Artistic freedom under attack in 2016

Musicians and promoters in 78 countries suffered at the hands of terror groups and repressive governments last year, with Iran, Turkey and Egypt the worst offenders

Amjad Sabri, the Sufi singer who was gunned down by Islamic extremists in June © Malik Rizwan

There were 86 ‘serious violations’ of artistic freedom in music, including murders, abductions and imprisonments, worldwide in 2016, as the global industry came under attack from terror and state repression.

The alarming statistics come courtesy of Copenhagen-based NGO Freemuse, whose 2016 Art Under Threat report, released today, reveals the music industry was once again the target of more serious violations than any other artform (film, dance, literature, theatre, visual arts and mixed/misc.), and second only to film in ‘overall violations’, which also includes non-violent…

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