With the help of an American filmmaker, they raised funding and created the first Hip Hop festival in Morocco. Co-Directed by Jennifer Needleman …

Iranian actress, Taraneh Alidoosti has been sentenced for sharing a video of morality police insulting and attacking a woman for not wearing a hijab.