#PeriódicoHOY Miles de mujeres marcha en reclamo de libertad para decidir y otros derechos #ElPaísHOY https://t.co/TL9jMQhFnh pic.twitter.com/iAFmLX5kZS
— Periódico Hoy (@PeriodicoHoy) March 11, 2018
Peaceful Assembly
On 11th March 2018, hundreds of women took to the streets in the capital Santo Domingo to protest gender-based violence and demand the decriminalisation of abortion. During the protest, demonstrators asserted that the criminalisation of abortion violates their constitutional rights and contravenes international human rights standards.
In December 2015, the country's Constitutional Tribunal of the Supreme Court ruled that a proposed amendment to the Penal Code, which would have decriminalised abortion in specific circumstances, was unconstitutional.
Califican ONG como sector de bajo riesgo para financiamiento del terrorismo 👉Lee más aquí https://t.co/tLfzF6Yzw9
— Alianza ONG (@AlianzaONG) January 23, 2018
Association
The risk of non-profit organisations (NPO) being used to finance terrorism is low, according to the Risk Analysis of Financing Terrorism report published by the Financial Analysis Unit of the Ministry of Finance in the Dominican Republic. The report found that Dominican Republic NPOs in general comply with the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering standards. The study also states that in 2017, 71 NPOs signed a voluntary code of conduct, thereby committing to good governance and accountability.
Expression
The Dominican Republic was ranked 59th in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), moving up three points from the 2016 Index.
According to RSF´s report, "the concentration of media ownership and a high level of impunity undermines freedom of information and encourages self-censorship". Journalists investigating corruption and drug trafficking face threats and violent reprisals. The repeal of the law that criminalises defamation, however, was deemed a positive step forward in protecting freedom of expression.