Join the debate
The Protection of the Post Arab Spring Civic Space: Many Challenges
Posted: 9 May 2013
Opening speech for the conference in Tunis on 21 and 22 March 2013 to protect the civic space post-Arab Spring and to strengthen the legal protection for human rights defenders and journalists involved in the process of democratic reforms in the countries of North Africa.Dear friends, participants and colleagues, Just over two years ago, the Tunisian…
My life with Hugo Chavez
Posted: 7 Mar 2013
I’m Venezuelan, I’m 28 years old and I’ve lived half of my life under Hugo’s rule. The name of our country was changed (from just Venezuela, to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela), so was our flag (Hugo wanted to add more stars) and our currency (from “Bolivares” to “Bolivares Fuertes”), for no other…
Myanmar: Dr Seik's famous blog post being investigated by parliament (in English)
Posted: 13 Feb 2013
In the last few days, anonymous blogger "Dr Seik Phwar" has been a major focus of the Myanma parliament who have pushed a motion to out his identity.More…
WCIT: What happened and what it means for the internet
Posted: 19 Dec 2012
After two weeks of intensive negotiations, the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) adopted the revised International Telecommunications…
Police brutality: The new element of Mexico´s freedom of expression crisis?
Posted: 17 Dec 2012
For many voices, the main problem of recently sworn in president, Enrique Peña, may be reduce to an “image problem”. The economy is…
ARTICLE 19 protests at the Aliyev statue to highlight the imprisonment of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan
Posted: 5 Dec 2012
ARTICLE 19 protests at the Aliyev statue to highlight the imprisonment of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan During the annual global…
What defamation law is needed in Macedonia?
Posted: 8 Nov 2012
The Macedonian Parliament should be congratulated for reforming defamation legislation. There are a number of things about the draft law which we ought…
Freedom of Expression and Free Television: the Channel 4 Experience
Posted: 5 Nov 2012
Speech given by David Abraham at The Freeword Centre, London. November 1st 2012.Thirty years ago tonight, British TV viewers were about to have their perspectives…
Campaigning for media pluralism in Central Asia
Posted: 1 Nov 2012
What is media pluralism? Last week I addressed the participants of the UNESCO Conference in Almaty with this question. My audience included mainly people…
LGBT activists in Europe will not be silenced
Posted: 29 Oct 2012
ARTICLE 19 legal officer Andrew Smith has just returned from ILGA Europe’s Annual Conference in Dublin - Europe’s largest meeting on the human…
On the power to exit
Posted: 1 Oct 2012
It seems to me that a major theme in all my recent travels has been the power to exit or perhaps the power to flee. One might think that flight or exit…
Freedom of expression and harmful speech: The Kenyan situation
Posted: 27 Sep 2012
Introduction The Constitution of Kenya - promulgated in August 2010 - includes, in Chapter 4, an extensive Bill of Rights. Article 33 of the Constitution…
Video: Impunity is the main obstacle for freedom of speech in Mexico
Posted: 25 Sep 2012
Isn’t it time for the government to let the media regulate itself?
Posted: 20 Sep 2012
For the past few years now, the media fraternity has taken significant efforts to establish mechanisms of self-regulation, resulting in the establishment…
Egyptian television broadcast regulatory framework: Challenges and opportunities
Posted: 20 Sep 2012
Summary The broadcast media in Egypt has long been considered the government’s mouthpiece reflecting and prioritising the president's activities…
New media in Kenya: Time for regulation?
Posted: 13 Sep 2012
Summary ‘New Media in Kenya: Time for Regulation?’ considers the Kenyan government’s legislative and policy responses to the challenges…
Finding free speech: New series of guest authors from Africa and the Middle East
Posted: 13 Sep 2012
ARTICLE 19 is proud of our network of partners in Africa and the Middle East. Our work in both regions is impossible without the assistance of many local…
Our reminder for President Felipe Calderon
Posted: 7 Sep 2012
Last monday President Felipe Calderon gave his "state of the union" speech. In that speech he forgot completely to talk about violence against the press…
ARTICLE 19 and the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)
Posted: 24 Aug 2012
I-A-T-I It does need spelling out; spelling out how aid money flows from donors to those people who will feel a change in their lives. So for…
Burma: Chinese feel the heat from Directive 51
Posted: 22 Aug 2012
It's emerged today that the Chinese are feeling the heat from the 'reforms' process in neighbouring Burma. In an editorial by editor-in-chief, Hu…
Journalists must be safe to play democracy role
Posted: 12 Aug 2012
The media in Uganda has gone through some very horrendous experiences in the recent past.But none has been more menacing than the constant threats and…
Burmese irony
Posted: 7 Aug 2012
This is a leaked photo of the frontpage of a Burmese weekly journal, The Nation, after it comes back from the pre-publication censorship board and is covered…
Mr Putin: insult is not a crime, so why prosecute Pussy Riot?
