Tunis, 20 October 2021 Tunisian associations express deep concern over continued persecution of Moroccan historian and writer Maati Monjib The undersigned Tunisian associations express their deep concern at the continued persecution of Moroccan historian and writer Maati Monjib, known for his defense of freedom of expression and of the press. He has shown solidarity with…
Egypt: Activists face fabricated charges in Emergency State Security court trial
This statement was originally published on cihrs.org on 19 October 2021. The undersigned rights organizations condemn the politically retaliatory decision to refer activists Alaa Abdel Fattah and Mohamed Ibrahim, known as Oxygen, and rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer to trial in the Emergency State Security Misdemeanor Court. The three are being charged in a new case,…
Jordan: Lèse-majesté pardons stir calls for decriminalizing free expression
This statement was originally published on ipi.media on 18 October 2021. Laws criminalizing insult of heads of state have no place in democratic countries, IPI says The IPI global network of journalists, editors and executives for independent journalism welcomed the move by King Abdullah of Jordan to pardon those convicted of lèse-majesté, the crime of…
Belarus: ‘Novy Chas’ newspaper raided, staff interrogated
This statement was originally published on europeanjournalists.org on 22 October 2021. Staff members of the Belarusian political weekly newspaper Novy Chas had their homes or offices searched by the authorities, and were temporarily detained and interrogated on 19 and 20 November. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined their affiliate, the Belarusian Association…
Uzbekistan: RFE/RL staff receive death threats ahead of presidential election
This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 21 October 2021. Authorities in Uzbekistan should swiftly investigate threats received by employees of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and ensure that they can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.On October 16, anonymous users of the Telegram messaging app sent dozens…
Global Encryption Day: Governments, private sector are urged to reject efforts undermining encryption
Strong encryption is a critical technology that helps keep people, their information, and communications private and secure. It underpins online trust, protects members of vulnerable communities, and safeguards the data of governments, businesses, and citizens from criminals and other malicious actors. However, some governments and organizations are pushing to weaken encryption, which would create a…
Turkey: Third quarter of 2021 saw 29 journalists physically attacked and access blocks on 141 articles by IFEX member Bianet
This statement was originally published on bianet.org on 20 October 2021. Click here to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish Having passed a motion foreseeing the appointment of legal representatives to social media platforms and the inspection of these platforms by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) last year, the government is preparing to introduce…
Statement of Mizzima on the release of political prisoners
This statement was originally published on mizzima.com on 19 October 2021. Mizzima welcomes the decision of the military junta to release 5,636 people jailed for protesting against the military coup of February 2021, which overthrew a democratically elected government. The prisoners are being released on the occasion of the Thadingyut festival. While we welcome the…