Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)

On 22 December 2013, the Abdeen Court in Egypt issued a verdict against three activists who were integral to the 25 January revolution to three years in jail and a 50,000 Egyptian pounds [US$7180] fine.

Twelve students at the El Azhar university in Egypt where arrested on 30 October 2013 during demonstrations in which they were protesting the arrest of a number of their colleagues and expressing their opposition to the current Egyptian authority.

Egypt’s new bill would go beyond restricting protests to curb Egyptians’ freedom to engage in all forms of peaceful assembly.

IFEX members appeal to the King to end restrictions on news websites, nearly five months after Jordanian regulators blocked some 300 sites under a new licensing provision of the Press and Publications Law.

The Egyptian military’s storming of two Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo has left hundreds of citizens dead and thousands seriously injured.

Over 150 IFEX members and partners of ARTICLE 19 appealed to US President Obama to drop charges against whistleblower Edward Snowden, update the Whistleblower Protection Act and pass a media shield law.

People are encouraged to join around 200 organisations supporting the adoption of 13 basic principles applying existing human rights law to modern digital surveillance.

An attack by Egyptian police forces on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood left 80 dead, according to official reports. Rights groups demanded the dismissal of the interior minister, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.