A Conversation about Freedom of Expression in Germany and beyond with UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan

Please note:

• Participation is by prior registration only and requires individual sign-up per email to florian.murphy@fau.de  
• The event will not be recorded by the organisers and audio, video, or photographic recordings are not permitted.

FAU CHREN and the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Foundation
present
A Conversation about Freedom of Expression in Germany and beyond
with UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan
Chair: Prof. Dr. Grażyna Baranowska
Discussants : tbc

Description

The freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic societies, enabling us to pursue knowledge, debate ideas, and challenge power without fear of censorship or retaliation. Yet around the world, this freedom is increasingly under pressure from state and non-state actors. Challenges include political interference and censorship, but also the pitfalls of mis-/ disinformation and hate speech in online and social media communication as well as the need to find solutions that protect the freedom of expression transnationally

As the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, noted after her country visit to Germany in February 2026 the freedom of expression is shrinking amidst growing threats, also in Germany.

Join us for a timely discussion with Irene Khan, as we explore current threats to freedom of expression in Germany and beyond. The conversation will bring together students and academics to consider how freedom of expression can be protected in an era of polarization and shrinking civic space. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a moderated Q&A following the discussion.

The event is made possible through Alexander von Humboldt Funding awarded to the Chair for Human Rights Law at FAU.

About the Speaker

Irene Khan was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression in June 2020 and is the first woman to hold this mandate. An internationally recognized advocate for human rights, gender equality and social justice, she was Secretary-General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009 and Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2010 to 2019. Ms. Khan is affiliated with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and has been Consulting Editor of the Daily Star, Bangladesh’s largest English newspaper.

About the event

❗ Recordings

Audio, video, or photographic recordings are not permitted.

 ☑️ Individual registration only

Please register to this event using by sending an email to Florian Murphy: florian.murphy@fau.de

Photo: https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-freedom-of-opinion-and-expression