IFEX

🇧🇩 IFEX is deeply concerned about the violence against journalists during protests in #Bangladesh and urges the interim government to launch an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation into the attacks and killings. Since the start of the protests on 1 July, at least five journalists have been killed and many more injured in the crackdown. Journalists have been beaten, attacked, and forced to erase footage, in a clear attempt to silence the media and suppress freedom of expression. Media outlets and press clubs have also been targeted, with reports of vandalism, intimidation, and violence. Pro-Awami League journalists also face growing reprisals for their support of the previous government in the form of attacks on offices, arbitrary arrests and detention, and legal harassment. IFEX calls on the interim government of Dr. Muhammad Yunus to commit to democratic governance and protect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and information. We also urge the international community to stand in solidarity with journalists in Bangladesh and demand justice. 👉 Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/gTGkiMNU

📢 Our latest newsletter is live! Covering key issues in #FreeExpression and #CivicSpace from around the globe, here’s what’s making headlines this week: 1️⃣ #Palestine: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is filing a new International Criminal Court complaint after an Israeli tank attack killed freelance reporter Ibrahim Muhareb in #Gaza. 2️⃣ #HongKong: According to the Hong Kong Journalists Association #press freedom has hit an 11-year low as fears over new national security laws intensify. 3️⃣ #Venezuela: Press freedom violations are on the rise with 70 recorded in just 15 days. 4️⃣ #Afghanistan: The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reports 181 press freedom violations in the last year as the Taliban’s crackdown on the #media continues. 5️⃣ #Palestinian #DigitalSecurity: Online harassment and cyber #surveillance are driving self-#censorship among Palestinian youth, finds a new study by 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media. 📬 Read more and subscribe for weekly updates:  https://ow.ly/rfkf50T4pTO  #Journalism #HumanRights #MediaFreedom

📢 Our latest newsletter is out now, covering the latest issues and trends in #FreeExpression and #CivicSpace from around the globe! 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 🌐 • Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) joins rights groups raising concerns as authoritarian countries host #UN #climate summits • Human Rights Watch on the International Olympic Committee – IOC's stance against discriminatory "sex testing" • Reviewing President Erdogan's 10 years of hostility towards the press in #Turkey • Committee to Protect Journalists denounces smearing of killed Palestinian journalists • Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) warns #Uganda's rollout of digital number plates may expand #surveillance and erode #privacy 📬 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gTaNZ_nX

🇦🇫 As we mark three years since the Taliban's return to power in #Afghanistan, the situation for press freedom and civic space continues to deteriorate. The Taliban’s restrictive directives have created a worrying environment where journalists face extreme risks and severe constraints. A recent report by the IFEX member Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) underscores this grim reality, documenting 181 press freedom violations over the past year alone, including 48 arrests and multiple media closures. Today, we stand in solidarity with Afghan journalists and civil society. It’s imperative that the international community steps up to protect the right to free expression and hold accountable those responsible for these violations. 👉 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/ge-3ih_s

🇦🇫 As we mark three years since the Taliban's return to power in #Afghanistan, the situation for press freedom and civic space continues to deteriorate. The Taliban’s restrictive directives have created a worrying environment where journalists face extreme risks and severe constraints. A recent report by the IFEX member Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) underscores this grim reality, documenting 181 press freedom violations over the past year alone, including 48 arrests and multiple media closures. Today, we stand in solidarity with Afghan journalists and civil society. It’s imperative that the international community steps up to protect the right to free expression and hold accountable those responsible for these violations. 👉 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/ge-3ih_s

Today, IFEX marks the fourth anniversary of the fraudulent 2020 presidential election in #Belarus. Since then, the Lukashenka regime has waged an unrelenting assault on the country’s #CivicSpace: • 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻, silencing countless voices that had long fought for civil liberties/defended civic space. • 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟰𝟬 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. The crackdown has now even reached the regime's own propaganda outlets, showing its desperation to control all narratives. • 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, with at least 6 having died due to neglect. Letters from these prisoners reveal the brutal reality they face daily. • 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁. In June and July alone, Belarusian police reportedly conducted at least 21 raids on the homes of journalists who fled abroad. Our latest 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘴 provides a detailed account of these worrying trends and more. We also spoke with the 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 (𝗕𝗔𝗝), who offered crucial insights into the ongoing challenges faced by Belarusian journalists and civil society and the critical efforts needed to defend press freedom in such a repressive environment. 👉 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: https://lnkd.in/eH7syj-v 👉 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗤&𝗔 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗔𝗝: https://lnkd.in/dv9XZVkD Standing in solidarity with the fight for an open civic space in Belarus is more crucial than ever. Support journalists and political prisoners by joining the campaign and following BAJ’s efforts. #BecauseTheJournalist: https://lnkd.in/ewBs58D9 #СвабодуЖурналістам

📬 Our weekly newsletter is out! #Venezuela’s election disputes, student protests rock #Bangladesh, and IFEX regional briefs recap #FreeExpression and civic space news. 👉 Read and subscribe for weekly updates: https://ow.ly/M28W50SPKVW

🇵🇰 Ahead of the six-month anniversary of #Pakistan's general election, IFEX urges the new government to halt restrictive legislative proposals that threaten online freedom of expression. As a global network of 119 organizations dedicated to defending free expression, we are deeply concerned about Pakistan's increasingly repressive digital environment. Proposed cyber legislation risks further entrenching an already-repressive atmosphere for journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. Despite widespread outcry, the Punjab Defamation Bill has been approved with draconian provisions targeting dissenters. Proposed cyber and data protection bills also pose a serious risk of further shrinking democratic freedoms and civic space in the country. 📢 IFEX calls on the Government of Pakistan to: ▪ Withdraw problematic bills, conduct inclusive consultations, and ensure new legislation aligns with international human rights standards. ▪ Restore access to social media platforms that have been blocked and prevent further internet disruptions. 👉 Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gVVd_fZY

🌍 In response to the UN Independent Expert on international solidarity’s report on civil society organizations engaging in international solidarity, IFEX’s submission highlighted the challenges faced by activists due to rising authoritarianism and repressive actions, underscoring the critical role of civil society in advocating for human rights accountability. Drawing on IFEX members' experiences, the submission reveals how repressive legislation and barriers to participation in high-level spaces at the UN have targeted and obstructed the work of civil society organizations (CSOs). IFEX’s networked approach, combining collaborative advocacy, operational support, access to resources, and other expressions of solidarity, strengthens the capacity of organisations to effectively counter authoritarian regimes and defend civic space. Check out our submission here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gXHU3TNf

I appreciated the opportunity to speak to Geneva Solutions about IFEX's long-standing struggle to get ECOSOC accreditation through the UN's Committee on NGOs. States with abysmal records on civic space have abused their position to keep legitimate NGOs like IFEX, and countless others, from fully participating in UN policy debates. Reform is urgently needed to end the politicization of this UN body and ensure meaningful civil society participation. https://lnkd.in/gSMexmNn