STATEMENT
Philippines: Violence against journalists and activists dramatically increased since 1st UPR review
The Philippines’ human rights record will be reviewed for the second
time on Tuesday 29 May 2012 before the UN Human Rights Council. ARTICLE
19 has called for the UN member states to raise concerns to the
Philippines regarding violence against individuals exercising free
speech and the culture of impunity, the absence of a
right-to-information law, and the use of criminal defamation laws to
silence critics.
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STATEMENT
Universal Periodic Review: Brazil must ensure an end to violence against journalists and commit to media pluralism
ARTICLE 19 has called upon member states of the United Nations to
highlight freedom of expression and information in Brazil at the
country’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review on 25 May. ARTICLE 19 is
concerned about the following issues:
•Challenges to media pluralism and diversity
•Risk of inadequate internet regulation
•Overuse of defamation and persistence of desacato laws
•Violence against journalist and human rights defenders
•Challenges to the implementation of the new Access to Information Law
•Lack of proper consultation and limited access to information regarding large development projects.
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PRESS RELEASE
Uganda: Government must stop using trumped up charges to curtail freedom of expression
ARTICLE19 welcomes the acquittal of journalist Richard Otim and 12
others on charges of treason and concealment of treason by Kampala High
Court Judge, David Wangutusi.
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PRESS RELEASE
Thailand: Prominent webmaster receives 8 months suspended sentence
Bangkok, 31 May 2012: Respected online media editor and human rights
activist Chiranuch Premchaipron, was given an eight-month suspended jail
sentence on 30 May for violating the country’s lèse-majesté law and
Computer Crimes Act (CCA). Chiranuch is accused of allowing third-party
comments deemed offensive to the monarchy to be posted on an online
forum she moderates. ARTICLE 19 strongly condemns the sentence, which is
a clear violation of international standards on the right to freedom of
expression.
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PRESS RELEASE
Croatia:First academy on media law in South East Europe to kick off in Zagreb
ZAGREB, 31 May 2012 – The first academy on media law in South East
Europe will open in Zagreb, Croatia, on Monday, 4 June, under the
auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), with support of the
Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the
Media, and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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PRESS RELEASE
Cambodia: Crackdown on free speech worsens as 13 female land activists arrested
Thirteen women activists from the forcibly evicted Phnom Penh community
of Boeung Kak Lake were arrested on Thursday 24 May 2012 in what is
turning out to be a string of harsh crackdowns on free speech since the
start of this year. ARTICLE 19 is alarmed over the escalated use of
violence and legal threats by those in power to silence their critics,
and calls for the immediate release of the thirteen Boeung Kak women.
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Kazakhstan - on route via Minsk to Bejing
It sounds like an ominous route, in terms of the suppression of free
speech, and this is exactly where Kazakhstan seems to be going.
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