freedom of expression

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) along with Bytes for All, Pakistan and Digital Empowerment Foundation, India strongly condemn the harassment of human rights defenders in Malaysia by raiding the office of Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) and confiscating important documents. The unjustified raid on the office of EMPOWER took place on 28 November 2016 when only...

President Yahya Jammeh cc: Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Gambia Permanent Mission to the United Nations African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 30 November 2016 Your Excellency, We are writing to urgently request that you ensure the stability and openness of the internet during the forthcoming elections in Gambia on December 1. Elections represent the most critic...

On 18 November, Maria Chin Abdullah, chairperson of Bersih 2.0 (the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections), and Mandeep Singh, manager of Bersih’s secretariat, were arrested, and the offices of Bersih 2.0 were raided, on the eve of a major rally in the Malaysian capital. Seven other individuals, mostly supporters of the 19 November Bersih 5 rally and people who have been critical of governme...

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) passed a groundbreaking resolution on 29 September concerning the safety of journalists, which contained a number of firsts. This resolution marks the first time the Council recognised that encryption and anonymity tools are vital for the work of journalists, and called upon states not to interfere with the use of such technologies. This is also the first time ...

Among the more than a dozen reports from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that were discussed last week at the Human Rights Council (HRC), one addressed a topic very relevant to internet policy and regulation: how to protect and promote human rights while preventing and countering violent extremism. Aside from being one of the most significant challenges to the enjoyment of human right...

With the increasing use of the internet in various aspects of daily life as well as for the exercise of fundamental freedoms, it is critical that governments fulfil their obligation to promote and protect human rights online. However, in Pakistan, many of the restrictions imposed on rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), such as freedom of expressi...

Pakistan’s new and controversial cyber crime bill is poised to become a law after the National Assembly passed it today. The bill now has the approval of both the upper and lower house of the Parliament and requires only the presidential signature before formally being enacted as a law. Media Matters for Democracy, Bytes for All, Pakistan and the Association for Progressive Communications (AP...

Joint written statement submitted by the Association for Progressive Communications to the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council: State of Internet Rights in India, Malaysia and Pakistan With the increasing use of the internet for the exercise of freedom of expression and exchange of opinion globally, governments must fulfill their obligation to promote and protect human rights online. Howev...