LEGAL ANALYSIS
Tunisia: Draft Law on Criminalisation of Offences against Sacred Values
In this analysis, ARTICLE 19 calls upon the Tunisian Constituent
Assembly to reject the Draft Law on the Amendment of the Penal Code
concerning the Criminalization of Offences against Sacred Values (Draft
Law) due to its illegitimate and excessive restrictions on freedom of
expression. Read more>
STATEMENT
Italy: Prison sentences for defamation violate freedom of expression
ARTICLE 19 calls on the Italian Parliament to repeal the provisions of
the Penal Code on defamation and bring its legislation in compliance
with the international standards on freedom of expression in response to
a recent court decision in a criminal defamation case convicting an
Italian journalist and the former director of a newspaper to prison
sentences.
Read more>
STATEMENT
Somalia: Provisional Constitution a positive step towards realising
right to freedom of expression and information, but challenges remain
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the adoption of the Provisional Constitution for
Somalia as a significant step in the country’s transition towards
democracy, and an important landmark for embedding protections for the
rights to freedom of expression and information in the country. However,
deficiencies in these protections threaten to undermine the ability of
new federal institutions to properly safeguard these rights. Full public
participation and transparency must define processes for enhancing
protections for these rights in the Constitution going forwards.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Tunisia: Draft law criminalising offending religious values is repressive and vague
ARTICLE 19 is alarmed by a Draft Law currently under consideration by
the Constituent Assembly that makes it a criminal offence to offend
religious values through words, images or acts. The Draft law violates
international human rights standards and imposes illegitimate and
excessive restrictions on the right to freedom of expression.
Read more>
PRESS RELEASE
Ukraine: Government must condemn killing of ecologist as crime against freedom of expression
ARTICLE 19 calls on the Ukrainian government to publicly condemn the
killing of environmental information activist, Volodymyr Honcharenko as a
crime against freedom of expression and ensure that those responsible
are brought to justice via an effective, independent and speedy process.
Volodymyr campaigned for environmental information in Ukraine and died
on 3 August.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Burma: Government creates press council but excludes press
ARTICLE 19 is concerned that today’s announcement by the Ministry of
Information to create the Myanmar Core Press Council fails to recognise
that the print media should be self-regulated by press councils
established by the media sector, including journalists, in order to
ensure the independence of the media and protect the right to freedom of
expression.
Read more >
PRESS RELEASE
Ethiopia: Charges against Feteh Newspaper editor Temesgen Desalegn must be dropped
ARTICLE 19 condemns the criminal charges of defamation and ‘false
rumours’ brought against Temesgen Desalegn, the editor-in-chief of Feteh
Newspaper and the Mastwal Printing and Advertising Company, for
articles critical of the government. The sentences available for such
‘crimes’ include life imprisonment and the death penalty.
Read more >
UPDATE
Civil Society welcomes UN High Level Panel on Post 2015 but where are the voices of People living in Poverty?
The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), CIVICUS, the Feminist
Task Force, Oxfam International, Beyond 2015, International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC), Article 19, ATD Fourth World, the World Movement
for Democracy and Stakeholder Forum, welcome the appointment by the UN
Secretary-General of a diverse High-Level Panel to advise on a post-2015
development agenda.
Read more >