Freedom House

The blocking of the online newspaper El Diario de Cuba signals a troubling trend toward increased internet censorship in Venezuela. Freedom House condemns this censorship and calls on the Venezuelan government to adhere to its international commitments to protect press freedom and access to information, including on the internet.

President Mohammad Morsi declared a state of emergency in three canal cities after protests and clashes led to the death of at least 50 Egyptians.

LGBT rights activists were attacked in Moscow and Voronezh as they peacefully protested against an anti-homosexuality bill to be considered by the Duma. Reports indicate that the police did not intervene as the attacks continued in the center of Voronezh.

There has been a rise in new laws around the world that restrict free speech online. To ensure that Internet regulation is compatible with human rights and democratic principles, lawmakers must follow certain basic guidelines, says Freedom House.

Thirty IFEX members protested the sentencing of bloggers, citizen journalists and rights activists, jailed for up to 13 years in the biggest ever trial of pro-democracy activists in Vietnam.

In December 2011, the Egyptian authorities raided the offices of 11 human rights and democracy organizations after launching a smear campaign against them that then turned into a formal investigation. 43 NGO workers were charged and now face possible jail terms.

While welcoming moves to implement measures that guarantee media independence, IFEX-TMG calls on the Tunisian government to fully respect free expression in the new Constitution and put an end to attacks on journalists and artists.

Civil society delegates at a UN Inter-Agency meeting have agreed to support the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.