Jun 23, 2019 | Events, News
The ICJ joins other NGOs and UN experts in presenting a side event to the UN Human Rights Council, Thursday 27 June, 11:30am – 12:30pm, in Room VIII, Palais des Nations
Less than a week after the UN Human Rights Council adopted its most recent resolution on the safety of journalists, Saudi Arabia dispatched a hit squad to its Istanbul consulate to murder Washington Post journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.
This crime against freedom of expression shocked the world. It laid bare the chasm between the international community’s stated commitments to the safety of journalists, and the ability of UN human rights mechanisms to protect at-risk journalists, and respond quickly and effectively to support investigations into killings of journalists, and end the cycle of impunity for such attacks.
This human rights crisis is not limited to autocratic countries or nascent democracies – after several years in decline, the number of killings of journalists worldwide spiked in 2018, whilst impunity for historic cases remains troublingly high, fueling further violence. In Malta, a report by PACE Special Rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt into the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia more than 18 months ago, highlighted serious concerns over national investigations, pointing to systemic rule of law failings in the country.
As the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions, Dr. Agnès Callamard, presents the findings of her independent investigation into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi to the 41st Session of the UN Human Rights Council, join us to discuss what recent attacks on journalists have taught us about gaps in prevention, protection and prosecution, and how to enhance the UN’s response to impunity.
| Panelists |
Dr. Agnès Callamard |
UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions |
|
David Kaye |
UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression |
|
Hatice Cengiz |
Fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi |
|
Pieter Omtzigt |
Special Rapporteur, Council of Europe |
|
Rob Mahoney |
Deputy Executive Director, Committee to Protect Journalists |
|
Yahya Assiri |
Founder and Director, ALQST |
| Moderator |
Thomas Hughes |
Executive Director, ARTICLE 19 |
Jun 20, 2018 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
At the UN the ICJ today addressed abuse of laws in Southeast Asia to restrict freedom of expression.The statement was made in an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It read as follows:
“The ICJ welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (A/HRC/38/35), on online expression. Such concerns are reflected in the continued weaponization of laws to criminalize and unduly restrict freedom of expression in Southeast Asia. Increasingly, laws are misused to harass and intimidate civil society, journalists, politicians and ordinary individuals.
For example, in Cambodia, three persons were arrested – two charged and detained in May, and one reportedly arrested this past weekend – for sharing content on Facebook in alleged violation of a recent lèse majesté law. Another man was similarly detained, and a woman extradited from Thailand to Cambodia and imprisoned, for Facebook posts deemed critical of the government. An inter-ministerial order signed last month now allows government agencies to monitor and censor information on websites and social media.
Another example is Vietnam, where as well-known bloggers remain in jail, last week lawmakers adopted a cybersecurity law that will compel companies to store users’ data in-country, pass personal data to government authorities, and censor information online when directed to do so by the government.
A further example is Thailand, where this year alone at least 132 people were charged for “illegal assembly” after protesting for elections to be held – 27 were also charged with a sedition-like offence carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment. Last week, arrest warrants were reportedly issued alleging dissemination of false information on Facebook, which may lead to charges under the Computer Crimes Act carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, despite international standards precluding imprisonment as an appropriate penalty.
The ICJ urges all States to implement the recommendations in the report of the Special Rapporteur, and to ensure the right to freedom of expression by revoking or amending all laws, orders, policies or other actions which unjustifiably restrict this fundamental freedom.”
Jun 11, 2014 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ, together with the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and on behalf of ARC International, today delivered an oral statement to the Human Rights Council during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on peaceful assembly and association.
The report of the Special Rapporteur addressed challenges faced by groups at risk, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.
The statement welcomed the report by the Special Rapporteur.
It referred to the Nigerian Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (which in fact criminalizes a much broader range of human rights-protected activities than its title would necessarily suggest), Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, and Ukraine’s draft law on “propaganda of homosexual relations”. All of these laws impede freedom of peaceful assembly of LGBTI persons. The Nigerian law also interferes with freedom of association, as it bans registration, funding and activities of “gay” organizations.
It also referred to Russia’s ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”.
It emphasised the detrimental impact of such laws on the work of LGBTI human rights defenders and the activities of health care providers. It stressed that laws directly targeting the freedom of peaceful assembly or association of LGBTI individuals solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity are inconsistent with international human rights law.
UN-HRC26-AssociationLGBTI-OralStatement-advocay-non legal submission-2014 (full text in pdf)
The report of the Special Rapporteur is available here.
Jun 21, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ statement draws attention to recent laws that threaten the right to freedom of expression of LGBT persons, noting examples that fail the tests of certainty, necessity and non-discrimination.
