International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

The region’s free expression news round-up includes lethal protests in Togo and Kenya, calls for release of an RFI correspondent in Cameroon, a creative campaign that is holding Nigeria’s presidency accountable for freedom of information, and more.

Several university-affiliated publications and research papers were pressured to remove articles deemed offensive by Chinese authorities.

Reporters Without Borders and other NGOs have formed a committee to press for the release of RFI correspondent Ahmed Abba, who was given a 10 year jail term in April 2017.

This July, protesters in Israel and Morocco were met with violence and journalists were subjected to harassment and denial of access, Lebanon banned protests, and 150 organisations met in Doha to discuss threats to freedom of expression in general, and the case of Al Jazeera in particular.

After his death, not only was Liu’s name censored on social media platforms, even phrases containing the word “thunder” – a homophone for “tears” in Chinese – and the candle emoji were removed by censors.

Chakka Bahadur Malla, district correspondent for Image Channel TV, was arrested and was taken into custody by the police on 20 July 2017.

An investigative reporter for the independent newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Tomasz Piatek is facing a possible two to three-year jail sentence in a case that is being prepared by military prosecutors and could be heard by a military court.

40 rights organisations from five different continents demand the release of human rights defenders detained in Turkey.

On the one-year anniversary of the death of popular Cambodian activist Kem Ley, civil society organisations from around the world reiterated their call for an independent inquiry.

In a joint letter to Xi Jinping, the IFJ, Freedom House, and RSF urge him to intervene to grant Liu Xiaobo permission to travel overseas on humanitarian grounds.

China releases Liu Xiaobo on medical parole; #FreeThe5KH out on bail; journalists escape jail term in Timor Leste; “Mother Mushroom” sentenced to 10 years

The IFJ strongly criticises the actions by authorities against the media during the visit of President Xi Jinping to mark the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong.

This June, the Gulf crisis and its ramifications on the right to free expression across the region dominated the news. Other developments included protests in Morocco and Lebanon, censorship in Egypt and the West Bank, and the loss of lives in Iraq.

The EFJ welcomes a Council of Europe resolution which recognises investigative journalism as a “public asset” and encourages “adequate protection to whistleblowers” in order to better fight corruption.

The IFJ said: “We demand the immediate release of Swe and Naing and call for the charges to be dropped. Issues such as these should be dealt with by the Press Council and not in the courts.”

As President Trump visited Saudi Arabia, repression hit new highs throughout the Middle East. But, though the level of repression to stamp out dissent may be new, the excuse was a very familiar one.