26 Sep 2018 | Campaigns -- Featured, Statements
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Freedom of expression campaigners, human rights groups and legal experts are raising concerns that proposed new counter-terrorism legislation in the United Kingdom would restrict freedom of expression and limit access to information online.
The UK Parliament is currently considering the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which could become law within a few months. The government aims to build on existing laws to fill gaps and close perceived loopholes. However, in doing so, the bill goes very far, including restricting online activity, which undermines fundamental rights to freedom of expression.
For example, the bill would make it a crime to view online content that is likely to be useful for terrorism, even if you have no terrorist intent (and even if you are watching over someone else’s shoulder). The crime would carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. It would make the work of investigative journalists and academic researchers difficult and risky – as mistakenly landing on an offending page could have major consequences. The first version of this clause required a person to access the wrong content three times, but the government has amended this to become a “one-click rule” rather than the original “three-click rule”.
The bill would criminalise publishing (for example, posting on social media) a picture or video clip of clothes or a flag in a way that raises “reasonable suspicion” that the person doing it is a member or supporter of a terrorist organisation. Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended that this clause be withdrawn or amended because it “risks a huge swathe of publications being caught, including historical images and journalistic articles” and because of its potentially very wide reach and interference with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The government has not taken this recommendation into account.
United Nations special rapporteur Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin has expressed concerns that the proposed clause “runs the risk of criminalising a broad range of legitimate behaviour, including reporting by journalists, civil society organisations or human rights activists as well as academic and other research activity”. She has expressed concerns about several parts of the bill and emphasised that it should be brought in line with the UK’s obligations under international human rights law.
Index on Censorship believes that the bill is not fit for purpose and should go back to the drawing board. It would significantly impact freedom of expression online, damage journalism and academic research, and signal the wrong direction for future online regulation in the UK.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”12″ style=”load-more” items_per_page=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1537973479519-b24f761b-9263-2″ taxonomies=”27743″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
26 Sep 2018 | Bulgaria, Campaigns -- Featured, Statements
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mr. Boyko Metodiev Borissov
Prime Minister
Republic of Bulgaria
1594 Sofia, 1 Dondukov Blvd
26 September 2018
Dear Prime Minister Boyko Borissov,
The undersigned press freedom organisations are writing to you today to express our concern over the treatment of a team of journalists investigating corruption in Bulgaria, and to urge you to ensure their safety.
Dimitar Stoyanov, a reporter for the Bulgarian investigative journalism website Bivol, and Attila Biro, editor of the Romanian investigative website RISE Project, were taken into custody on Thursday, 13 September 2018, while attempting to prevent and document the destruction of evidence allegedly showing corruption in EU-funded projects in Bulgaria.
Bivol and Rise Project had reported on the alleged corruption just days earlier as part of an investigative project financially supported by the #IJ4EU programme, which is funded by the European Commission through the International Press Institute (IPI) and the European Centre for Press and Media (ECPMF).
According to information we received, local police arrested both journalists and refused to release them despite being presented with press cards. Police also confiscated their mobile phones and did not allow them to make any calls. They were eventually released after several hours. We are troubled by this incident, which suggests a lack of sensitivity on the part of the authorities for the work of journalists. The reactions of top officials to this case so far also indicate a missed opportunity for the government to show its strong support of investigative journalism.
What’s more, we have learned that the Bulgarian authorities are focused on uncovering the source behind the journalists’ investigation and that officials have made statements seen as potentially endangering the safety of the journalists involved.
The report published by Bivol and Rise Project – both highly respected journalistic organisations – on 10 September contained serious allegations of corruption and fraud involving EU funded projects worth hundreds of millions of BGN. By publishing that report on a matter of undisputed public interest, the journalists involved carried out their democratic duty as a watchdog over wrongdoing and abuse of power.
