PRESS RELEASE
Russia: ARTICLE 19 condemns guilty verdict in Pussy Riot case
As ARTICLE 19 protested outside Russia’s London Embassy a
verdict of guilty was announced in the trial against Nadezhda
Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, three members
of the punk feminist group Pussy Riot. Tolokonnikova, Alekhina and
Samutsevich were charged under Article 213(2) of the Criminal Code,
which covers hooliganism. Read more >
STATEMENT
Russia: Prison sentences for Pussy Riot violate freedom of expression
The conviction and two-year prison sentences given on 17 August 2012 to
three members of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot, Nadezhda
Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich violate their
right to freedom of expression.
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LEGAL ANALYSIS
South Sudan: Right of Access to Information Bill
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the initiative of the Government of South Sudan to
create a legal framework for the implementation of the right to access
information. The Draft Bill positively enshrines a number of progressive
principles on the right of access to information. At the same time, the
Draft Bill still contains several areas of concern, which ARTICLE 19
strongly urges the government to amend before enactment.
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LEGAL ANALYSIS
Kazakhstan: Civil Code Restrictions on Freedom of Expression
Despite some positive elements of the regime, such as the right of
reply, and the explicit provision that legal entities cannot claim
compensation for moral harm of defamation, the regulation fails to
provide safeguards for free expression and meet international defamation
standards.
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STATEMENT
Pakistan: Government must stop 'kill switch' tactics
ARTICLE 19 and Bytes for All, Pakistan, condemn the authorities in
Pakistan for the practise of implementing regional and city-wide bans on
mobile phone networks – so-called ‘kill switch’ tactics - in
Balochistan and other parts of the country. The kill switch has been
implemented at times of national celebration, most recently on Eid Day
on 20 August 2012. We call on the Pakistan authorities to refrain from
developing and applying these techniques as they are incompatible with
the fundamental right to freedom of expression and freedom of
information.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Burma: Pre-publication censorship ended for all newspapers
ARTICLE 19 welcomes today’s announcement by the Press Scrutiny and
Registration Department that the requirement for the press to submit
articles to the government for approval before publishing has ended.
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PRESS RELEASE
The Gambia: Security agents arbitrarily raid and shut down community radio station
ARTICLE 19 is concerned that the Gambian security services arbitrarily
raided and shut down the Gambian community radio station, Taranga FM, on
the night of 14-15 August. Taranga FM has been shut down before and
this most recent raid comes at a time when the Gambia is seeing
increasing violations of the right to freedom of expression.
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JOIN THE DEBATE
Burma: Chinese feel the heat from Directive 51
It's emerged today that the Chinese are feeling the heat from the
'reforms' process in neighbouring Burma. In an editorial by
editor-in-chief, Hu Xijin, in the Communist Party's English-language
newspaper, Global Times, the government was warned not to follow the
reforms process in Burma.
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