Rafiki: Ban lifted on Kenyan film that challenges stereotypes at home and abroad
The High Court of Kenya has temporarily lifted the ban on Rafiki. Judge Wilfrida Okwany delivered the ruling on 21 September 2018, stating “I am not convinced that Kenya is such a weak society that its moral foundation will be shaken by seeing such a film.”
Mexico’s new government must confront precarious state of freedom of expression amidst extreme violence
How do we confront endemic issues in a country where violence has become a daily reality? What are the gender dimensions of the violence? What can this new government do differently from its predecessor?
İhraçların ötesinde: Barış akademisyenleri, açtıkları alternatif akademilerde başka bir eğitimi kurguluyor
Gazeteci Elif İnce, Derya Keskin, Ulaş Bayraktar ve Julia Strutz ile barış bildirisi imzacısı akademisyenlerin baskılara rağmen Türkiye’nin on şehrinde ve Almanya’da kurdukları akademileri konuştu.
Civil society groups call for the release of Tep Vanny
As Tep Vanny completes two years in detention, civil society organisations and communities call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her, drop all dormant criminal charges and overturn any convictions against her, so that she may return to her family and community.
The UPR: What it is, and how civil society can use it – and make it stronger
The Universal Periodic Review puts each UN member state’s human rights record under the microscope every five years, but requires the active engagement of civil society to make the most of it. Read this 5-minute explainer to learn how you can participate and translate its outcomes into action on the ground.
This is one in a series of IFEX explainers aimed at strengthening the ability of civil society to engage in global spaces for free expression advocacy. To visit the hub page and see the whole set, click here.
Beyond the purge: How academics in Turkey are facing up to repression by reimagining education
Over five hundred academics who signed a peace petition in 2016 asking Turkey to end violence against Kurds were banned from teaching. In response, they set up alternative venues for education and research all over the country, free and open to everyone.
Unfree and unfair: IFEX condemns Cambodia’s pre-election crackdown on free expression
On 29 July, Cambodians will go to the polls under the shadow of a relentless attack on critical voices. The IFEX network condemns these actions, which have deprived the election of all credibility, and calls for the full restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country.
Lessons in Resistance: Defying repression and impunity in Cambodia
Cambodia will hold its sixth general election on 29 July – despite the dissolution of the main opposition party and concerns of a weakened democracy.
Keeping track of civil and political rights in your country: The UN Human Rights Committee
When it comes to human and civil rights, is your government living up to its obligations? You can help hold it accountable by engaging with the Human Rights Committee, a UN body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
This is one in a series of IFEX explainers aimed at strengthening the ability of civil society to engage in global spaces for free expression advocacy. To visit the hub page and see the whole set, click here.
Video: Mass arrests carried out to pre-empt protest in Kazakhstan
On 23 June at least eight journalists were targeted and detained in a round of mass arrests ahead of a planned protest in the city of Almaty. This disturbing video shows people being grabbed off the streets by uniformed, often balaclava-wearing security agents.
Gender and human rights in the digital age: Tech can be your best ally or worst enemy
Is it possible to translate human rights into code? Joana Varon and her NGO – Coding Rights – intend to do so. Through innovative solutions, they hope to build bridges between gender, technology and human rights.
IFEX calls on Bahrain to release human rights defender Nabeel Rajab
A Bahraini court has upheld a five-year prison sentence against renowned human rights defender and IFEX member Nabeel Rajab for tweets about human rights violations. The IFEX network is calling on Bahraini authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Edison Lanza on Carvajal case: A “very significant” verdict for the Americas
In a historic verdict, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held the Colombian state responsible for the 1998 death of journalist Nelson Carvajal. To better understand this groundbreaking ruling we spoke with lawyer Edison Lanza, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS).
RightsCon, IFEX, and youth surveillance
While the internet creates new possibilities for children to express themselves, pervasive monitoring deeply undermines the value of these opportunities. IFEX co-hosted a session with Child Rights International Network at this years’s RightsCon to consider the human rights of children in the digital age.
Urgent call for international action to prevent lifelong sentencing of Eren Keskin
Eren Keskin, a prominent human rights lawyer from Turkey, is at risk of a lengthy imprisonment in retaliation for many years of exercising the right to freedom of expression and the right to defend human rights relating to taboo issues in Turkish society. The undersigned organisations call for urgent international action to prevent the imprisonment of Eren Keskin.
Media freedom in US under threat, report finds
The United States media – one of the best protected in the world – is facing challenges that threaten the freedom of the press. This is the finding of an unprecedented press freedom mission that took place in January 2018, one year after President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration.