IFEX Member Campaigns
Also available in
In an open letter to Skype, numerous journalists, activists and NGOs urge it to be more transparent about the confidentiality of Skype conversations and about its data protection and retention policies.
After more than 6 months without any judicial proceeding for some of the detainees, the Emirati nationals are accused of charges including “communicating with individuals and international and foreign entities and establishments based outside the State in order to distort the image of the State.”
In a letter to the US President, 40 human rights organisations called for US support to release 13 Bahrainis, unjustly jailed by the Bahraini government, one of the strongest allies of the US in the region.
Thirty IFEX members protested the sentencing of bloggers, citizen journalists and rights activists, jailed for up to 13 years in the biggest ever trial of pro-democracy activists in Vietnam.
Rights groups say European governments should now adopt a harmonised approach to control exports of the worst kinds of surveillance technologies.
Members of the Free Syrian Army have threatened to kill Ukrainian journalist Anhar Kochneva on 13 December 2012 if their demand for USD 50 million is not paid.
Nine human rights NGO's, including IFEX members Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and PEN American Center, came together to urge Uzbek President Islam Karimov to demonstrate a genuine commitment to Uzbekistan's much-touted reform process by including political prisoners in an anticipated amnesty for Constitution Day.
Radio Okapi was jammed after failing to submit its programme schedule to the Congolese High Council for Broadcasting and Communication (CSAC).
While welcoming moves to implement measures that guarantee media independence, IFEX-TMG calls on the Tunisian government to fully respect free expression in the new Constitution and put an end to attacks on journalists and artists.
Civil society delegates at a UN Inter-Agency meeting have agreed to support the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
President Mohamed Morsi now possesses authorities beyond those enjoyed by any president or monarch in Egypt’s modern history, say rights groups.
Somali journalists are working in extreme conflict zones with risks that include small arms and explosives attacks, as well as the ever-increasing possibility of murder or abduction.
The Media Coalition says the failure to implement Serbia's Media Strategy has enabled abuse of public funds with an aim to influence the media market and shut down critical voices.
Egyptian human rights organizations were recently excluded from participating in a meeting the President had with civil society groups.
Leading international rights organisations have called for the postponement of the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, pointing out that the Declaration risks creating a sub-standard level of human rights protection in the region.
In a joint statement, IFEX members in the European Union and its 'neighbourhood' states call upon authorities to protect freedom of expression in Greece.
Iran's authorities should end mistreatment of the prominent rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, say Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi and six human rights organizations.
MFWA welcomes the move by Gambian authorities to drop charges against two journalists for seeking permission to peacefully protest the execution of death row inmates, but calls for investigation into death threats against journalists.
A coalition of human rights organisations calls on President Bashar al-Assad to release all peaceful activists, media professionals, and humanitarian assistance providers as part of an amnesty announced on 23 October, and give independent monitors access to detention facilities.
More than 40 media organisations worldwide are demanding urgent action by governments, the UN, and the industry to stop violence against journalists and end impunity in attacks on the press.
Reporters Without Borders and Journalist in Danger wrote to the political coordinator of the M23 rebel movement, voicing concern about the dangers for journalists working in M23-controlled territory.
IFEX-TMG supports media strike in Tunisia on 17 October to protest media appointments and the failure to guarantee media freedom in the draft Constitution.
IFEX members have provided submissions for a number of countries up for review in the latest round of examinations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, a UN mechanism set up in 2006.
Free expression is under threat in Cameroon, according to a report submitted this week to the UN Human Rights Council by PEN International, Committee to Protect Journalists, and Internet Sans Frontières.
Over 40 IFEX members worldwide call for the new President of Somalia to help combat impunity in the killing of journalists, revise media laws and uphold UN and African resolutions to help protect journalists.
Reporters Without Borders and Journalist en Danger held a joint news conference in Kinshasa on the eve of the Francophonie summit to present their report on the state of freedom of information in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central Africa.
The human rights situation in Azerbaijan has deteriorated significantly and the state of freedom of expression in the country is alarming, says a coalition of NGOs.
While welcoming Tunisia’s acceptance of 110 of its 125 recommendations during a UN review last week, the IFEX-TMG calls on the country to implement them without delay and end the criminalisation of defamation.
26 September 2012
|
India
Over 30 human rights groups worldwide have appealed for charges to be dropped against two men charged with several offences after circulating a harmless cartoon on an internal mailing list.
Media groups stress that the harmful acts of a few - a hateful anti-Islam film, the vicious attacks it sparked - should not overwhelm the ability of people to be properly informed by the only institutions with a clear mandate to do so: the independent news media.
NGOs lobbying at the UN call for the release of human rights defenders, and to ensure that those who participate in Bahrain's UPR process do not face reprisals.
A coalition of human rights groups has called on the UAE to reveal activist Ahmed al-Suweidi's whereabouts and investigate torture allegations as list of political detainees grows to over 60.
Civil society groups have voiced concerns about proposals made by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that would threaten the openness of the Internet.
As trial proceeds, over forty IFEX members urge the Cambodian government to drop charges facing detained rights defender and broadcaster Mam Sonando.
Rights groups criticise High Court decision to uphold "politically motivated" sentences of 13 imprisoned human rights defenders and political leaders.
IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group protests government appointments at media outlets, as well as mounting attacks on journalists, writers and artists.
A group of 46 human rights organisations led by IFEX calls on member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge Bahrain to release human rights defenders and peaceful opposition activists.
As Tunisia's Constituent Assembly prepares to review a draft Constitution, the IFEX-TMG expresses its concern about a draft proposal to regulate the media, as well as prison sentences for religious reasons.
When asked about her work, the counsel often explains that FFFJ was organised to find ways to counter the culture of impunity surrounding media killings.
In an open letter to the foreign secretary, rights organisations point to the intimidation campaign against peaceful political activists.
On the eve of President Alassane Ouattara's first state visit to France, RSF congratulates him on making necessary improvements but says that much more still needs to be done.
In 2011, Intigam Aliyev was arrested at the Istanbul airport, beaten by guards and deported to Azerbaijan; six months later he learned that Turkish officials had opened a case against him.
RSF, through a live tweet application, is bringing to life the experiences of people who find ways of circulating information in the midst of danger.
Privacy International is pressuring the government to ban exports of British surveillance technologies to regimes that routinely engage in internal repression and serious human rights abuses.
ARTICLE 19 is concerned over a spate of assaults on and threats against journalists and is calling on the authorities to take immediate action to protect them.
The declaration identifies criminal defamation and 'insult' laws as among the most severe obstacles to the future of the independent press in Africa.
The 12 July raid of opposition broadcaster TVi's offices and the interruption of its programming is yet another violation of the station's freedom of expression.
PEN International is among 22 organisations signing onto an open letter that protests against draft legislation that would characterise any NGOs involved in political activities as “foreign agents”‘.
The US secretary of state should press Vietnam to tear down its web firewall and release imprisoned bloggers, said Human Rights Watch.
