9 March 2005
NEW FREE EXPRESSION EXPERT URGES ABOLITION OF CRIMINAL DEFAMATION LAWS
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights' newly appointed Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Andrew Chigovera, has called on governments in Africa to repeal criminal defamation laws, calling them incompatible with international standards on freedom of expression.
Last week, the expert met with his counterpart in the Americas, Eduardo Bertoni of the Organization of American States (OAS), in Washington DC, where they issued a joint declaration with the assistance of ARTICLE 19.
The rapporteurs said criminal defamation laws are frequently used in Africa and in the Americas to silence public criticism of officials. Such laws "intimidate individuals from exposing wrongdoing by public officials" and do not belong in democracies, Chigovera and Bertoni said.
The rapporteurs said all members of society must be free to discuss issues of public interest and to participate freely in public debates without fear of reprisal.
The joint declaration affirms previous statements on criminal defamation laws made by free expression experts from intergovernmental bodies. In 1999, 2000 and 2002, joint declarations by the rapporteurs of the OAS, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) condemned such laws as unjustifiable restrictions on free expression and urged governments to abolish them.
Read the joint declaration by Chigovera and Bertoni here: http://www.cidh.org/Relatoria/showarticle.asp?artID=394&lID=1
Visit these links:
- OAS Special Rapporteur on Free Expression: http://www.cidh.org/Relatoria/
- African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights: http://www.achpr.org/
- UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression: http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/opinion/index.htm
- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media:
http://www.osce.org/fom/documents/declarations/
- Defining Defamation: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/standards/definingdefamation.pdf
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