Malaysiakini: Supporting Independent News in Malaysia
“We were able to mount a successful challenge in the end that also created a bit of legal history in Malaysia because it established a right to a free press as a constitutional right.”
Italian Investigative Journalist Acquitted of Unfounded Libel Charges
“I was a freelance at that time. I knew that I was taking risks in writing the story but, to be honest, I thought more about the physical risks than being sued, because I was quite sure of the evidence I had found. It was, to me, a huge help and a relief to have the free legal assistance from a very good lawyer, Andrea Di Pietro, thanks to Ossigeno and MLDI’s support. Thanks to this support I never felt alone or intimidated during the last three years. It’s fundamental for freelance journalists who are not backed by a media company to get this free legal assistance. This is a shield to protect freedom of information.”
European Court of Human Rights Finds Azerbaijan Violated the Rights of Investigative Journalist Khadija Ismayilova
“It was a long legal fight, and I will continue demanding that the Azerbaijani government properly investigates the intrusion to my privacy and blackmail. I strongly believe that the Azerbaijani government officials were behind the secret filming and blackmailing, and my legal struggle will continue till the day when all perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
Radio Aukan: Defending Community Radio in Chile
Chile’s broadcasting laws criminalise broadcasting without a licence. Radio Aukan is a community radio station in Chile which reports on indigenous rights, the environment and other topics. It has been unable to get a broadcasting licence for six years. Radio Aukan’s equipment has been seized and a member of staff faces up to three years in prison.
Training Kenyan lawyers on online freedom of speech
BAKE, the Bloggers Association of Kenya, ran litigation workshops in Kenya to defend bloggers and other online media. The workshops were run for lawyers, in partnership with Media Defence and aimed to support the development and understanding of the right to freedom of expression and digital rights. The workshops equipped lawyers with the skills and knowledge they […]
Cartoonist No Longer Facing 43 years in Prison
“It is both my responsibility and my right as a citizen to expose corruption, wrongdoing and injustice. Laws like the Sedition Act mean that drawing cartoons is a crime … For asking people to laugh at the government, I was handcuffed, detained, thrown into the lockup. But I kept laughing and encouraging people to laugh with me. Why? Because laughter is the best form of protest.”
East African Court overturns Tanzania’s newspaper ban
“We have witnessed the systematic attack of the freedom of expression and press freedom in Tanzania. This decision has sent the right message to the Tanzanian government.”
Engaging advocates to advance press freedom standards in the Gambia
MLDI’s training and capacity building programme aims to train lawyers on international standards on freedom of expression; the legal defence of journalists, bloggers and media outlets; and how to engage with international and regional mechanisms to secure justice. As part of this programme, we carried out a three-day litigation surgery in the Gambia in November […]
“The training has advanced our knowledge in an area that is lacking in East Africa at a time when these issues are most acute”
In 2016 MLDI delivered its second East African Litigation Surgery (EALS) in Kampala, Uganda between the 8 -11 August 2016. The EALS was a training project which aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of lawyers in East Africa, enabling them to provide legal defence to journalists, bloggers and media outlets. This was to enable […]
Latin America Fellowship Programme
MLDI recently hosted Colombian lawyer Emmanuel Vargas, as its first Latin America Fellow. MLDI is piloting a fellowship project with human rights lawyers from Latin American to help it develop its relationships and reach in the region. Emmanuel is advisor to the Executive Director at one of MLDI’s funded partners, Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), […]
Paving the Way Towards Justice for Sudanese Journalists: How One Lawyer Is Taking on the State Utilizing the African Regional Systems
From the time she was studying for her law degree at the University of Pretoria, Cynthia knew she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives by utilising the law and the African regional systems to promote human rights across the continent. She began her career at the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in 2013, […]
“I Will Keep Drawing Until the Last Drop of My Ink”
Malaysian cartoonist Zunar is challenging the sedition laws that could land him in jail for decades.