This report,
Spring into Winter? Fragile achievements and exceptional challenges for Tunisian free expression defenders, outlines the status of freedom of expression and association as well as the independence of the judiciary.
On the first anniversary of its independence, South Sudan should address impunity, release unlawfully detained prisoners and guarantee freedom of speech, says a new report by Human Rights Watch.
IFEX-TMG is deeply concerned by the prevailing uncertainty and obstruction that have led the independent media body, INRIC, to close its doors; in addition to a smear campaign against INRIC and its President.
The Forum of Independent Egyptian Human Rights Organizations launched a campaign to evaluate the performance of the president-elect during his first 100 days in office on human rights issues, including freedom of expression.
There has been a disturbing accumulation of incidents and isolated acts of repression or intimidation that end up undermining the climate in which journalists and media operate, RSF said.
A joint press release by 53 European and International organisations is urging Members of European Parliament to reject ACTA and engage in positive reform of copyright and patents.
A series of actions commemorating writers and journalists killed in recent years as part of PEN International's focus on Killings with Impunity in 2012.
President Aquino has not fulfilled his promises to hold accountable security forces implicated in abuses that include the torture, enforced disappearance and killing of activists and journalists.
This is shaping up to be the deadliest year for journalists since IPI began keeping records 15 years ago, with a total of 72 journalists already having lost their lives in 2012, including 20 reporters and citizen journalists who died covering the conflict in Syria.
The meeting drew attention to key issues that are relevant to how the media can function more effectively in the nascent democracy.
Press freedom and human rights groups condemn politicised trial.
The ministers agreed with IPI that journalists shouldn't go to prison for defamation, noting that there other ways of dealing (with this issue rather) than using criminal courts.
IFEX-TMG alarmed by the recent attacks on freedom of expression, in particular against artistic expression, in the name of religion, including seizure of paintings.
International experts mandated by the UN, AU, OAS and OSCE will call for governments to create a new category of crime against free expression in response to increasing attacks against journalists, human rights defenders and others.
Rights groups organised a national conference in Accra to intensify their long campaign for passage into law of the long-delayed bill.
Representatives of key stakeholders met to develop strategies and action plans for effective implementation of the country's FOI Act.
SEAPA welcomed the AICHR's decision to organise a regional consultation on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration with civil society in the region.
Over 80 groups around the world call on the authorities to free human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers and writers, some of whom have been detained incommunicado; and request help from UN Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.
RSF is marking World Refugee Day with an updated version of its guide for journalists who are forced to flee into exile.
The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on free expression both issued reports urging state and non-state actors to secure journalists’ rights by implementing and monitoring international human rights law.
Arbitrary arrests and other forms of intimidation have become the order of the day for Somaliland's press, CPJ reports.
A CPJ delegation met with Muktar Djumaliyev yesterday to discuss the findings of a new report that documents the flawed judicial process that led to journalist Azimjon Askarov's 2010 conviction.
Secretary Clinton was urged to address the fact that two Indian journalists remain in jail on anti-state charges.
In a two-hour meeting, the delegation expressed concern about continuing prosecutions of journalists, particularly under the 2009 anti-terrorism statute, which independent publishers and reporters say has a chilling effect on Ethiopia's small private media sector.
Human rights defenders, activists, journalists, doctors and lawyers who attended Bahrain UPR events in Geneva in May with IFEX members and partners have been threatened for speaking out about violations.
Before you go, there are a few things the IFJ wants you to know about Ukraine's approach to media freedoms.
The rights group is warning that a ban on "homosexual propaganda" in St. Petersburg is so broad that a person displaying a rainbow flag, wearing a T-shirt with a gay-friendly logo or holding a LGBT-themed rally could be prosecuted.
IRFS believes the amendments, which prevent citizens and journalists from obtaining financial information about Azerbaijani companies, was introduced because reporters and NGOs uncovered links between local businesses and family members of prominent politicians.
In Azerbaijan, journalists are threatened, attacked and killed with impunity. This must change, says IRFS.
On the occasion of the Russian president's European tour, RSF and international activists staged protests to draw attention to Russia's poor human rights record.
A new report on the risks to Nepal's media should remind political parties that peace and stability are not prerequisites to media freedom but rather that a strong, independent press operating without fear is a requirement for a healthy civil society.
IFEX-ALC members respectfully suggest to our respective governments to ensure that the process of strengthening the Inter-American system does not result in a reduction in the impact in the region of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression.
The interior minister to release all Emergency Law detainees or refer them to prosecutors to be charged, and ask the public prosecutor to transfer all Emergency State Security Court (ESSC) trials to regular civilian courts, says Human Rights Watch.
ARTICLE 19 has called for the UN member states to raise concerns to the Philippines regarding violence against individuals exercising free speech and the culture of impunity, the absence of a right-to-information law, and the use of criminal defamation laws to silence critics.
Among the issues examined at last week's debate on the safety of journalists at the 12th Doha Forum was the strengthening of national laws to end impunity.
In an open letter to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, IPI raised the cases of six journalists currently imprisoned in his country and urged the president to move forward on decriminalising defamation in Azerbaijan.
Ahead of a court of appeal hearing on 28 May, IFEX-TMG urges judiciary to quash the seven-year prison terms handed down to Ghazi Ben Mohamed Beji and Jaber Ben Abdallah Majri for online publishing.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government downplays food crises by denying journalists access to sensitive areas and censoring independent coverage.
President Asif Ali Zardari should not sign the bill until it is revised to authorise investigations of the military and the intelligence agencies for human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said.
Journalists and broadcasters descending upon Baku to report on Eurovision should also focus the media spotlight on the host’s treatment of their Azeri colleagues, says IFJ secretary-general.
Seventeen states from the Americas, Europe and Asia suggested that the Ecuadorian government should respect and guarantee the freedoms of the press and of expression in the country.
ARTICLE 19 has called on the UN member states to urge the authorities to commit to preventing harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, stop controlling and censoring the media, increase internet freedom and end violations of the right to peaceful protest.
The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan's website examines the alarming freedom of expression situation in Azerbaijan, where journalists and others face blackmail, intimidation, violence, and imprisonment for expressing critical views.
The law on parity constitutes an integral part of the legal framework of Senegal, one of the most protective and progressive laws on women’s rights.
UPDATE: The president of IFEX member Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Nabeel Rajab, was re-arrested and sentenced to three years in prison on 16 August. Many other human rights defenders remain in prison, including BCHR's founder Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and his daughter, Zainab Al-Khawaja.
Preparations are under way for the World Conference on International Telecommunications, which will be held in Dubai in December 2012. Civil society groups say the process so far has not been transparent and are calling for greater involvement.
On 18 April, journalist Idrak Abbasov was brutally attacked while he reported on the demolition of houses in his village. Rebecca Vincent recently visited him at his home outside Baku.
Members of the band who have not yet been arrested are now in hiding, but they responded to interview questions by email.
