World Press Freedom Day in Namibia was an important time to reflect on the safety of journalists in Africa. April was another brutal month, with the death of three journalists in two separate incidents, increasing persecution of journalists in Somalia, and numerous grave threats against media personnel and outlets across the continent. WPFD returns to…
Rights groups express solidarity with Russian human rights lawyer Ivan Pavlov
7 May 2021 To Whom It May Concern: We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, express our solidarity with Ivan Pavlov, a Russian human rights activist and lawyer, who has been charged under Article 310 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code which makes it a crime to disclose data of a preliminary investigation which has been declared…
Seven necessary steps to stopping Egypt’s human rights decline
This statement was originally published on anhri.info on 4 May 2021. Five Egyptian human rights organizations announced today a list of seven necessary, specific and urgent measures to stop the unprecedented deterioration that Egypt is witnessing in the human rights situation over the past years. The five organizations – the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights,…
Journalists demand access to ‘red zones’ in Cambodia
This statement was originally published on ccimcambodia.org on 6 May 2021. We, the undersigned journalism and media organizations, call on the Ministry of Information to restore the rights of journalists to safely access Phnom Penh’s red zones. A number of independent journalists have demonstrated they are prepared to take the risks and necessary precautions seriously…
Philippine media groups sign statement rejecting the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
This statement was originally published on cmfr-phil.org on 3 May 2021. THE SUPREME Court is hearing oral arguments on petitions against the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020. We, editors and reporters of news organizations around the Philippines, join the voices of various sectors opposing provisions of the law that trample upon fundamental freedoms, including the…
Vanuatu: Legislative changes raise media freedom concerns
This statement was originally published on Pacific Freedom Forum’s Facebook page on 3 May 2021. It has come to the Pacific Freedom Forum’s attention that the Vanuatu Parliament has recently passed a bill amending their Penal Code Act. The amendment to the Bill for the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No. of 2021 stipulates that…
Uzbekistan: Journalists still face threats and intimidation despite recent positive reforms
This statement was originally published on ipi.media on 30 April 2021. In recent years, media freedom in Uzbekistan has improved under the rule of Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The reformist prime minister turned president has been in power since 2016 following the death of long-time ruler Islam Karimov. Since then, Mirziyoyev has moved to open up one…
Belarusian parliament passes amendments stifling press freedom
This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 4 May 2021. The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned a set of amendments passed by the Belarusian parliament that could severely stifle press freedom in the country. On April 21, the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, adopted amendments to the country’s Mass Media Law…