ARTICLE 19

ARTICLE 19 warns that proposed amendments to Vietnam’s 1992 Constitution go against international law and fail to protect fundamental human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression and information.

NGOs in Russia have been subjected to inspections apparently aimed at determining whether they comply with legislation. The Civic Solidarity Platform appeals to the international community to speak out against the new attempt to intimidate these groups.

The European Court of Human Rights has rejected the complaint of the ‘The Pirate Bay’ co-founders against their criminal conviction for facilitating copyright infringement.

The challenges faced by rural communities in Brazil in accessing information about government programmes on access to water are not unique. ARTICLE 19 routinely witnesses the withholding of information vital to fulfilling human rights, such as the right to water.

Two free expression groups welcomed a UN resolution on combating religious intolerance, which was adopted by consensus at a UN Human Rights Council session.

ARTICLE 19 notes that a media law adopted in Rwanda on 11 March provides some safeguards for freedom of the press, but contains too many provisions which pose a threat to journalists.

ARTICLE 19 welcomes the UN Human Rights Council’s adoption of a new resolution on human rights defenders, which calls upon States to end impunity for acts of intimidation or reprisals against defenders, and to avoid criminalisation and other impediments to their work.

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, along with local NGOs, condemn the persecution of nine journalists, protesters and human rights defenders for exercising their right to freedom of expression and information in Azerbaijan in recent weeks.