Founded and published by Belarusian journalist Iryna Vidanava, the magazine is a revived multimedia version of
Studentskaya Dumka, a banned, Belarusian-language youth magazine.
In a video, victims and their family members from both sides demand justice and tell Human Rights Watch that the failure to investigate and prosecute those responsible for abuses during the 2010 violence would lead to a cycle of violence and impunity.
UN members states should push for the adoption of specific measures to ensure free expression and accountability for abuses, said Human Rights Watch.
The winners are Ali Ferzat from Syria and Aseem Trivedi from India.
The bill, which will curb aggressive libel lawsuits and protect free expression for journalists, writers and scientists, is the first wholesale attempt at reform since 1843.
The AMARC regional coordinator mentioned the lack of proper enabling legislation as the single principal barrier to community radio sustainability and called for a fair, open, transparent, and efficient process of awarding and regulating broadcasting licences for community radios.
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the inclusion by the Special Rapporteur in her agenda of future activities of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa.
Panelists stressed that cooperation with local media, as well as publicity and advocacy efforts are key means to end attacks against journalists.
The new Constitution is on the verge of being drafted and ARTICLE 19 has produced a comprehensive policy brief outlining how the new Constitution should protect the right to freedom of expression and freedom of information In order to support the forthcoming work of the drafters.
CPJ data show that the country has been ranked the deadliest in the world for journalists for two consecutive years.
Amid divisive ideas and political ideologies that have led to the use of violence, the local media are now having difficulties, as several conflicting political parties have started their own media businesses including newspapers, satellite-broadcast televisions and social media.
The AMH publisher was presented the award for continuing to provide platforms and access to critical alternative views and ideas on Zimbabwe's socio-economic and political issues.
A joint campaign initiated by Iranian and international student and rights groups calls for the unconditional and immediate release of the 32 students in prison on various national security-related charges.
PFUJ and IFJ deployed four missions to assess the situation on the ground in some of the most dangerous and under-reported provinces in the country - Balochistan, Interior Sindh, the Khyber-FATA region and Punjab.
On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the EBU held a workshop in Geneva on media freedom in Azerbaijan but failed to use the opportunity to call the government to task and to speak out about Azerbaijan’s abysmal record on freedom of expression.
The last year has seen tumultuous shifts for media freedom. But core problems still remain in the world’s troublespots, says Index on Censorship's news editor, Padraig Reidy.
One of the most troubling trends today in many countries is the use of technological advancements to imprison for long terms not only cartoonists, but also non-media individuals who do nothing more than post a cartoon on a blog or Facebook page, says CRNI.
On World Press Freedom Day 2012, the Centre for Independent Journalism renews its call to the people to reclaim their right to a media that can play its role of bearing witness and informing society.
MRA has uploaded five videos in which the group talks briefly on the significance of World Press Freedom Day in Nigeria.
SEEMO noted that a number of journalists' murders remain unsolved and the media face ongoing physical and verbal threats, especially during pre-election periods.
"If we value press freedom, we all need to take a closer look at the state of these rights here at home. When we look beyond the words of the Charter to the daily reality for working journalists, we see a gradual erosion of freedoms. And our government is a contributing factor, " said CJFE.
The resolution calls on authorities and armed groups to end ongoing violations against journalists, media practitioners and organisations.
Jailings, smear campaigns, trumped-up charges against journalists and unsolved murders: the free expression situation in Azerbaijan
Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie issued a statement to commemorate the day.
The new work includes a literary anthology edited by the president of PEN Tunisia Naziha Rejiba, a training manual on online advocacy, a workshop for cartoonists, and a national newspaper and billboard campaign championing free expression rights as Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly continues to negotiate a new national constitution.
The site calls attention to three major issues: the rampant killing of journalists which demonstrate the prevailing culture of impunity in the Philippines; the use of criminal libel to stifle dissent; and the failure to pass a freedom of information law.
SEAPA marks World Press Freedom Day with the release of 10 country reports on the situation of press freedom in the region.
AJI stated that the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2012 has to be the drive for law enforcers to end the practice of impunity that benefits journalists' killers.
The workshop included theoretical, technical, and practical training on blogging, social networks, photography, and filming in support of freedom of expression.
ARTICLE 19 calls on the government to make use of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event held in Tunis as a golden opportunity to advance the media reform package.
A minute of silence before a WPFD Editors Forum will honour the late Yehiura Hriehwazi, one of Papua New Guinea's leading journalists, who died suddenly on 8 January 2012.
Bangladeshi journalist Abu Sufian's blog is the jury choice in the "RSF category" of this year's BOBs.
"Though we have generally escaped the worst impacts of impunity, violence and official aggression, Caribbean social communicators and journalists have not eluded the potentially muting impacts of self-censorship, unenlightened regulation and challenging economic, social and political circumstances," said ACM.
To mark World Press Freedom Day, RSF has also named new six members to its infamous list of press freedom predators.
For Palestinian journalists, the day highlights the daily challenges they face, with increasing violations against media freedoms by the Israeli forces and Palestinian parties in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The US recently missed a key opportunity to engage publicly with the Philippine military about the need to end impunity for serious human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch notes.
The current treaties, action plans and standards to protect journalists aren't working, says IPI. It's time we looked at other means to keep our reporters safe.
"We are witnessing unprecedented levels of criminal litigation against journalists in many countries. Governments must repeal criminal defamation laws and review anti-terror laws, which represent a major obstacle to genuine press freedom,” said IFJ.
WAN-IFRA releases exclusive interviews, photos and materials about the importance of press freedom and the risks facing professional and citizen journalists.
As part of the IFJ's Turkish campaign, the organisation has encouraged its affiliates to "adopt" a journalist in prison. This involves following news on the journalist's case, corresponding with the journalist in jail, and highlighting the case to other members.
These rights are persistently denied by repressive regimes often in collusion, implicit or otherwise, with powerful non-state players.
IAPA voices concerns on the direct and subtle economic, legal, and judicial means used against the news media in a number of countries in the region that result in prior restraint and self-censorship, harming not only the news media itself, but most importantly, weakening the public’s right to receive information.
Examining issues including privacy and anonymity on the Internet, cyber surveillance, whistleblowers, access to information, and collaborative journalism, CJFE's third annual Review of Free Expression in Canada provides an overview of issues facing Canadians from coast to coast.
"This workshop has demonstrated clearly that in Tunisia editorial cartoonists will be on the cutting edge of free speech," said CRNI Executive Director Robert Russell.
MFWA notes with special concern the harrowing experience of media rights defenders in countries like Guinea Bissau and Mali who have had to perform their duties under harsh conditions imposed as a result of the recent coups in both countries.
World Press Freedom Day will be commemorated on 3 May 2012 in Indonesia with the theme "Against Impunity - Put Killers of Journalists on Trial."
When Congress re-convenes on 7 May it will be discussing a Freedom of Information (FOI) bill that, while not perfect, is generally acceptable to the media and civil society groups that have been working for the passage of an FOI act since the 1990s.
