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 […]
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 […]
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.
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.”
A chance to set a Europe-wide precedent on hyperlinking
A joint team from MLDI and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union are taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights, whose ruling would set a new precedent on defamation by hyperlinking.
MLDI Leads the East African Court of Justice’s First Ever Freedom of Expression Case
“This was a victory for the Burundi Union of Journalists and for all the press in Burundi. The decision was also very important for the whole region”
Landmark Victory Paving the Way for Press Freedom
“This decision will have positive implications for all my fellow journalists. It is a victory for the entire profession.”
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 […]
In Rwanda, we helped free two journalists from jail
Two Rwandan women who were jailed for their independent journalism are now free and courageously pursuing their reporting work – after MLDI succeeded in getting their sentences reduced. But the fight continues on an international level to set a precedent that could help other journalists who are threatened under Rwanda’s criminal defamation and national security […]
Burundi’s Repressive Press Laws Challenged
MLDI and the Burundi Union of Journalists are hoping that the case against the government will begin in the last quarter of 2014. One year after the Burundian parliament adopted a repressive press law that has seen journalists threatened with heavy fines and some of their sources imprisoned, the country’s journalists’ union and the Media […]