Seventeen states request respect for freedom of expression

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.

IFEX-ALC acknowledges Ecuadoran president's decision

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".

Freedom of expression continues to decline following government's rejection of UN recommendations

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.

Fundamedios welcomes "El Universo" pardon, but calls for continued monitoring of government's actions

"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.

Fundamedios condemns brutal blow against fundamental freedoms

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.

IFEX-ALC concerned over recent developments that undermine and jeopardise fundamental freedoms

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.

WAN-IFRA denounces government's authoritarian turn

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".

Media Social Responsibility Law violates freedom of expression, says ARTICLE 19

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.

IAPA submits two cases of unpunished murders of journalists to IACHR

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.

IFEX gravely concerned for safety of Fundamedios and others who attended IACHR hearing

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.

WPFC-FH submits amicus brief before Constitutional Court in support of decriminalisation of defamation sanctions

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 calls for decriminalisation of defamation

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.

President dedicates Chapultepec Declaration signing to murdered Colombian journalists

At the same time, President Juan Manuel Santos unveiled his plan to increase broadband internet access.

WAN-IFRA calls for dialogue amidst polarised media scene

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.

Venezuela rejects UN Human Rights Council freedom of expression recommendations

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-ALC delegation submits recommendations on freedom of expression during Venezuela's UPR

IFEX-ALC calls on the UN Human Rights Council members to urge the Venezuelan government to uphold the right to free expression.

Correa lambastes press in Columbia speech

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."

IAPA calls attention to Correa's conflicting positions on press freedom

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.

Government must pass right to information bill, says ARTICLE 19

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.

CPJ submits brief to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights concerning lawsuit filed by former president

A lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy brought by Carlos Menem against two journalists violates Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights, says CPJ.