Nearly 200 journalists gathered to hear the much-anticipated findings of the organisation charged with designing a “gold standard” regulatory system for print media.
Even in so-called progressive countries like South Africa, MISA has witnessed deliberate assaults on journalists, media practitioners and media houses.
A new trend in Indonesia is the use of criminal defamation laws targeting religious minorities, Human Rights Watch has found.
The resolution recognizes the role a free press plays within California and throughout the world in sustaining and monitoring democracy, contributing to greater accountability in government, and promoting civic participation and economic development.
"The majority of Mexican journalists have become war correspondents in their own country ever since President Felipe Calderón launched his war against drug trafficking and the battles spilled out into the streets," says Turati.
The Specialized Criminal Court, set up in 2008 to try terrorism cases, is increasingly used to try peaceful dissidents and rights activists on politicized charges and in proceedings that violate the right to a fair trial and the rights to freedom of expression.
On 1 May, jailed journalist Eskinder Nega, facing the death penalty, receives in absentia the 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Thirty-two IFEX members are calling for his release, and an end to the use of national security legislation against all writers and journalists.
In Somalia, a nation of ever-shifting fortunes, the first few months of 2012 have been particularly deadly for the media.
"Instead of bowing to tyranny, I decided to stand brave and firm", said this award-winning journalist.
The interactive guide covers topics such as protecting digital information, preparing for armed conflict, covering organised crime and corruption, and mitigating the risk of sexual violence.
Twenty-seven IFEX members appeal for end to impunity in recent brutal attacks on journalists in Kazakhstan, including near-fatal attack on Luqpan Akhmedyarov in April.
Vietnam should be urged to release all political prisoners and to end restrictions on the freedoms of expression, association, peaceful assembly, belief, and religion when the two sides meet for their annual bilateral human rights dialogue, Human Rights Watch said.
The plan, which is promoted by UNESCO, calls for governments and inter-governmental agencies to create a free and safe environment for media workers in both conflict and non-conflict zones.
The APAI working group called on the Commission to recognise 28 September as International Right to Know Day.
As the month-long campaign "Open the doors! We have the right to know" comes to a close, RSF and its partners attempt to shine a light on the conditions of migrants in detention facilities across Europe.
Nineteen rights organisations condemn the ongoing secret detention of Mazen Darwish and four of his colleagues from the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, after seven of their colleagues and one visitor began trial under the military penal code.
Renowned journalists call for an end to the persecution of journalists in Ethiopia.
IPA is sending a letter to Canadian ministers about proposed legislation that poses a serious threat to educational publishing and creativity in general.
The workshop, organised by ANHRI and the Tunisian Center for Freedom of the Press, included practical training on new media and social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Flickr) and techniques of live broadcasts using mobile devices in addition to using the Internet to design campaigns.
Referring to the African Platform on Access to Information campaign initiated in 2011, MISA said access to information is a right that many African citizens were still struggling to realise.
In advance of the Formula 1, 50 IFEX members and partners call for detained activists and human rights defenders to be freed, including blogger and activist Abduljalil Al-Singace and human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, founder of IFEX member the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, who is ailing in prison since starting a hunger strike on 8 February.
The decision to go ahead with the Grand Prix on April 22, 2012, gives the country's rulers the opportunity they are seeking to obscure the seriousness of the country’s human rights situation, says Human Rights Watch.
Nega, who was arrested in September 2011, is being tried under the country's sweeping anti-terror legislation and faces the death penalty if convicted.
The IFEX-TMG is alarmed at attacks and prison sentences based on religious morality charges, as well as the use of force by police on demonstrators.
The International Fact Finding and Advocacy Media Mission to Nepal has finished its review of specific provisions from the country's draft constitution that the Constituent Assembly will finalize by 28 May.
The participants pointed to cases in Mexico, Pakistan and Russia to highlight the urgent need for effective government measures to protect journalists worldwide.
The campaign includes suggestions for a strategy of targeted sanctions against the regime and a need to reach out to and engage civil society.
An open letter by 44 organisations calls Iraq's proposed Information Technology Crimes law a threat to the fundamental freedoms necessary for the evolution of free speech and a vibrant press. The law will come to vote in the Iraqi Council of Representatives in April.
Representatives from several rights organisations welcomed a law guaranteeing access to information and the establishment of a presidential interagency working group on media freedom, but expressed concerns about impunity, lack of media independence and an environment of corruption and lack of transparency in general.
A letter by the coalition comes as a follow up to a verbal commitment by the Secretary IT that the plan for a national URL filtering and blocking system, announced earlier this year, has been withdrawn.
During a conference on media development, ARTICLE 19's executive director spoke about the place of freedom of expression / media laws and legal reforms in the country's democratisation process.
Among the demands expressed by the rights organisations is the immediate release of human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, whose health is severely compromised after 50 days of hunger strike.
Mendez was urged to intervene on behalf of radio journalist Farah Abadid Hildid, who works for the Europe-based station
La Voix de Djibouti.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights imposes legally binding obligations on states to respect a number of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression.
Uri Blau faces charges under the country’s Espionage Act and seven years in prison over articles he wrote for the newspaper Haaretz using classified military documents passed to him by an Israeli conscript in 2009.
IFEX-ALC values the pardon granted by President Rafael Correa, exempting three directors of the daily "El Universo" and a former feature writer from a sentence of three years in prison and a US$40 million fine, and refraining from pursuing further judicial action against the authors of the book "El Gran Hermano".
The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, a coalition of international NGOs working to promote and protect freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, has condemned the blackmail and continued harassment of Ismayilova, one of the few independent investigative journalists working in the country.
SEAPA joined the Media Legal Defence Initiative and other human rights organisations in calling for the release of five bloggers arbitrarily detained for more than seven months.
A coalition of 200 NGOs from 27 countries is demanding that the UN Security Council immediately unite and pass a resolution calling on the government to bring an immediate end to its indiscriminate shelling and attacks on peaceful protesters.
In a recent UNESCO executive council meeting, several countries blocked RSF's promotion to associate NGO status and accused the organisation of "spying" and "activities on behalf of the US government" – accusations that RSF says are typical of repressive regimes and their supporters.
Following the release of four prominent journalists, IPA urges the Turkish authorities to also release publisher Ragip Zarakolu, who is being held on pre-trial detention and has not been allowed access to his lawyers.
It is over 120 days since the government pledged to implement 170 recommendations in the area of human rights during the review at the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva in October 2011, but Uganda still falls well short of implementation.
Nominees came from around the globe at the ceremony, from Russia to Syria to Brazil, China and beyond, a geographic diversity that reflects the growing impact of the Net.
"Although Canada does not face the same type of Internet blackouts or direct online censorship and takedowns as many other countries, this does not mean that we can be complacent, or that we do not have reason for concern," said CJFE.
