IFEX

Ahead of the G7 summit on the situation in Afghanistan, civil society and media organisations present key recommendations to ensure the urgent protection of journalists, media workers and their families.

The international community needs to urgently show solidarity with all Belarusian individuals and organisations struggling for their basic human rights, often at great cost to their own lives and livelihoods. The Belarus government’s escalating crackdown must be met with intensified international efforts to pressure the Lukašenka administration to change course and respect the human rights of the Belarusian people.

On 8 November, Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2021. Learn about how the Pakistan Press Foundation and its partners laid the groundwork for this welcome achievement.

Editor’s Note: We originally published this Campaign Snapshot in August 2021, to mark the passing of a landmark journalists’ safety bill in Pakistan, in the province of Sindh. Our hope that this would be followed by the passage of a national bill was realized on 8 November. Read more about that development here.

“Gamal is one of the strongest independent voices still fighting for human rights in a country that has been dismantling civil society and closing the space for freedom of expression and information for far too long. The trumped-up charges against him should be dropped immediately, along with the travel ban and assets freeze.’

IFEX is calling for the restoration of media licenses to IFEX member Mizzima News and other media outlets who have played an essential role in shedding light on the violence inflicted by the junta against their own people. 897 people have been killed and over 6500 arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup in February.

The hijacking of a plane and kidnapping of editor and blogger Raman Pratasevich is viewed by the free expression, press freedom and journalists’ community as the outrageous climax of a broader campaign against media freedom in Belarus that drastically intensified after the August 2020 election.

“We see the withdrawal of the state as another obstacle to achieving justice for Jineth Bedoya. IFEX will continue to stand with her. After 20 years, this will not deter her in her fight. The misogynistic culture that allows women to be treated in this way must come to an end,” said IFEX Executive Director Annie Game.

Recent decisions regarding one of social media’s better-known users, former US president Donald Trump, have ignited a debate on Big Tech’s role in controlling content. Hear what these experts from the IFEX global network have to say about it.

In light of recent findings on Belarus by both the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, organisations express concern about ongoing abuses carried out by agents and supporters of the government of President Alexander Lukashenko and call for immediate investigations and redress.

The Senate of the Republic has an opportunity to reverse a decision that if fully approved would aggravate the situation of risk in which thousands of individuals live in Mexico. As such, we call on you to reconsider the 6 October decision taken by the Chamber of Deputies regarding the elimination of 109 public funds and trusts.

“The entire IFEX network stands united in calling for Bahey’s profoundly unjust sentence to be quashed, and for Egyptian authorities to immediately end their crackdown against human rights defenders and all those exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

On 1 July 2020, members of the International Civil Society Organisations Coalition on the Safety of Journalists sent an information request to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in relation to the Mexican State News Agency (Agencia de Noticias del Estado – NOTIMEX).

Campaigning journalist and human rights advocate Azimjon Askarov was Kyrgyzstan’s most famous prisoner.

The 44th session of the HRC resulted in a number of welcome resolutions, on peaceful protests and freedom of opinion and expression among them, and country-specific discussions. However, several States escaped collective scrutiny this session.

On 25 May 2020, in the United States, George Floyd’s voice was heard for the last time. His horrific murder and his final message – I can’t breathe – shed a harsh light on a reality that far too many look away from. A tipping point was reached. A spark was lit. And the world couldn’t stay silent anymore.

The issue of violence against journalists who cover organised crime in border areas requires effective and coordinated transnational cooperation. With this in mind, the IACHR proposed that Ecuador and Columbia provide a joint response in the case of the “El Comercio” reporting team. Many lessons have been learned.