Timor-Leste’s civic space is rated as ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor, placing it among the countries with the best ratings for civic freedoms in Southeast Asia. The country generally fosters an enabling environment for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Journalists are largely free to report without interference, and civil society remains active and engaged. Citizens regularly participate in peaceful demonstrations, reflecting a vibrant culture of public discourse. However, the law places some unjustified restrictions on protests, and protesters have been detained.
In July 2026, CIVICUS and FORUM-ASIA submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Timor-Leste. The report assessed implementation of the recommendations made in the previous cycle. It also highlighted concerns about arrests of human rights defenders, harassment of journalists for undertaking their work, and a proposed law criminalising defamation recently introduced into parliament. The report noted the failure to revise the Law on Freedom of Assembly and Demonstration (No. 1/2006) that governs the management of assemblies and incidents of arrest and excessive force during protests.
On 20th August 2026, Timor-Leste called on ASEAN to move beyond broad commitments on the right to development and right to peace and ensure that regional commitments produce concrete, measurable improvements in people’s lives. Speaking at the 4th ASEAN Consultation on the Human Right to Development in Dili, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Bendito Freitas highlighted the gap between the 2025 ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace and its implementation.
In recent months, the government halted plans to include defamation provisions in the Penal code following criticism from civil society, but there are civic space concerns around a proposal for new cybersecurity legislation. Police also used excessive force against those protesting an eviction.
Expression
Government removes defamation provisions from its legislative agenda
On 13th July 2026, the President of the National Parliament, Fernanda Lay, said parliament would remove plans to include provisions in the Penal Code on the criminalisation of defamation from the legislative agenda. This is to ensure consistency with the country’s existing legal framework and the protection of fundamental human rights.
The bill formed part of the proposed Seventh Amendment to the Penal Code that sought to reintroduce criminal penalties for defamation and insult, reversing the approach adopted after Timor-Leste removed criminal defamation from its Penal Code in 2014.
The proposal has generated significant concern among journalists, civil society and press-freedom organisations because criminal penalties could expose journalists, activists and members of the public to prosecution for speech, including criticism of public officials.
On 6th June 2026, FONGTIL (Timor-Leste NGO Forum), together with its NGO members and other civil society organisations, issued a press release rejecting the proposed law to reintroduce criminal defamation, saying it would undermine democracy and silence public criticism in the country. The watchdog argued that the renewed proposal has raised concerns because criminalising defamation could restrict legitimate criticism of public officials and institutions and create an environment in which journalists, activists and other members of the public could face intimidation or prosecution for exercising their freedom of expression.
La’o Hamutuk said that “criminalising defamation with prison can create an environment of fear, self-censorship - avoidance of speaking about sensitive subjects and intimidation. Journalists may feel pressure not to investigate public matters. Whistleblowers may be afraid to speak up. Academics, activists, victims and citizens may avoid expressing their views.”
Other groups that spoke up against the proposed law include HAK Association and JSMP.
President José Ramos-Horta had also called for the discussion to be postponed and warned that he would veto legislation criminalising defamation, arguing that Timor-Leste should prioritise issues affecting people's livelihoods and preparations for its 2029 ASEAN chairmanship instead. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão also subsequently expressed opposition to the proposal, arguing that it could place an additional burden on courts and create more disputes arising from social media, while questioning how defamation and insult could be clearly defined
Concerns around proposal for cybersecurity legislation
On 31st July 2026, the Timor-Leste Government submitted to the National Parliament a proposal seeking legislative authorisation to adopt a comprehensive cybersecurity legislative package.
The proposal, approved by the Council of Ministers on 22nd July 2026 and presented by Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira, aims to update the country’s legal framework in response to growing cyber threats, including cyberattacks, computer fraud, data breaches and other forms of digital crime. The package would cover the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the legal framework for national cyberspace, digital services, cybercrime and criminal procedure, including rules on the collection, preservation and use of electronic evidence.
It would also allow the Government to define new cyber offences, establish procedures for investigating and prosecuting cybercrime, regulate digital service providers, including mechanisms for notifying, removing or blocking illegal content, and establish a national cybersecurity authority.
However, as previously documented, civil society groups have expressed concerns that such a law may be used to suppress dissent and curb online freedom by disproportionately focusing on protecting the reputations of political elites rather than addressing serious online threats like fraud, harassment, identity theft, or cyberbullying. Journalists have also echoed these concerns, emphasising risks to media freedom and cautioning against potential censorship under the guise of regulation.
The Provedor for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ), the national human rights commission and ombudsman of Timor Leste, while remaining supportive of cybersecurity legislation, had emphasised that such laws must be developed and implemented within a human-rights-based framework.
In its April 2026 intervention to the Global Alliance on National Human Rights Institution (GANHRI), PDHJ Chair Virgílio da Silva Guterres highlighted the urgent need for Timor-Leste to adopt robust cybersecurity and cybercrime legislation, noting that the absence of such laws limits the State’s ability to respond to growing online harms. At the same time, PDHJ stressed that cybersecurity measures should be accompanied by stronger data-protection safeguards, human-rights oversight and legal protections for people in the digital space. The institution has also called for Timor-Leste’s digital transformation to remain firmly grounded in human rights, suggesting that the forthcoming cybersecurity package should protect, not undermine, rights such as privacy, freedom of expression and other digital rights.
Peaceful Assembly
Police use excessive force against those protesting eviction
Concerns have been raised about the actions of the police around the eviction of communities in the Ai-Mutin area in May 2026.
The PDHJ said that it considers the action of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL) during the eviction operation in the Ai-Mutin area had not complied with the code of ethics and professional security standards, especially regarding the use of force against the community.
According to PDHJ, community members that protested the eviction were arrested and video recordings showed that some PNTL members ill-treated members of the local community. PDHJ said that instead of protecting and ensuring security for the community, the police harassed community members and activists who were present.
PDHJ also referred to Law number 43/2011, which regulates the use and limits on the use of force. This law states that before using force, the first step or measure must be communication, so that the community can prepare themselves to move.
PDHJ also raised concerns that some in the community were not aware of the eviction and called for greater transparency from the government and that any eviction must also be followed by fair compensation.