CIHRS, ANHRI, EOHR, and other rights organisations applaud the Supreme Judicial Council for instigating an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case, and recommend that the findings of the investigation be made public.
Amid last year's events, many websites were reported blocked due to their reporting on casualties among protestors and uploading photos and videos of peaceful protests being brutally attacked by security forces.
Bahrain and Belarus have been added to the "Enemies of the Internet" category, and India and Kazakhstan have been classified as "countries under surveillance."
An 8 March decision by the executive board to change the controversial award's name and press UNESCO's Director General Irina Bokova to implement it was due to be formally adopted in a plenary session.
To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, MADA congratulates Palestinian women and women around the globe, especially journalists, on their accomplishments in all professional fields.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, MISA salutes and appreciates the efforts all women, especially the journalists, media professionals and media scholars who continue to make immense contributions to the growth and development of journalism and media in the Southern African region.
ARTICLE 19 has implemented a pilot project in Bangladesh on the issue of women's participation in the media, and has found evidence of gender-based discrimination and censorship.
IFEX-ALC calls for and invites the government to accept its responsibilities with respect to freedom of expression by accepting the UPR recommendations, and to comply with all international freedom of expression standards.
In an open letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, IPI asks him to speak out against the use of anti-terrorism legislation against media members.
The signatories noted that while President Obiang has offered to remove his name from the prize, this does not erase the concern that his US$3 million donation links him and the abuses of his government to UNESCO, thereby undercutting the organisation’s worthy mission.
"A clear policy of zero tolerance should be adopted by the international community and private companies concerning the cutting off of communications systems at anytime, for any reason," argued CIHRS.
At a side event held at the 19th session of the UNHRC in Geneva, NUSOJ, IFJ, ITUC and RSF highlighted attacks on journalists' rights and free expression, and exposed authorities' inability to prevent, investigate and punish perpetrators of crimes against journalists.
"The fact that Nedim Sener has been taken away from his family and locked up for a year on allegations that this journalism was a sham designed to protect those whose wrongdoing it exposed is both tragic and absurd," says IPI.
Fifty IFEX members and other rights groups call on the Bahrain authorities to release from prison human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, whose life is at risk since beginning a hunger strike on 8 February.
In Ghana, musicians have faced threats, insults and intimidation from opposing political party activists for composing songs for political parties of their choice during election campaigns.
The editor of "Monitor" press agency was murdered in Baku in 2005; the killers have not been brought to justice.
Mission delegates urged authorities to address the impunity related to attacks on, and killings of, journalists in the past 15 years, and to improve the legal framework affecting the media.
The Mexican journalist and writer said she was driven to focus on investigative journalism after the kidnapping and murder of her father in December 2000. Police investigators told the family that they were only willing to investigate the crime if the family paid them.
"We prompt the international community to remain alert of any attempt to take down or weaken a scheme for the protection of rights," said the organisation.
The mission concluded that quality journalism is scarce, competition between media outlets is fierce, and content is determined by media owners and powerful individuals.
The organisation feels that an immediate reaction is needed to stem the obstruction of journalists who want to cover the activities of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission.
The International Fact Finding and Advocacy Mission to Nepal visited the country from 23 to 27 February 2012 to assess the media freedom situation.
CIHRS is concerned that despite the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in some Arab states such as Egypt and Bahrain, the UN Human Rights Council did not set aside separate sessions for these countries on the agenda.
RSF has joined a campaign - launched by European Alternatives and Migreurop - aimed at claiming the right of citizens to know what happens in centres where migrants are held.
HRNJ-Uganda is shocked by the government's rejection of recommendations made to it during the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism to admit the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression to visit the country and assess the human rights situation.
Critics oppose President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's proposal to rename the award.
The new code of ethics is an outcome of the first phase of a media sector reform project undertaken by MFWA in partnership with IMS.
Human Rights Watch also urges the US Secretary of State to pressure authorities to free leading journalist Rachid Nini, who is serving a one-year sentence for articles he wrote.
Currently, five journalists in Serbia specialised in reporting on corruption have been given 24-hour police protection by the Ministry of the Interior but police have been unable to eliminate the sources of threat, which come mostly from mafia-like organisations.
Fundamedios believes that the sentence against "El Universo" will have calamitous consequences, not just for the exercise of the freedom of expression, but also for the effectiveness of democracy in Ecuador.
Mazen Darwish, as well as seven of his colleagues and a visitor, remain under arrest following a recent raid on the Damascus offices of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression.
In an letter to Prime Minister Harper, CJFE and their campaign partner organizations urge the government to implement a policy of transparent and timely communication to allow scientists to speak to the media.
IPI addressed an open letter to Dwayne Gibbs, Trinidad & Tobago’s Commissioner of Police, regarding recent intimidation tactics against journalists and media houses perpetrated by the police force.
![]()
The first incident involves the onerous, disproportionate and unjustified sentence handed down against journalists Juan Carlos Calderón and Christian Zurita, writers of the book "El Gran Hermano" (Big Brother), which highlights lucrative government contracts obtained by President Rafael Correa's brother.
The IFEX-TMG calls on the government to immediately pass the application decrees regarding the establishment of the HAICA – a regulatory body consisting of experts and representatives of all stakeholders to protect media against all forms of corruption and abuse.
For months the government has made token gestures rather than implement reforms that address the root causes of the grievances of the protestors, says Freedom House.
During his five-day visit, RSF's representative is due to meet with government officials, journalists and news media.
The proposed draft constitution explicitly guarantees not only media freedoms and access to information, but also protects journalists and their sources.
The day's goals are to raise awareness about the value of radio and encourage the development of sustainable community radio as a voice for marginalized members of society.
The plea demonstrated that national laws and international treaties should provide protection to Dawit Isaac and his detained colleagues.
The organisation will host mirror sites of the Sri Lankan online newspaper Lanka-e-News and the Chechen magazine Dosh.
IFJ issues its February 2012 bulletin on the state of press freedom in China.
As the Tunisian Internet Agency has neither the financial resources nor technical capacity to establish a filtering system, it did not comply with the August 2011 court decision and referred the case to the country’s highest appeal court.
Twenty-nine IFEX members have signed a letter to the Prosecutor General about the detention of editor Igor Vinyavsky, whose detention is believed to be politically motivated, calling for him to be released and for the evidence leading to his arrest to be made public.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee declared that the provisions of the country’s Revised Penal Code (RPC) penalizing libel as a criminal offense is “incompatible with Article 19, paragraph three of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)” to which the Philippines is a signatory.
BCHR demands that Bahrain's membership in the UNESCO IBE be frozen, and contingent on the authorities taking steps to put an end to the targeting of members of the education sector.
Because the new arms sale is being broken up into multiple small pieces, it does not fall under Congressional notification requirements and details do not have to be made public.
The delegation reaffirmed the necessity to enshrine the right to freedom of expression in the future constitution, to guarantee press freedom and the independence of public service media.
