France

Those who disseminate images with the “intent to cause harm” would face up to one year in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros.

Following the publication of a cartoon of Erdoğan lifting a veiled woman’s dress, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded political and legal action against ‘Charlie Hebdo’.

Samuel Paty was murdered on his way home from work because he had discussed the “Charlie Hebdo” trial in class and showed images of the cartoons at the centre of the case.

The complaint accuses unidentified police officers – who are tasked by the state with protecting lives and property – with deliberate violence against media personnel and damage to their property during the “gilets jaunes” protests.

The latest wave of protests in France, this time against a proposed pension reform, have seen reporters injured by police batons, burned by sting ball grenades, taken into custody, and their equipment smashed.

In the past year, 54 journalists were injured and there were more than 120 incidents between journalists and
police at the “gilets jaunes” protests.The French Interior Ministry is expected to publish a new policy for policing protests soon.

Privacy International reveals how popular websites about depression in France, Germany and the UK share user data with advertisers, data brokers and large tech companies, while some depression test websites leak answers and test results with third parties.

Another heavy-handed police response to protesters saw the group ‘Extinction Rebellion’ targeted from close range with tear gas as they staged a sit-in on France’s hottest day ever.

The eight journalists have been working on stories such as French arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the apparent cover-up of alleged offences by former top presidential security aide Alexandre Benalla.

Mediapart ran a report on Alexandre Benalla, President Macron’s former security officer, based on leaked documents and secret audio recordings; Benalla was fired in July for beating up a protester during the May Day demonstrations.

Numerous journalists have reported being attacked and threatened by riot police during the ongoing demonstrations sweeping France; others have been forcibly ejected from meetings by protesters and physically intimidated.

French authorities should investigate whether police anti-riotntactics were necessary and proportional, and should hold officers to account for excessive use of force, Human Rights Watch says.

Three years after 12 people were killed at the French satirical weekly, those who censor in the name of God still pose one of the gravest threats to free expression.

Can Europeans be sentenced to jail for vague references to terrorism? It already happened. And it is a trend that threatens to spread throughout Europe.

“France and Germany, it’s time to assert your values”, stresses Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, currently on trial for criticising the Saudi bombing of Yemen and exposing torture in Bahrain’s prisons.

The supporters of “religious correctness” are using respect for God and concepts such as blasphemy to create an exception to freedom of expression in general, and freedom of information in particular – an exception for which there is absolutely no provision under international law.