LEGAL ANALYSIS
Tunisia: ARTICLE 19 publishes recommendations to government from over last 12 months
Since the revolution ARTICLE 19 has been advising the Tunisian
government on reform of its freedom of expression laws. The
recommendations have now been launched and are available on a new
microsite
. Read more >
Tunisia: Press regulation >
Tunisia: Broadcasting regulation >
Tunisia: elections >
Tunisia: Freedom of information >
STATEMENT
Egypt: About the crackdown on civil society
The Egyptian revolution was hailed internationally as an admirable and
justifiable act by the Egyptian people to demand social justice and
freedoms that they have been denied for decades. It was therefore
anticipated that, following this revolution, the interim Egyptian
political authorities would prioritize urgently needed legal and
procedural reforms to enhance and protect the Egyptian people’s newly
won rights. However, the Egyptian government has taken no steps to lift
undue restrictions on the operations of civil society organizations,
despite the fact that a vibrant civil society is an essential component
of a democratic state that respects human rights and the rule of law.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Burma: EU commissioner’s comments undermine potential for fair elections
ARTICLE 19 is concerned that comments made by EU development
commissioner Andris Piebalgs undermine the Burmese struggle for freedom
of expression through the ballot box.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Ecuador: Punitive Sentences Issued in El Universo Case Violate Freedom of Expression
ARTICLE 19 is concerned by a ruling today by Ecuador’s National Court of
Justice in the case filed by President Rafael Correa against the
newspaper El Universo. The owners, Carlos, Cesar and Nicolas Perez, and
former editor Emilio Palacio have been sentenced to three years
imprisonment and ordered to pay US$40 million dollars. This is the
second sentence in less than 10 days issued by an Ecuadorian court in a
case filed by President Correa against journalists. ARTICLE 19
reiterates that it is profoundly concerned with the abuse of criminal
defamation laws in Ecuador.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Bangladesh: Government secretary calls on officials to fulfil right to information
Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, has
called on public officials to fulfill their duty under Bangladesh’s
Right to Information Law during an ARTICLE 19 event.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Zimbabwe: Excessive restraint on right to access pluralistic media & information
ARTICLE 19 is concerned about the directive by the Zimbabwe Media
Commission (ZMC) to ban the distribution of unregistered foreign
newspapers within Zimbabwe. An online report published on 3rd February
2012 by the Africa Review reports that the directive has sparked fears
of a renewed crackdown on private media in the southern African country.
The ZMC chairman, Godfrey Majonga,is reported to have said that foreign
papers were operating outside the law and were not paying statutory
fees. Newspapers are required to register as per the terms of the
controversial Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(AIPPA).
Read more >
UPDATE
Malaysia: Zunar’s London exhibition,“To Fight through Cartoon” opens to a sold-out crowd
Acclaimed Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar (née Zulkiflee Anwar
Haque) premiered his latest exhibition, ‘To Fight Through Cartoon’, to a
full house yesterday evening at the Free Word Centre in London, UK.
Hosted by ARTICLE 19, the event showcased Zunar’s banned cartoons and
highlighted the deteriorating state of freedom of expression in
Malaysia.
Read more >
