ARTICLE 19

Norwegian PEN, PEN International and ARTICLE 19 condemn the cruel decision to open a new criminal investigation against civil society leader and publisher Osman Kavala, immediately after his acquittal in the ‘Gezi Park’ trial.

Various draft bills by government agencies all rely heavily on censorship and criminal penalties as a means of combatting ‘hate speech’.

The accusation against Greenwald comes after “The Intercept Brasil” published several news stories in 2019 that were based on leaked mobile phone messages.

Police harassment, denial of permit, and other restrictions have been placed against the planned event.

ARTICLE 19 also calls on the UK court to reject Assange’s extradition to the US, where he faces charges that relate to the publication of Wikileaks material; if found guilty, he could face up to 175 years in prison.

With the public inquiry into the murder of Malta’s best known journalist set to begin on 6 December, free press groups urge full transparency and call on media, international governmental organisations and diplomats to monitor the opening hearing.

“Malta has clear legal obligations to ensure an independent, impartial investigation into the assassination of its leading journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. There must be no executive interference in the investigation.”

Following international criticism, the Maltese Government has announced that it will update terms of reference and the composition of the Board of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the murder.