We strongly urge your government, in line with Bulgaria’s international human rights obligations, to ensure that the reporters investigating this case can continue their work free from any intimidation or threat and to guarantee their physical safety as well as that of all journalists in Bulgaria. We also urge you to make clear that authorities themselves should be investigating the alleged wrongdoing uncovered by Bivol and Rise Project instead of harassing the journalists, who have performed a valuable public service.
Sincerely,
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Index on Censorship
International Press Institute (IPI)
OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
Ossigeno per l’Informazione
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Press freedom violations in Bulgaria verified by Mapping Media Freedom since May 2014″ font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI3MDAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRm1hcHBpbmdtZWRpYWZyZWVkb20udXNoYWhpZGkuaW8lMkZzYXZlZHNlYXJjaGVzJTJGNzUlMkZtYXAlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvd2Z1bGxzY3JlZW4lM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1537954879223-4f6e311c-2a8a-4″ taxonomies=”1667″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
25 Sep 2018 | Campaigns -- Featured, Counter Terrorism, Statements, United Kingdom
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship has filed an official notification with the Council of Europe raising concerns about the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill’s impacts on media freedom in the UK.
Index believes that the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill would undermine media freedom and damage journalism if it is enacted in its current form.
The bill would criminalise watching online content likely to be useful for terrorism, even if viewed with no terrorist intent. The offence would carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. It would make the work of investigative journalists very difficult.
The bill would criminalise publishing (for example, by posting online) images of clothing or an article such as a flag in a way that aroused “reasonable suspicion” that the person doing it was a member or supporter of a proscribed (terrorist) organisation.
The bill would introduce new border security measures that would not allow journalists to protect sources and confidential materials.
The bill will be considered in the House of Lords on 9 October.
Index is an official partner in the Council of Europe’s Platform for the safety of journalism.
Joy Hyvarinen, head of advocacy said: “Index considers this bill to be a threat to media freedom in the UK, which is why we have alerted the Council of Europe. It is extremely important to tackle terrorism, but doing it by undermining media freedom is not the right way. Journalists must be free to do their work”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”12″ style=”load-more” items_per_page=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1537888523395-496f859a-3b84-3″ taxonomies=”27743″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
25 Sep 2018 | Campaigns -- Featured, Saudi Arabia, Statements
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”102812″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]ALQST for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, English PEN, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), Index on Censorship, and PEN International call on the authorities in Saudi Arabia to release Yemeni writer and online activist Marwan Al-Muraisy, who has been subject to enforced disappearance since June.
On 01 June 2018, security forces arrested Al-Muraisy from his home and transferred him to an unknown location. Reliable reports confirmed that he is being held incommunicado. To date, Al-Muraisy’s family have been denied information about the charges against him, the location where he is being held and are unable to visit him.
Al-Muraisy, born in 1982, moved from Yemen to Saudi Arabia in 2003 and began his journalism career the following year. He has worked for several Saudi media outlets, including TV channels Al-Majd and Al-Resalah. His Twitter account has more than 100,000 followers, with his tweets focusing on his areas of specialisation, including digital media and human development. He has prepared more than 30 television programmes and has been a guest on a number of television programmes dealing with technology and social media. Al-Muraisy wrote one book, published in 2013, entitled “Sparrow’s Milk”.
The arrest of Marwan Al-Muraisy is part of a string of arrests that included dozens of academics, writers, journalists and human rights defenders, including prominent women’s rights activists, since 15 May 2018. The arrests have targeted human rights defenders calling for women to be allowed to drive, and to live free of the guardianship system.
In June 2018, women were finally permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia, but the crackdown seems designed to deter any criticism of the Kingdom or its rulers. Hundreds of human rights defenders, intellectuals and other activists are already imprisoned and serving lengthy sentences in Saudi Arabia, many from banned NGOs.
Saudi authorities should clarify Al-Muraisy’s situation and ensure that all his civic and human rights are respected. He should be released immediately and unconditionally in order to get back to pursuing his successful career as a writer.
Signed:
ALQST for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
English PEN
Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
Index on Censorship
PEN International[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1537794256021-38c231b2-4977-8″ taxonomies=”6534″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