Posted: 3 Aug 2012
The Russian authorities should immediately release the three members of the feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot and drop all criminal charges. ARTICLE 19…
Crude Accountability
Posted: 3 Aug 2012
In May we met with a journalist from the Uralskaya Nedelya newspaper, Lukpan Akhmedyarov, soon after he was attacked. Lukpan Akhmedyarov is not only a…
Artists suffer as Putin visits London 2012
Posted: 31 Jul 2012
Very few people had heard of Pussy Riot or knew of the Russian court system until a group of women from a collective known as Pussy Riot started being…
Of Aliens and Flying Saucers - Mouvement Raelien Suisse v Switzerland-Grand Chamber
Posted: 26 Jul 2012
Earlier this month, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights handed down judgment in Mouvement Raelien Suisse v Switzerland (application…
Facebook fallout
Posted: 9 Jul 2012
It was quite a surprise to discover last week that Facebook had censored us - an anti-censorship organisation.Our initial reaction was "is this what we've…
How to protect the rights of peaceful protesters
Posted: 9 Jul 2012
Russia, Bahrain and Syria are now notoriously known for violating the rights of human rights defenders and denying a space for peaceful protests. International…
Facebook censors us
Posted: 6 Jul 2012
ARTICLE 19 is an international free speech organization. Like many organizations around the world, we have a Facebook page where we share content about…
TODAY, by a huge majority, the European parliament voted to reject ACTA
Posted: 4 Jul 2012
478 votes Against 39 For 165 Abstentions This is the first time in its history that the European Parliament votes to reject an international treaty…
Deaf to Daw Suu
Posted: 25 Jun 2012
I hate celebritisation. It's by far one of the worst developments in the British 'free' media. But meeting Daw Suu I can begin to understand the feeling…
Rio day 10: Its the end of the world (and I feel fine)
Posted: 23 Jun 2012
Last bus. It's still grey after raining hard last night but looks like it might clear. That's good since I have a whole few hours tomorrow before I get…
Aung San Suu Kyi: UK parliament at its best and at its worst
Posted: 22 Jun 2012
Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in the UK on Tuesday with a full schedule organised by the British Foreign Office carefully crafted to ensure civil society was…
Rio Day 9: The walking dead
Posted: 22 Jun 2012
Pretty much everything here is now falling apart. Everyone is exhausted (well those who have been here for more than a day) walking around like zombies,…
Rio day 8: The circus comes to town
Posted: 21 Jun 2012
Raining this morning for first time since I got here. Earth crying? Nah, too obvious. And if responding, she would be puking up a volcano or force…
Sheffield goes bananas
Posted: 21 Jun 2012
Last Friday I went to speak at a panel in the Sheffield Doc /Fest - the UKs biggest documentary film festival. The panel, which was called Stories lead…
Two special rapporteurs report on violence against journalists in Geneva
Posted: 20 Jun 2012
This Tuesday called for special attention to violence against journalists, after two reports were submitted by United Nations Special Rapporteurs at the…
Rio+20 Summit: Civil Society Organisations stranded in the middle of nowhere
Posted: 20 Jun 2012
Tahmina Rahman, director of ARTICLE 19 south Asia is at Rio+20 as a member of the Bangladeshi delegation. She gives a firsthand account about what role…
Rio day 6: The end is nigh! And so is the world!
Posted: 19 Jun 2012
First, a disclaimer: any resemblences in this blog with any persons, delegations and/or major conferences being held by large international intergovernmental…
Rio day 5: The light at the end of the tunnel?
Posted: 18 Jun 2012
Its day 5 here in Rio. According to my ipod app, it's really nice and warm and sunny outside but I cant say I've got much actual experience on…
Rio day 4: The big bang
Posted: 17 Jun 2012
Welcome to the first day of the Brazilian leadership. Perhaps this is a taste of what will happen in the future with the BRICs take over the world. I had…
Rio day 3: The quickening
Posted: 16 Jun 2012
Not such a good start today. I was so surprised to see the beach at daylight walking to the bus that I tripped and smashed up my computer. Its the first…
Rio+20: Effects of climate change on women
Posted: 16 Jun 2012
ARTICLE 19 South America created this film for Rio+20 to show how climate change affects women.Subtitles+ The climate is changing. + Everybody knows this…
Rio day 2: Before the Summit
Posted: 15 Jun 2012
[Editor] Yet another update from Dave Banisar, our Senior Legal Advisor at the Rio Summit. A little insight into the drafting of the Outcome document and…
Rio day 1: Gearing up
Posted: 14 Jun 2012
[Editor] Here is a little preview of what's in store at the Rio+20 Summit. Senior legal advisor, Dave Banisar is at the Summit and about to be joined by…
Of Russian forests, threats and stifled journalists
Posted: 13 Jun 2012
In an open letter , Dmitriy Muratov, the Editor-in-Chief of the Russian, Novaya Gazeta (the paper where for example Anna Politkovskaya…
What former Yugoslavian states must do to address hate speech
Posted: 13 Jun 2012
In May 2012 I attended the regional conference on dealing effectively with the hate crime and hate speech and hate speech phenomena, organized by the Organization…
Vietnam: What the state does not want you to know
Posted: 11 Jun 2012
If you are a human rights defender or free speech activist in Vietnam, there is bad news in store for you. The government is cracking down heavily on activists…
Kazakhstan - on route via Minsk to Beijing
Posted: 28 May 2012
It sounds like an ominous route, in terms of the suppression of free speech, and this is exactly where Kazakhstan seems to be going.Legislation taken out…
Not a Niche Issue: Marriage Equality, Freedom of Expression, and Equality Everywhere
Posted: 23 May 2012
"I have learnt a number of things already this week. The first is that participating in the UK democratic process is made incredibly easy bywww.writetothem.com.…
Some suggestions on broadcasting to the people of Burma
Posted: 22 May 2012
Dear people of Burma, We know that you are interested in reforming broadcasting regulation, indeed we keep on getting requests for help.In particular,…
World Communicate Anti-Homophobia on Telly Day?
Posted: 17 May 2012
Today marks World Anti-Homophobia Day and World Telecommunications Day. Couldn't somebody suggest in the global recession that we mash up the two and create:…
Online child protection should not come hand-in-hand with censorship
Posted: 17 May 2012
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister David Cameron announced that his government would be considering default filtering of ‘adult content’…
Senegal: Launch of film on Women political participation and representation
Posted: 16 May 2012
ARTICLE 19 and the Caucus of Women Leaders of Senegal launched two documentaries on the 14th May 2012 to celebrate the second anniversary of the adoption…
Video: ACTA is bad for free expression
Posted: 15 May 2012
ACTA inadequately protects freedom of expression and fundamental rights.There is a lack of clarity about the criminal provisions contained in the bill.…
Bangladesh: Right to information song
Posted: 9 May 2012
ARTICLE 19 Bangladesh has commissioned four traditional Bangla songs celebrating the right to information.
How Facebook made my hairdresser a media star
Posted: 3 May 2012
You may try to ignore racist slurs out of courtesy. If they come from the mouth of your hairdresser you better remain silent otherwise you risk getting…
Zhanaozen, attempted murder, cyber-police - and Tony Blair
Posted: 3 May 2012
Guessed which country this refers to? Zhanaozen gives it away, where at least 16 people died on 19 December 2011 following violent clashes between protesting…
Wikileaks, King Midas and the donkey ears
Posted: 3 May 2012
Bradley Manning can be in jail and Julian Assange facing extradition, Wikileaks’ website can suffer denial of service attacks or be shut down, but…
Haraam internet campaign
Posted: 3 May 2012
Haraam, the opposite of halaal, is an action or object that is deemed impermissible in Islamic Law. Alcoholic beverages, pork, premarital sex (and…
Knock on the ISP door
Posted: 3 May 2012
Imagine a geek sitting in a dark room at a desk covered in dirty coffee cups typing gobbledygook on a stained keyboard linked to a bank of computers. Then…
Press Freedom, Ethics and News of the World
Posted: 3 May 2012
On May 3, 2011 I was covering a photography exhibition in a bizarrely designed building, filled with stuffed animals and other curios, known as the National…
The scramble for Burma
Posted: 3 May 2012
The European Union (EU) has suspended its sanctions against Burma for a year following a wave of widely praised political reforms in the country.The official…
Vietnam: Beware the blogger
Posted: 3 May 2012
Despite the troubling fact that many Vietnamese bloggers have been and continue to be arrested by their government, it is difficult for me to shake off…
Will Weibo undermine the Great FireWall?