The Arab world was the motor of history in 2011 but the Arab uprisings have had contrasting political outcomes so far, with Tunisia and Bahrain at opposite ends of the scale.
The conference participants agreed to submit to the UN General Assembly recommendations for the enforcement of legal instruments that bind national authorities to prevent and punish violence against journalists.
The campaign is a response to the attacks on the media that have occurred in the month of January in the past three years, and the failure of the government of Sri Lanka to bring to account those responsible for attacks on numerous journalists.
in the course of its observations and the interviews it conducted during its visit, RSF confirmed that freedom of expression has been on the wane for some time.
Member organisations of the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA) are deeply concerned by the continued politically motivated imprisonment of persons for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
The WAN-IFRA report reveals that the Ecuadorean government is "establishing a strict control over all arenas of public debate, while couching this in a debate centred around media plurality".
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member states are meeting in Geneva this week to adopt decisions about the agency’s future and about the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) worldwide.
Iranian journalist, blogger and activist Asieh Amini was one of six writers who received the awards in a ceremony in The Hague as part of the Writers Unlimited Winter Nights Festival.
Journalists U Zeya and Sithu Zeya, and blogger Nay Phone Latt, all of whom were released from jail on 13 January, discuss their prison experiences.
A report from a six-member mission of international organisations to Bahrain last November called out Bahraini authorities for failing to deliver on promises of reform, with rights violations continuing on a daily basis and rights activists jailed for life.
Authorities promised to restore press freedom in the country and guarantee the safety of journalists, and assured journalists’ leaders and the IFJ that the government will review the restrictions on media, including the ban on Al Jazeera and the "Al Ayyan" newspaper.
The committee noted that Rohde and his colleagues frequently reported “under perilous conditions”, a statement given further weight when it was revealed months later that Rohde, at the time of the award, was again being held in captivity.
On the anniversary of the revolution, IFEX-TMG urges the Tunisian government to revoke controversial appointments giving media personnel close to the deposed President key posts in the public service media, and further calls for an end to attacks on journalists.
While some progress has been made as regards drafting legislation and creating new media, RSF is concerned to see an increase in pressure on journalists and media.
With the backdrop of a simulated beach in Paris' main shopping area, RSF activists drew residents’ attention to the lack of freedom of information in popular tourist destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and Mexico.
A signature campaign launched by more than one hundred academics is opposing attempts to recognise universities as public places where the Internet may be filtered.
EU officials should use a 12 January dialogue in Hanoi to press for progress in the area of respecting freedom of speech and association and releasing dissidents detained for exercising those rights, says Human Rights Watch.
The sweeping measure could result in impunity for serious international crimes such as deadly attacks on anti-government demonstrators in 2011, says Human Rights Watch.
IFEX-TMG calls on authorities to do more to stop attacks on freedom of expression.
The IFEX-ALC calls on members of the OAS Permanent Council, who will meet on 25 January 2012, to withdraw three specific recommendations proposed by a Special Working Group, which if approved could restrict the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression.
The video shows Siri, whose answers to queries are not always relevant, being completely stumped by questions about current events in Syria because of the government’s news blackout.
The organisation is deeply troubled by the arrests especially given allegations that a recent CPJ report may have emboldened the government to take action.
In a letter to Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim al-Keib, CPJ expressed concern about the difficulties that many foreign journalists have been experiencing in obtaining a visa to the country.
Since the December 2010 presidential elections, an unprecedented wave of repression was unleashed, with the Belarusian KGB detaining and interrogating opposition activists, journalists, protesters and human rights defenders.
IFEX-TMG meeting in Tunis on 12 and 13 December brought together journalists, bloggers, civil society, lawyers and academics to make recommendations on the realities and challenges of reforming the media sector.
In an open letter to President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, CPJ expresses its concern about the unrelenting violence against the local press.
ARTICLE 19 and the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) held their first one-day meeting to share experiences of addressing violence against journalists, exchange best practices and strategies on protection, and learn from each other.
During her first official visit to Turkey, Dunja Mijatovic participated in a panel discussion entitled "Turkey and Freedom of Expression", organised by the Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences.
RSF asked Manirakiza about the situation of journalists in Burundi, which has worsened markedly this year, and about the government's increasing harassment of the media.
in an open letter, CPJ urges the Syrian government to end the harassment and intimidation of journalists and to disclose the names, health status, and location of all the journalists in prison.
The Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations warned of a progressive loss of fundamental rights in Ecuador, stressed the importance of the Inter-American system, and urged governments to combat physical violence against journalists and impunity.
As the Russian Union of Journalists prepares to host its annual commemoration of journalists who have died in the course of their work, IFJ expressed solidarity with its colleagues.
A MADA representative stressed the need for urgent international intervention to end violations against journalists and media institutions.
The organisation has written to the prime minister, bringing to his attention 35 cases of journalists who were attacked when protesters clashed with the military and police.
On the one-year anniversary of the amendments to the law, ARTICLE 19's analysis concludes that the law places illegitimate restrictions on freedom of expression and information.
Thomas Hammarberg highlighted the role media plays in exposing human rights violations and in offering an arena for different voices to be heard in public discourse.
Ali Ferzat was chosen as 2011 Journalist of the Year for his commitment to defending media freedom, while "Weekly Eleven News" was honoured with the Media of the Year prize for daring to run stories on subjects regarded as sensitive by Burmese authorities.
The forum will be held in Mexico City on the 63rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
MADA General Director Mousa Rimawi stated that the network would focus on media freedoms in the Arab world and will work towards compiling clearly defined legislation protecting freedom of opinion and expression to be applied in new laws and constitutions.
Julio Chaparro and Jorge Torres were killed on April 24, 1991 in Segovia, where they had been sent by their newspaper, El Espectador of Bogotá, to cover the consequences of a massacre there two years earlier, in which 43 people died.
Agenda and invitation to attend the IFEX-TMG Freedom of Expression Conference in Tunisia on 12 and 13 December in Tunis.
In adopting the declaration, the OSCE and its participating states will take a leading role in recognizing that human rights and fundamental freedoms do not change with new technologies and that they extend into the Digital Age.
On the fifth anniversary of the coup d'etat by Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, the military government is continuing its aggressive attacks on free speech and critics of the regime.
Khalil Khudaiberdiyev says he learned of the government's case against him from reports in the press when he was outside the country.
ANHRI, Tunisian lawyer Radhia Nasraoui and Syrian activist Mazen Darwish were honoured for their stand against dictatorships and their support for the revolutions of the Arab Spring.
Never before have Afghans had so much free access to information provided by their own compatriots. However, these gains are under daily threat, say RSF and Afghan organisations.
The authorities should conduct an independent judicial review of the arrests and trial of five activists, says coalition of seven IFEX members and partners after sustained campaign leading to their release on 28 November.
Six groups, including three IFEX members visited Bahrain this past week to investigate freedom of expression, and attended the launch of reports by human rights groups and an independent commission of inquiry.
