ARTICLE 19

The proposed Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) must exclude any provisions related to “intellectual property” that could impede the right to free expression, says a joint civil society declaration.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that the recent transition to digital broadcasting in Tanzania did not take into account the needs of viewers and broadcasters, and as a result many people are no longer able to watch TV.

ARTICLE 19 finds that the governments of both Mexico and Brazil are responsible for the growing problem of violence against journalists in two crucial ways. First, agents of the state are directly implicated in violence in an alarming number of cases. Second, both states fail to recognise the true nature of the problem.

A broad coalition of human rights organisations has called for UN free speech and human rights watchdogs to intervene and secure the immediate release of Vietnamese blogger and human rights activist Le Quoc Quan.

A comprehensive access to information law came into effect in Rwanda on 11 March. Its passage makes Rwanda the 11th African country with a right to information law.

In its Artist Alert report for February 2013, ARTICLE 19 highlights cases from Haiti, Cuba, the U.K. and Italy among others.

A new report outlines how bans on so-called “homosexual propaganda” violate international standards on freedom of expression and discriminate against LGBTI people. The report discusses provisions that are in place or are being considered around the world, including in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Hungary and Uganda.

The Model Access to Information Law takes into consideration factors such as poor record-keeping and the pervasive culture of secrecy within public service in Africa.