Freedom House

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.

While the Chinese Communist Party Congress is notorious for its secrecy, considerable resources were also used to gag the media and dissidents in the lead-up to the Beijing event, IFEX members report.

Leading international rights organisations have called for the postponement of the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, pointing out that the Declaration risks creating a sub-standard level of human rights protection in the region.