International Freedom of Expression Exchange: The global network for free expression
12 October 2006
RSF SENDS FACT-FINDING MISSION
In Libya, there are signs that the one-party government's tight controls on freedom of expression are beginning to relax, following the lifting of a U.N. embargo in 2001 and as the country opens up to tourism, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).
Thanks to Al-Jazeera and public Internet access points, Libyans are no longer as isolated from the rest of the world as they were in the past. They have less and less tolerance for the propagandistic state-run media, says RSF. Many journalists are very critical when they are assured of anonymity.
However, Libya remains one of the world's most repressive regimes in terms of human rights, the group says. RSF recently visited Libya on a fact-finding mission, its first to the country in 20 years. During the 13-17 September 2006 visit, RSF met with local journalists and members of the Union of Libyan Journalists.
The Revolutionary Committees Movement, the central pillar of the Muammar Gaddafi regime, continues to monopolise power, using the press as a propaganda tool, says RSF. Libya has no privately-owned press. Three of the four leading dailies (Al Jamahiriya, Al Shams,
and Al Fajr al Jadid) are financed by the General Press Office, an offshoot of the information
ministry. The broadcast media, consisting of a national terrestrial TV station and six satellite stations, are totally controlled by the government. And a media law dating from 1972 provides for prison sentences ranging from one month to two years for press offenses.
Not surprisingly, most journalists shy away from reporting on issues considered off-limits by authorities, such as high-level corruption or the plight of the Berber minority.
Human Rights Watch visited Libya in April-May 2005 and also found evidence of tight censorship. "Individuals are not free to express views critical of the government, the unique Jamahiriya political system, or the country's leader. Those who do express criticism or try to organise opposition political groups face arbitrary detention and long prison terms after unfair trials," the organisation said in a follow-up report.
However, despite the restrictions, a picture emerged of a country undergoing gradual change after years of strict repression and global isolation, Human Rights Watch noted.
Visit these links:
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_libye_gb.pdf
- Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/reports/2006/libya0106/
- Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=7002
- BBC Profile: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/819291.stm
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