Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

More than 100 groups and individuals worldwide call on Egyptian President el-Sisi to remove the unjust sentencing of three Al Jazeera journalists.

While MISA Zimbabwe commends the court for this judgment, the organisation is concerned by the court’s observations that the right to freedom of expression as conferred by Section 61 “…is to be more narrowly construed as being subordinate to the value of human dignity…”

This week, a resolution on the importance of protecting human rights online was discussed at the 26th UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva. Read the oral statement on this resolution led by ARTICLE 19 and supported by several IFEX members.

On Friday, 30 May 2014, the Swaziland Independent Publishers and The Nation editor Bheki Makhubu won their appeal in the case in which they were charged with “scandalising the court”.

Acts of intolerance by stakeholders and the continued existence of archaic laws that are used to suppress press freedom are threatening the public sphere in Zambia.

For this 20th edition of So This Is Democracy? the disturbing but relevant theme is “media behind bars”, due to the many cases MISA recorded in 2013 of authorities arresting journalists, often without a clear reason and then detaining them, interrogating them, and confiscating their equipment and materials.

In the resolution, the ACHPR “strongly condemns the serious violations of the right to life committed against journalists and media practitioners” and appeals for “the immediate cessation of harassment and intimidation aimed at independent media organisations” in Somalia.

Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu have been charged with contempt of court over two separate articles that appeared in the Nation magazine and were critical of the arrest of government vehicle inspector Bhantshana Gwebu.