office raid
Monday 17.2.2020 Palestine - Latest Developments
NGOs raided by Israeli forces, news websites blocked
Palestinian human rights organisations which monitor Israeli occupation force violations and undertake international advocacy continue to face systematic attacks. Offices of various organisations have been raided. The use of excessive force against Palestinian protesters participating in the Great March of Return continues, despite being unlawful under international human rights and humanitarian laws. News websites face attack, after a court ordered internet service providers to block 59 websites. Read more
Wednesday 12.2.2020 Egypt - Latest Developments
Detention as a systemic tool of suppression
Civic space is constantly under threat in Egypt- with laws to restrict NGOs, the detention of human rights defenders and attempts to intimiate the media. Read more
Monday 10.2.2020 Serbia - Latest Developments
Tightening the screws on dissent: N1 under attack
N1 journalists have faced a wave of aggression from Serbia's President and other senior ruling party officials. In particular, the media smear campaign against TV N1 program director Jugoslav Cosic accused him of receiving illicit funding to work against Serbia's interests. Given the failure of Serbian authorities to condemn the smear campaign, Cosic's lawyer announced he would seek a security risk assessment to ensure his physical safety. Read more
Thursday 30.1.2020 Guatemala - Latest Developments
Jimmy Morales' presidency ends with significant setbacks to freedom of expression in Guatemala
On 18th December 2019, the offices of LGBTI youth association Somos Jóvenes Diversos en Acción (SOMOS) were raided in Guatemala City. Unknown persons broke into their offices overnight and took property and documents belonging to the association. Read more | Read in Spanish
Tuesday 7.1.2020 Brazil - Latest Developments
Activists criminalised and continuous delegitimisation of press in Brazil
CSO coalition Pacto pela Democracia published a retrospective of attacks against democracy in Brazil throughout 2019. The report outlines 60 key incidents which, according to Pacto, reveal a wider process of democratic deterioration in the country. Read more
Wednesday 11.12.2019 Ghana - Latest Developments
Further deterioration of press freedom in Ghana
In a statement on 2nd July 2019, media freedom organisation Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) said that the press freedom violations in Ghana 'near alarming proportions'. MFWA documented 31 violations affecting 40 victims in the 18 months to July 2019. The majority of the violations have been physical attacks and severe threats, and one journalist was killed - investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale was shot and killed in January 2019, the first journalist to have been killed in the country in over a decade. Read more
Tuesday 19.11.2019 Nigeria - Latest Developments
Concerns about freedom of expression in Nigeria: journalists arrested, protests repressed
According to the Amnesty International report 'Endangered Voices. Attack on Freedom of Expression in Nigeria', at least 19 journalists, bloggers and media practitioners have been subject to attacks between January and September 2019. These range from physical attacks, verbal assaults, death threats, surveillance, indiscriminate detention to pressure to reveal sources, mostly perpetrated by Nigerian security forces. Read more
Monday 4.11.2019 Cuba - Latest Developments
HRD detained without charge and journalist arrested for disobedience as Cuba increases repression
On 1 October 2019, security agents detained José Daniel Ferrer, leader of opposition group Unión Patriótica de Cuba (Patriotic Union of Cuba - UNPACU). Ferrer was with his four sons when the Cuban special forces detained him and four other activists. The UNPACU leader was held incommunicado for 72 hours, remaining in detention without charge.
On 11 September 2019, authorities arrested independent Cuban journalist Roberto de Jesús Quiñones Haces, after he was convicted of resistance and disobedience for attempting to cover a trial of religious pastors. On 7 October 2019, nineteen independent media outlets published a declaration reporting a wave of repression from the Díaz-Canel government. Since January 2018 to date, the signatory organisations have counted 183 aggressions against journalists, with a noticeable increase in recent months.
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Wednesday 9.10.2019 Uganda - Latest Developments
Journalists attacked, CSO event raided by authorities
Rwandans and Ugandan civil society file lawsuits following border restrictions and harassment, Opposition party leader Bobi Wine speaks to human rights defenders in Chicago, Government ordered to compensate family of tortured man, IDAHOT event raided by authorities, Coalition of HRDs protest abuses, Journalists attacked in line of duty, Journalist charged withfor criminal libel, Investigations link government to spying on opposition members, while in positive news; Journalist and HRD receive human rights awards. Read more
Monday 30.9.2019 Somalia - Latest Developments
Journalists face attacks, arrests and murder in line of duty
Women in Galkayo protest against a surge in rapes in the area, armed individuals stormed Universal TV offices and shot indiscriminately, Canadian journalist and writer Hodan Nalayeh killed during a 14 hour hotel siege carried out by Al Shabab in Kismayo, several journalists arrested in separate occasions while in the course of duty. Read more