The organisation is concerned about provisions that do not comply with international standards on freedom of expression, especially those relating to criminal defamation, protection of national security, access to reproductive health information and genocide ideology.
Peaceful, unarmed protestors were met with excessive force by police and soldiers of the armed forces, leading to the deaths of dozens of protesters and the injury of more than 3000 others.
Participants called for the progressive review of the Liberian FOI law and appealed for the decentralisation of the complaint and appeal channels in the event of refusal to disclose information.
Rafiq Tagi died in Baku on 23 November from the injuries he sustained during a brutal knife attack four days earlier.
Five IFEX members and other organisations called on the Council to consider the findings of the Syrian Commission of Inquiry and ensure accountability for attacks on peaceful protesters.
The mission, on a visit to Turkey from 22-24 November to witness the deteriorating state of press freedom in the country, denounced the fact that 64 journalists are still in jail.
Among the countries failing to protect women journalists adequately the IFJ points to Mexico, the Philippines, Somalia, Russia, Nepal and Israel.
Authorities ignored an intimidation campaign against jailed activists, says a new report on the eve of a verdict on 27 November. IFEX members and partners have been lobbying for the release of the five men.
JED accused the media council and electoral commission of indifference in the face of a "serious deterioration of democracy".
The glacial progress of the trial of those accused of involvement in the killing bodes ill for press freedom, human rights and the quest for justice in the country, says the organisation.
SEAPA's letter urged President Benigno Aquino III to support the global campaign and ensure the Ampatuan trial marks a first step to ending journalists' killings.
The project's goal is to increase journalists' awareness of their rights and to push for the adoption of laws protecting access to information.
IFEX is appealing to authorities to address the recent threats against IFEX member Fundamedios and its director, and the attempts by government supporters and state officials to discredit the organisation.
RSF travelled to Istanbul to attend the first hearing as part of an international delegation that includes representatives of the European Parliament, EFJ, IPI, the European Journalists' Association and Turkey's "Freedom for Journalists" coalition.
After the fall of communism, Veton Surroi founded the Koha Media Group and as a journalist he defended Kosovo Albanians against the policies of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.
To mark World Television Day, ARTICLE 19 calls on all governments and international organisations to condemn this violation of the rights to freedom of expression and information.
All media professionals interviewed by the delegation spoke of political, economic and legal pressure on media that induced self-censorship.
A total of 71 journalists are behind bars on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, while the list of those convicted or awaiting trial continues to grow.
As the country embarks on a series of elections that will continue until March, the Supreme Council is showing less and less ability to tolerate fundamental freedoms, says RSF.
The proposed law follows a further deterioration of the situation of NGOs in the country, including the launch of a smear campaign aimed at damaging the credibility of groups critical of the human rights record of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and its government.
The prominent historian, essayist and editor has been a strong defender of freedom of expression and participated in the conference that gave rise to the Declaration of Chapultepec.
On the eve of German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's visit to Turkmenistan, RSF and the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights have sent him a joint letter about the state of freedom of expression in this Central Asian dictatorship.
Website editor Khalid Al Balshi criticised the absence of an access to information law that would enable journalists to write stories of public interest.
The government should release all those imprisoned on politically motivated charges, whether they have been convicted under Burma's repressive political laws or for common criminal offenses, said Human Rights Watch.
The brief is based on broad international jurisprudence - especially that of the inter-American justice system - that holds that defamation sanctions must be dealt with by civil, not criminal, courts.
Human Rights Watch submitted a joint amicus brief with the Center for Freedom of Expression and Information of the University of Palermo (Argentina) before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, arguing that desacato norms violate Ecuador's international human rights obligations.
The amendment, which was passed by the Chamber of Deputies, would enable federal authorities to prosecute crimes against journalists and freedom of expression.
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the draft resolution's complete omission of the ambiguous "defamation of religions" – a term incompatible with international human rights standards on the right to freedom of expression - and the focus on combating discrimination against persons.
After hearing rumours of the death of Dawit Isaak, an Swedish-Eritrean journalist held without charge for ten years, 31 members of IFEX are asking President Isaias Afewerki to confirm that he is still alive and if so, to release him from prison.
Stephen Ferry's project, "Violentology: A Manual of the Colombian Conflict," focuses on the history and current dynamics of the conflict in Colombia, exposing the roles of all parties involved and the impact of the violence on civilians.
Independent Judge Kennou suffered persecution for speaking in favour of an independent judiciary as the former Secretary-General of the AMT, under Ben Ali. She has now been elected AMT President.
An NGO forum called upon the Commission to recognise 28 September as International Right to Know Day and to expand Article IV of the Declaration of Principles of Expression in Africa to incorporate the principles of the APAI Declaration.
In a letter to the interior minister, RSF and JED expressed concern over the increase in violence against media workers since the start of the election campaign.
Eleven Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March, apparently to protest restrictions on basic freedoms and punitive security measures imposed on a number of monasteries.
At the same time, President Juan Manuel Santos unveiled his plan to increase broadband internet access.
The visit to assess the media situation in the country came as a follow-up effort after several expressions of concern by WAN-IFRA to the government in the past year, regarding a decline of freedom of expression in the country.
Coalition of 7 international rights groups calls for independent judicial inquiry, while launching trial observation report.
Prior to the UN summit of world leaders in Rio in June 2012 (Rio+20) to discuss the environment and sustainable development goals, 77 civil society organisations recommend the adoption of national laws on access to information, public participation and access to justice in the environment, a new UN convention on access to environmental information, and a UN Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
ARTICLE 19's submission highlights how violent attacks against the press have resulted in a chilling effect on the media in several cities, especially those gripped by the ongoing public security crisis.
In 2006, violent clashes between supporters of the two main presidential candidates were attributed - in some cases justifiably - to media outlets who inflamed tensions with incendiary comments and incitement to hatred and violence.
The campaign aims to draw the attention of vacationers to free speech and freedom of information problems in Thailand, Vietnam and Mexico.
The Draft Law cites, as its basis, multiple negative consequences of the "information revolution" without acknowledging the positive role technology performs in today's society, not least of all in enhancing the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. The Draft Law provides no guarantees for the right to freedom of expression or freedom of information.
The roundtable discussions saw widespread support for continued efforts to protect and promote press freedom in the region. Codes of ethics, freedom of information laws, the growth of citizen journalism and the current situation for journalists in Fiji were all identified as areas of interest.
At least 186 protesters and residents have been killed since the Arab League's October 16 meeting, according to Syrian human rights activists.
IPI spoke with the publisher and chief editor of the Yemen Post, Hakim Almasmari, about the censorship, violence and intimidation that any independent Yemeni media outlet must contend with.
A massive protest took place in Budapest as part of ongoing campaign waged by journalists and civil society groups for media pluralism in Hungary.
At a meeting held in Skopje, Macedonia, trade union representatives spoke about the precarious situation of journalists in a context of politicisation and corruption.
