NEWS
The Special Rapporteur sent a joint letter to the Government of Sri Lanka concerning its recently proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) published on 17 March 2023.
In response to domestic and international scrutiny, Switzerland is currently reviewing its banking secrecy law to determine whether it violates media freedom. Swiss law currently restricts the disclosure of confidential banking information that alleges wrongdoing, including by journalists and whistleblowers. The Swiss Parliament must now decide if the law should be changed to allow the media to report on leaked banking data without fear of criminal prosecution.
At the close of Special Rapporteur Irene Khan's official visit to Serbia and Kosovo from March 28 to April 6, 2023, the UN rapporteur gave a press conference and a series of media interviews.
6 April 2023 – Serbia must ensure that legal reforms are accompanied by effective implementation of laws and political will to combat dangerous rhetoric against minorities, journalists and activists, said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.
The UN Special Rapporteur will conduct an official visit to Serbia and Kosovo from 28 March to 6 April 2023 to assess the enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and media freedom,
Two UN experts have communicated with Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding proposed amendments to reintroduce criminal sanctions for defamation.
13 March 2023 – Myanmar’s military junta is orchestrating an online campaign of terror, and weaponising social media platforms to crush democratic opposition, UN experts said today.
8 March 2023 – The verdict of treason against Cambodia opposition leader Kem Sokha would have a chilling effect on political activism and freedom of expression in the country ahead of July national elections, UN experts warned today.
6 March 2023 – UN experts today expressed deep concern about ongoing allegations of repression, arbitrary killings, arrests, detention, and enforced disappearances of demonstrators in Peru and urged authorities to establish a genuine dialogue with the people to end the country’s political crisis.
3 March 2023 – UN experts today urged the international community to relentlessly pursue truth and justice for all victims of human rights violations in Belarus, after a court in Minsk delivered a devastating verdict, sentencing Belarusian human rights defender and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison.
1 March 2023 – UN experts today expressed concern about persistent allegations of increased militarisation and human rights violations surrounding Mandalika, an urban development and tourism project in Indonesia.
22 February 2023 – A UN expert today expressed concern over an escalating crackdown against civil society by Algerian authorities after the dissolutions of la Ligue Algérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LADDH) and le Rassemblement Actions Jeunesse (RAJ), two of the most important human rights associations in Algeria.