Senegal: Media Defence and SLS’s Rule of Law Impact Lab File Case Before ECOWAS Court Challenging Internet Shutdowns
Filing on behalf of AfricTivistes and Two Senegalese Journalists Seeks Interim Measures to Prevent Internet Shutdowns. READ IN FRENCH Dakar, February 13, 2024 – Media Defence and the Rule of Law Impact Lab at Stanford Law School have filed a lawsuit before the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West […]
Focus on Turkey: Arbitrary Arrests and Abuse of the Legal System
The precarious state of press freedom in Turkey, entwined with a deteriorating democratic environment, poses significant challenges to journalists. Increasingly they face arbitrary arrests, legal threats, and increasing violence in their pursuit of reporting truth. In response to these threats, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), our partner, actively defends press freedom and human […]
The Killing of Arshad Sharif: One Year On, Justice Remains Elusive
23 October 2023 marks one year since the killing of prominent Pakistani journalist and news anchor for Pakistani broadcaster, ARY News, Arshad Sharif. Sharif was fatally shot at close range by Kenyan Police at a roadblock near Nairobi. To this day, a transparent, independent and effective investigation into the circumstances of his death has not […]
Ending Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
November 2nd marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The threats and dangers that constitute a stark reality for many journalists reinforce the importance of this day. Every year journalists are killed, tortured, and harassed for carrying out their work. Over 1,600 journalists have been killed since 2003 with a sharp […]
ECOWAS Court condemns internet shutdown in Guinea
The ECOWAS Court has issued its decision following an application by the lawyers for the applicants; Association Des Blogueurs De Guinee (ABLOGUI), Association Villageois 2.0, Ligue Guineenne Des Droits De L’Homme and Centre Africain De Formation et D’Information Sur Les Droits Humains et L’Environment for judgment in default of defence. The case was filed at […]
Why did Internet go down in Cali, Colombia during the 2021 protests?
Author: Emmanuel Vargas Penagos* On the 4th and 5th of May 2021, amid massive national anti-government protests, Internet connectivity was lost in parts of Cali, Colombia. Why did the internet go down in Cali? This city, one of the largest in the country, was one of the epicentres of the demonstrations. It was never clear […]
Prominent Georgian journalist and politician Nika Gvaramia brings complaint to the ECtHR
In October 2023, Media Defence filed Nika Gvaramia’s case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), challenging his unlawful detention and the denial of his right to a fair trial. Background In May 2022, Nika Gvaramia, a prominent and award-winning Georgian journalist and leading opposition politician, was convicted of abuse of power and sentenced […]
Claudia Duque: Former DAS agent convicted for torture of Colombian journalist
For over two decades journalist Claudia Duque was subjected to a prolonged campaign of psychological torture at the hands of the now-defunct Colombian secret police, the Department of Security (DAS). Since 2001, Duque faced relentless persecution — from kidnapping to the ceaseless invasion of her privacy, encompassing illegal surveillance of phone calls, emails, and bank […]
International Women’s Day: Digital Rights Advocate Gladys Mbuyah
Gladys Mbuyah is a barrister and renowned human rights activist working in Cameroon. She has been part of Media Defence’s network for several years, having attended our digital rights litigation surgeries. She is currently part of our peer support programme for women lawyers in sub-Saharan Africa. President of the Cameroon Bar Association Social Affairs Commission, […]
Emilio Palacio Urrutia v Ecuador: The judgment paving the way for anti-SLAPP regulations in the Americas
SLAPPs are a form of legal harassment that have the purpose of driving information that is in the public interest into the darkness. These types of cases – aiming to silence speech on matters of public interest – are becoming a more common tool used by powerful individuals against journalists. Thankfully, awareness around them is […]
Paola Ugaz and the judicial harassment of journalists in Peru
Paola Ugaz is an award-winning Peruvian investigative journalist. In 2015, she co-authored – with Pedro Salinas – a book entitled Mitad Monjes, Mitad Soldados (Half-Monks, Half Soldiers). The book uncovers an alleged pattern of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse within the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Peruvian Catholic organisation. Paola Ugaz has since faced numerous lawsuits […]
European Court Grand Chamber finds conviction of whistle-blower in Luxleaks case breached his right to freedom of expression
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that the criminal conviction of Luxleaks whistle-blower Raphaël Halet in Luxembourg in 2016 was a violation of his article 10 right to freedom of expression. In doing so, the Grand Chamber has made some important observations about the vital role whistle-blowers increasingly […]