ARTICLE 19

At a recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), Rwandan Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama accepted that there was an immediate need for a review of several laws that restrict freedom of expression in the country.

At the tenth session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, impunity was by far the most repeated issue by the delegates, with reference to the continuous attacks against media workers and human rights defenders in Nepal.

The charges against Chankea are for expressing his opinion about a land dispute between the villagers of Lorpeang village and KDC International.

The remarkable events in Tunisia call for a redoubling of efforts to restore free expression rights, said the IFEX-TMG, despite the release of Boukadous.

Changes to the legal framework include very restrictive content requirements for broadcasting, print and online media, says ARTICLE 19.

The Baghdad Appeal Court overturned a prior defamation ruling, saying no harm had resulted from an article that quoted critics describing the prime minister as “increasingly autocratic.”

“The new law contains several progressive provisions supported by ARTICLE 19, including a broad definition of public information,” said the organisation.

As the crisis evolves, the 20 members of the IFEX-TMG call for country’s rulers to respect human rights, including freedom of expression.