ARTICLE 19

Since the December 2010 presidential elections, an unprecedented wave of repression was unleashed, with the Belarusian KGB detaining and interrogating opposition activists, journalists, protesters and human rights defenders.

IFEX-TMG meeting in Tunis on 12 and 13 December brought together journalists, bloggers, civil society, lawyers and academics to make recommendations on the realities and challenges of reforming the media sector.

ARTICLE 19 and the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) held their first one-day meeting to share experiences of addressing violence against journalists, exchange best practices and strategies on protection, and learn from each other.

The organisation believes that integrating robust protections for the rights to freedom of expression and information is essential to guaranteeing democracy and protecting all human rights in the region.

The absence of information following several the incidents exemplifies Kazakhstan’s lack of progress in protecting and promoting the right to freedom of expression, says ARTICLE 19.

ARTICLE 19 condemns the Nepali government’s decision not to renew the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, fearing that the free expression situation will be far worse if the watchdog leaves.

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.

Thomas Hammarberg highlighted the role media plays in exposing human rights violations and in offering an arena for different voices to be heard in public discourse.