IAPA research finds that in some countries in the Americas the authorities seek to manipulate information by using government advertising contracts to reward or punish media outlets.
ARTICLE 19 hails the report as a milestone in the development of policy on freedom of expression as it relates to the Internet and urges all governments to fully implement its recommendations.
Press freedom violations include physical violence, the murder of journalists and the impunity surrounding these crimes, lawsuits, arbitrary arrests, verbal abuse, and restrictive laws.
Most of the parties feel that the new Constitution should protect freedom of expression and of the press, but they disagree on limits to free expression when it concerns the right to privacy, the protection of minorities against hate speech, and the "defamation of religions."
Japanese officials were urged to press Burma to release all political prisoners and abolish laws used to repress the rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly.
Zarganar talks about the political prisoners who have not been freed, including bloggers and writers such as Zaw Thet Htwe and Nay Phone Latt.
The end result of the project will be a publication that will serve not only as a resource for journalists, academics and civil society organisations, but as a reminder to governments of the region of the importance of freedom of information.
The forum, held on 12 October 2011, was jointly organised by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), the Thai Netizen Network and iLaw, to discuss the state of online freedom of expression in Thailand.
RSF representatives visited Chechnya and Dagestan from 9 to 13 September 2011, meeting with journalists, government officials and human rights activists.
At a meeting between media experts and public figures organised by JED, participants agreed to launch a Rapid Alert Network, aimed at preventing serious attacks on press freedom in the period leading up to elections.
On the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty, RSF notes that being a journalist, editing a website or keeping a blog can still expose a person to the possibility of the death penalty in some countries.
The organisation urges the Sultan of Oman to instruct judicial authorities to respect the letter of the law in the case of two journalists sentenced to imprisonment on defamation charges.
ARTICLE 19 urges Uganda to use the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review as an opportunity to review and repeal unduly restrictive freedom of expression legislation and address the issue of violence against journalists, human rights defenders and political opponents.
The final report presented at the conclusion of the Venezuela UPR process contained 148 recommendations, of which 95 were accepted, 15 deferred to the next stage and 38 rejected.
IFEX-TMG says time is of the essence to effectively support freedom of expression by adopting a series of positive measures and setting high standards for the future.
PEN American Center expresses concern that some of the people behind Politkovskaya's murder may still be at large, furthering a climate of impunity for crimes against journalists and writers.
Karman, along with Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and activist Leymah Gbowee, were recognised for their struggle "for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work."
Since the announcement of the 2010 Nobel prize, Beijing police have clamped down on Liu Xiaobo's family, friends, and supporters.
During the UPR, widespread concerns were expressed about a sharp increase in lèse-majesté and computer crime charges.
Mansoor al-Jamri, Natalya Radina, Javier Arturo Valdez Cárdenas and Umar Cheema have faced recrimination for their work, including harassment, assault, kidnapping, torture and censorship.
Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists and other organisations are urging UNESCO's executive board to cancel the prize outright.
RSF is calling on the government to enact a series of reforms that are needed to improve media freedom, including a new media law and the decriminalisation of press offences.
IFEX-TMG attends trial of Samir Feriani, acquitted of charges of leaking information about the destruction of evidence linking Tunisian secret police to torture and other crimes.
IFEX-ALC calls on the UN Human Rights Council members to urge the Venezuelan government to uphold the right to free expression.
Since mass protests began, the UN has estimated at least 2,600 civilians have been killed, the majority of them protesters and local residents shot with live ammunition by the security forces and army.
Amnesty International, ANHRI, Front Line Defenders, and Human Rights Watch call on the authorities to drop the charges and free the accused activists.
The goal of "a free, safe and fair environment for journalists" would be greatly undermined should UNESCO's executive board move forward with an award named for and funded by Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, say a group of organisations who participated in a UN consultative process on impunity last week.
In honour of International Right to Know Day, ARTICLE 19 highlights the progress made in access to information legislation in many countries, especially in Africa, but says that many proposed laws remain sluggish and weakened by inaction.
In honour of International Right to Know Day, ARTICLE 19 and SEAPA urge ASEAN to demonstrate its commitment to public participation by supporting access to information among its member states.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, human rights groups expressed concern over proposed legislation to permit military and other assistance to the Uzbek government, one of the most repressive in the world.
Some of the resolutions included a condemnation of Turkey's imprisonment of journalists and a call on the Philippines government to end impunity in the killing of journalists.
Online news content is developing rapidly and the Southeast Asian community needs to "look at democratisation of freedom of expression as a common agenda," said the SEAPA president.
The reports' release, timed in honour of International Right to Know Day, will be accompanied by an awards ceremony congratulating the most open institutions and shaming the most secretive ones.
In a discussion at the IPI's World Congress, three journalists each provided different explanations of the same event, showing how information from North Korea is often tangential and unverifiable, and how difficult it is to find out what is actually going on.
In a near hour-long speech given in English, the president was in turn pugnacious, scholarly, and withering in critiquing the private press that he alleged "lies" and has a "lack of love for the truth."
While Singapore accepted 84 of the 112 recommendations made by Member States at its first UN Human Rights Council review, those regarding media freedom, and the protection and promotion of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association were rejected.
Seminar participants heard testimony from journalists and activists about the state of the media under former president Ben Ali and their recommendations for media reform.
PFF says the opinion expressed this week by the UN's Pacific Office for Human Rights regional representative Matilda Bogner is a welcome step by a key regional development partner on an issue that's usually left to journalists to handle.
A speech by President Rafael Correa at Columbia University in New York, "will serve to expose the inconsistent thinking of one who claims to support freedom of the press and of expression yet whose actions are totally opposed to such freedoms," IAPA noted.
Against the backdrop of growing restrictions by repressive regimes on online freedoms, government, business, and civil society representatives will gather to discuss the future of the global digital space.
Lethal force has reportedly been used against protesters, while opposition leaders, lawyers, journalists and rights activists have been detained on politically-motivated charges.
According to the original Open Government Partnership roadmap, Brazil meets the criteria to participate in the OGP except for the absence of an access to information law.
The declaration sets out principles elaborating the right of access to information, including coverage of issues related to health, education, aid transparency and corruption.
International rights groups seek to monitor trial of 5 activists during 26 September trial appearance.
Human rights defenders converged on the Council to respond to an unprecedented number of UN reports addressing grave rights violations throughout the Arab region.
21 September 2011
|
Egypt
In a statement released by CIHRS, organisations condemn the recent revival and expansion of the emergency law by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which constitutes a direct threat to freedom of expression.
RSF has launched an international ad campaign marking the 10th anniversary of the round-ups of journalists and closure of all the privately-owned print media.
Many of the journalists interviewed by RSF viewed the economic crisis as a chance for the media to break with the patronage system that has prevailed since the 1980s.
19 September 2011
|
Nepal
In a letter to the newly-elected prime minister, CPJ expressed alarm over the planned amnesty of criminal cases pending from past political violence.
REGIONS:
Latest Tweet:
