freedom of expression
On Wednesday 4 May 2016, Sudan will undergo a formal review by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. During the review, representatives of the government of Sudan will present a national report of efforts made to implement human rights commitments and recommendations received during Sudan's first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2011. Representatives of UN member governments will then have the opportunity to ask questions and make recommendations to the government of Sudan. Governme...
Bytes for All, Pakistan, Media Matters for Democracy and the Association for Progressive Communications express their grave concerns over the recent development regarding the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill in the national assembly and reject the bill in its current shape. Passage of the draconian law by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz dominated house is another painful moment in the legislative history of Pakistan because the bill contains several sections leaving enough room for administr...
The efforts of the Government of Sudan to obstruct the engagement of civil society activists in a United Nations (UN)-led human rights review of the country is unacceptable and shows blatant contempt not just for human rights defenders in Sudan, but to human rights standards and the UN Human Rights Council, 36 Sudanese and international groups and seven prominent Sudanese individuals said today...
What is the state of internet freedoms in Latin America? That is the main question that our partners in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Paraguay set out to answer, as part of the Examining Internet Freedoms in Latin America project. With their country reports, Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (Mexico), Sulá Batsú (Costa Rica), Fundación Karisma (Colombia) and TEDIC (Paraguay) offer ...
Paraguay experienced state and private surveillance during the military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). However, the democratic period is not exempt from similar practices or new forms of abusive intrusion into the lives of citizens. This report analyses surveillance and violations of basic rights that continue in this democratic period in Paraguay, in other forms including surv...
Mexico’s Constitution recognises the right of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, the population has a low rate of access to the internet. The law recognises net neutrality, including the principles of non-discrimination and free access. However, there is documentary evidence of practices that run contrary to these principles. The Federal Telecommunications I...
Costa Rica has laws that recognise and protect the following rights: privacy, freedom of expression, honour, freedom of conscience, religion, association and assembly, and non-discrimination. The laws are backed up by national doctrine and jurisprudence, that is, judicial literature and sentences that recognise and mould an environment for the protection of these rights. Most of these rights ar...
Although Colombia has challenges guaranteeing internet access to all its population, the internet has become an essential tool for the development of many activities and the exercise of fundamental rights like freedom of expression and access to knowledge. Legislation and jurisprudence applicable to the internet have not been systematic, and this has often had major effects on whether the inter...
Bytes for All, Pakistan, at the Internet Freedom Festival. Valencia, 4 March 2016 “Taboos are on issues like LGBT, more than on fundamentalist and sectarian speech.” “Political expression, religious expression, minorities, human rights defenders, journalists are under threat.” “There is a feeling of panic, references to vague threats that end up criminalising journalists a...
“Joining Forces to Fight Censorship and Surveillance” is the motto of the Internet Freedom Festival (IFF) taking place in Valencia 1-6 March. The IFF has become one of the main worldwide events for activists, journalists and members of the technical community to gather around issues of surveillance, censorship and cirvumvention, with more than 800 participants this year. As a “friend of t...
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2017
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