Posted: 3 May 2012
The massive architecture of the Great Firewall – China’s internet censorship apparatus – will not be able to stop the local microblogging…
Observations on comparative priority-setting
Posted: 3 May 2012
As an international, or at the very least inter-European individual I have experienced societies quite distant from each other on a hypothetical spectrum…
The Era of Fast Food Information: Danger for plurality
Posted: 3 May 2012
The Internet has undoubtedly increased the capacity of production of alternative content by marginalised groups, but the distribution and consumption of…
The Myth of the Techno-utopians
Posted: 3 May 2012
“New technologies and social networks such as twitter are full of misinformation, full of noise”, “the techn-outopians are so naïve…
West Africa: Social media unlock the space
Posted: 3 May 2012
The West African region is still marked by political instability, increasing social malaise and the threats of religious fundamentalism. In this complete…
A Taboo Subject
Posted: 3 May 2012
In my opinion women have a critical role in the transition to democracy; the silencing of women demeans and undermines human rights and weakens democracy.Women’s…
East Africa: Cyber-control under guise of hate speech
Posted: 2 May 2012
While prohibition of incitement to hatred, violence and discrimination is necessary given the effects of hate propaganda in the region, governments need…
ACTA breaches human rights
Posted: 2 May 2012
On 11 April 2011, I gave a talk in the European Parliament about how ACTA is in breach of human rights. The stakeholder hearing was organised by Marietje…
Internet anonymous? Sorry! Not anymore...
Posted: 2 May 2012
Not surprisingly, China has the one of the biggest online communities in the world. Nowadays, some 300 million Chinese people use Weibo, China’s…
Will Weibo break China?
Posted: 2 May 2012
When people talk about China, what’s in your mind? A country has the highest population in the world, with 1.3 billion people, a sleeping dragon…
Manika Jha: I write for justice
Posted: 2 May 2012
Manika Jha visited the UK with Peace Brigades International, who do great work protecting human rights defenders and journalists like Manika worldwide.…
Twitter: Blurring the lines
Posted: 2 May 2012
The case of Liam Stacey, jailed for 56 days for posting racist comments on Twitter, shows the legal challenges presented by microblogging and the blurring…
Cameron should take civil society, not businessmen to Burma
Posted: 13 Apr 2012
It’s undeniable that Burma is changing. But having just got visas at the invitation of the Minister of Information and having finally visited the…
The cat-and-mouse of Asia
Posted: 10 Apr 2012
It is undeniable that the internet has fully hit East and Southeast Asia (E & SE Asia), the figures speak for themselves. China has the greatest amount…
The case of Kenya at the Universal Periodic Review
Posted: 5 Apr 2012
ARTICLE 19 has participated in UPRs in 18 countries globally, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. There is a lot we can share but I will…
Bloggers under attack in Brazil
Posted: 30 Mar 2012
ARTICLE 19 is seriously concerned about bloggers' freedom of expression in Brazil.Bloggers are being some threatened and even murdered because their ideas,…
Is the International Olympic Committee censoring your breakfast?
Posted: 30 Mar 2012
I was born and raised in the United States, and it is safe to say that my experience with the Olympics has been largely censored. I remember the…
Digital crossfire
Posted: 12 Mar 2012
As the pattern of violence against journalists and traditional media consolidates across Mexico, due the failure of the state in providing protection remedies,…
Yen a Marre: a cry for justice and equality
Posted: 11 Mar 2012
Senegal: Y’ en a Marre’ “enough is enough”; a youth Hip Hop group became a national phenomenon, one of the icons in the fight against…
0 comments