
Rights groups condemn Russian attempts to block Telegram
Action taken by the Russian authorities against Telegram have resulted in extensive violations of freedom of expression and access to information, including mass collateral website blocking.

International groups condemn “Cumhuriyet” verdict
The fourteen defendants’ right to fair trial was consistently violated. Each were given heavy jail terms.

Latin America and the Caribbean: 16 journalists killed so far in 2018
Latin American free expression organisations met in Ecuador this week and issued an urgent call for states to address violence against journalists and the problem of impunity

IFEX-ALC condemns murder of Ecuadorian journalism team
The IFEX-ALC network is calling for the prompt and transparent investigation of the murder of a journalism team along the Colombia-Ecuador border.

Chadians unable to access social media platforms
For the second time this year, Chadian authorities have disrupted internet services in the country leaving internet users with no access to social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

Colombia and Ecuador must take action for abducted El Comercio journalism team
Over 500 Ecuadorean journalists and rights organizations have signed a letter calling for the governments of Colombia and Ecuador to take immediate action to protect a team of journalists abducted by militants on their mutual border.

International Cybercrime Convention’s second protocol requires civil society’s input
Nearly 100 rights groups asked the Council of Europe to engage civil society in their negotiation of a second cybercrime convention protocol, which is aimed at setting the terms for data access by law enforcement to servers outside their geographic authority.

Turkey should implement ECtHR ruling and release journalists Mehmet Altan and Şahin Alpay
The Court found that the journalists’ rights to liberty, security and free expression had been violated and that the two men should be released.

Stop Kyrgyzstan’s descent into media repression
While Kyrgyzstan has generally been a rare positive example in a region where autocracy has been the rule, recent developments threaten to send the country down a similarly repressive path.

On heels of Slovakia and Malta murders, European Commission urged to take the lead to protect journalists
In a joint open letter to Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, organisations urge EC officials to ensure that police investigations are full, thorough and independent in Slovakia and Malta.

IFEX-ALC condemns deterioration of respect for free expression in Venezuela
Threats, harassment and assaults against media outlets and journalists continue to intensify under the Maduro administration

International NGOs and IFEX members join urgent calls for Tunisian government to withdraw draft broadcasting bill
48 NGOs and professional groups say the draft law restricts freedom of expression and independent broadcasting.

Climate for press freedom worsens in Missouri, surrounding states
An already adverse environment for journalists in the Midwestern United States has worsened in the year since President Trump’s inauguration, an international group of media watchdogs concluded after traveling to the state of Missouri. The group also met with journalists from Illinois and Wisconsin.

African governments urged to prioritise digital rights
The membership of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) and other African internet governance stakeholders attending the Sixth African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF), have called for the prioritisation of digital rights of all citizens across the continent.

DRC: Protesters killed as internet and SMS services shut down
On 31 December 2017, security forces shot and killed at least seven protesters while several others were arrested during anti-government demonstrations in Kinshasa. The Congolese government also ordered a nationwide internet shutdown and disruption of SMS services a day before the protests.