Milestone Judgment for Internet Freedom in India
On 24 March 2015, the Supreme Court of India ruled that parts of India’s controversial Information Technology Act violated the public’s right to know and were unconstitutional. Section 66a made it a criminal offence to send through a communication device any information that was “grossly offensive or has menacing character” or to send messages “for […]
“I shall defend Stand Up for Zambia to my grave”
Journalist Chanda Chimba III faces criminal charges from the Zambian government – and he’s convinced that they all lead back to his critical reporting of former president Michael Sata.
Letter From Vietnamese Blogger Dieu Cay
“Only when the people can freely express their political views without fear of suppression and imprisonment, then we can truly have a democratic society in which a life of freedom and happiness for all is guaranteed.”
“It’s like tactics in a war – they want to bleed us dry”
When Latvia’s leading newspaper was sold to faceless businessmen, its journalists resigned en masse and set up the independent magazine IR. We talked to editor-in-chief Nellija Locmele about the birth of IR and the controversial legal cases we’re now helping it to win.
“When you’ve got the most powerful man in Malaysia suing you…there’s no need to guess who’s going to win.”
While most mainstream media in Malaysia is government-controlled, news website Malaysiakini remains a fiercely independent voice for the people.
Focus On: Kyrgyzstan
“Since the beginning of the year, Kyrgyzstan has witnessed violations, by state officials, of the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of expression, as well as of the right to freely look up, receive, store, use and disseminate information. On the other hand, another characteristic feature of this period is the cooperation of authorities and […]
Angola: Award-Winning Journalist Faces Trial Over ‘Blood Diamonds’ Investigation
MLDI supports award-winning journalist Rafael Marques who faces trial on multiple charges of criminal defamation for his reporting on corruption and torture in Angola.
“Without MLDI, I would have applied for political asylum”
In Latvia, MLDI supports investigative journalist and whistle-blower Leonids Jakobsons in a criminal trial involving a powerful politician and the right to information. The case will set a precedent. The journalist is potentially facing a sentence of three years and a penalty which would mean personal bankruptcy.
“It has definitely become more popular to sue journalists”
Linda Birina is currently Head of Intellectual Property and IT Practise at Attorneys at Law Borenius in Riga. But Linda never had a big ambition to become a lawyer. She toyed with journalism and economics as career choices before settling down to study law at the University of Latvia, Riga. It was the right decision. “Since then I have […]
Latvia case: an encouragement for investigative journalism
Irina Kostina admits that her younger self wasn’t exactly sure what being a lawyer involved when she was deciding on her career path – but she knew law would be fascinating. After a decade in practise, Irina is thoroughly satisfied with her chosen career. “In the last few years I’ve started to feel real enjoyment […]
“The big guys don’t care about winning – they want to damage the lives of journalists.”
Award-winning journalist Inga Springe is the founder of Re:Baltica – The Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism, based in Riga, Latvia. We worked with Inga when Re:Baltica was sued for defamation in 2012. Here she describes what drives her and how she hopes to bring socially-responsible journalism back to Latvia.
Biased rulings in defamation cases
Defamation may have been decriminalised in Macedonia in 2012 – removing the threat of a prison sentence – but journalists are still cautious about writing critical stories. They can still get sued for defamation and they face the possibility of paying extortionate damages. In one of the poorest countries in Europe, where the few remaining […]