Freedom House

Even though 36% of respondents to a poll classified their religious identity as “Atheist” or “Non-Religious”, the interests and right to free expression of nonbelievers are frequently ignored in discussions of religious freedom around the world.

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which is scheduled to undergo markup by the House Intelligence Committee, fails to strike a balance between combatting online security threats and protecting individual privacy, and threatens to set a negative example for other countries looking to adopt similar laws.

Freedom House guest blogger Thomas R. Lansner critiques mainstream media coverage of Mali’s conflict. He notes that most of the photos available, as the French newspaper Liberation observes, “have the feeling of having been produced by the school of fine arts of war….”

Digital media by no means supplant action in the physical world, but when used wisely by courageous citizen journalists such as Yoani Sánchez, they can serve as a vital tool in the push to uphold universal human rights.

Authoritarian regimes around the world are exporting their worst practices and working together to crack down on dissent and undermine human rights standards.

Sylvana Habdank-Kołaczkowska, Director for Nations in Transit, Freedom House, addresses the U.S. Helsinki Commission on legislation affecting the media and freedom of expression in Hungary.

Despite the breakneck pace of its modernization and economic development, the UAE remains one of the more repressive countries in a highly repressive region.

Over 30 IFEX members express concern at a set of proposals put forth by the government of Ecuador and due to be discussed on 8 March in Ecuador that seek to reform the OAS Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression.