GENEVA (4 May 2022) - Following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the continuation of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, freedom of expression mandate holders* from the United Nations, the African Commission of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights and the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe issue the following joint statement:
We collectively condemn the invasion of and continuous aggression against Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Russian Federation. The actions of the Russian Federation violate international law and the common UN, OSCE, ItACHR and ACHR commitments and the very principles on which our organisations are based.
We are outraged about the continuous atrocities and the resulting grave human rights and humanitarian crises, which have a massive detrimental impact on civilians lives, safety and well-being. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in these difficult times.
We recall that it is precisely during times of war and armed conflict that the right to freedom of expression and free access to information must be vigorously defended, as it is instrumental for the promotion of lasting peace, understanding the nature of the conflict and ensuring accountability.
In this connection, we highlight the following:
First, we are profoundly concerned about the safety of journalists, media workers and associated personnel in Ukraine, who are carrying out their work under unprecedented conditions, and are now at a very high risk. There are numerous reports that journalists are being targeted, tortured, kidnapped, attacked and killed, or refused safe passage from the cities and regions under siege. Such actions are abhorrent and must be stopped immediately. We recall that under international humanitarian law, during armed conflict journalists are considered to be civilians and must be afforded protection as such. An attack to kill, wound or abduct a journalist constitutes a war crime. Those responsible for direct or indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including journalists, should be held accountable and brought to justice under national and international law. Measures must also be taken to trace missing journalists, ascertain their fate, provide appropriate assistance and facilitate their return to their families. States have the duty and obligation to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedies and reparations.
Second, we are alarmed by reports that Ukraines media and internet infrastructure may be intentionally targeted by the Russian forces in an effort to disrupt access to information, including by means of cyberattacks. We appreciate that access to Ukraine's internet infrastructure has remained largely resilient. It is crucial to ensure that people in Ukraine have continued access to the internet, broadcasting and other means of communication. We call for the adoption of all feasible measures to protect the media, media organisations, and internet infrastructure from attacks and hostile take overs. We also call for increased support in various forms by the international community to ensure media sustainability in Ukraine at a time when a number of national and local media outlets have lost their premises and equipment or have been damaged or destroyed. Initiatives that enable Ukrainian journalists and media in exile to continue their professional work should also be supported in a manner that is sustainable and adapted to the exceptional conditions they are facing.
Third, we underline that propaganda for war and national hatred which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence are profoundly harmful and prohibited under article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We call on the Russian Federation to immediately refrain from these unlawful practices.
Fourth, we are concerned at the spread of disinformation concerning the conflict in Ukraine in Russian state-owned media. However, we believe that disinformation cannot be addressed by blocking or banning media outlets. Any restriction of freedom of expression should respect scrupulously the three-part test of legality, legitimate aim, and necessity and proportionality. We are concerned that the EUs decision to ban two Russian state-owned media outlets may have been a disproportionate response to disinformation. It has been used as a pretext for additional closure of independent media outlets in the Russian Federation. Promoting access to diverse and verifiable information, including ensuring access to free, independent and pluralistic media, is a more effective response to disinformation.
Fifth, we believe that the erosion of the right to freedom of expression and other human rights over a prolonged period of time and the silencing of critical voices in the Russian Federation have contributed to creating an environment that facilitates Russias war against Ukraine. We are alarmed at the further tightening of censorship and repression of dissent and pluralist sources of information and opinion in the Russian Federation, including the blocking of social media platforms and news websites, disruption of services from foreign content and service providers, massive labelling of independent journalists and media as foreign agents, introduction of criminal liability and imprisonment of up to fifteen years for spreading so-called fake information about the war in Ukraine or questioning Russian military action in Ukraine or simply standing for peace or even mentioning the word war. We deplore the systematic crackdown on political opponents, independent journalists and the media, human rights activists, protesters and many others opposing the Russian governments actions. All these measures amount to the creation of a state monopoly on information in blatant violation of Russias international obligations. They must stop. We call on the Russian government to fully implement its international human rights obligations, including by respecting, promoting and protecting the freedom to seek, receive and impart information regardless of frontiers, and by ensuring a safe working environment for independent media, journalists and civil society actors.
Six, we note that the war in Ukraine has further highlighted the risks of the proliferation of disinformation, misinformation and incitement to violence and hatred and restrictions of lawful speech on digital and social media platforms as a result of their business models, policies and practices. While we appreciate that dominant companies recently made some efforts to address these problems, we urge them to strengthen their human rights due diligence and impact assessment, accountability, transparency and equal and consistent application of policies to uphold the rights of all users.
ENDS
*The expert: Ms. Irene Khan was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression in June 2020 and is the first woman to hold this mandate. An internationally recognized advocate for human rights, gender equality and social justice, she was Secretary-General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009 and Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2010 to 2019. Ms. Khan is affiliated with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and has been Consulting Editor of the Daily Star, Bangladeshs largest English newspaper.
Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
The freedom of expression mandates issuing the Joint Declaration on freedom of expression and gender justice: Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mrs.Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Mr. Pedro Pedro Vaca Villarreal, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, and Hon. Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo,African Commission Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
See more here:
- Opinion | U.S. religious freedom effort gets an unwelcome message in Saudi Arabia - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom Caucus urges GOP to reject government funding deal without border reforms - The Hill - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- The Equal Justice Initiative's soon to open Freedom Monument Sculpture Park - Montgomery Advertiser - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom school district to go to referendum April 2 for capital improvements totaling $62.5 million - Post-Crescent - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Press freedom in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda: what journalists have to say about doing their jobs - The Conversation Indonesia - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- She bought an animal testing site and turned it into a rehab sanctuary - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Young Americans for Freedom said UW-Madison's security fees were 'unprecedented.' Records show that's not the full ... - Daily Cardinal - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Responds to Outcome in Ohio GOP Senate Primary - Reproductive Freedom for All - Reproductive Freedom for All - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Biden Redefines Freedom and Democracy - AMAC Official Website - Join and Explore the Benefits - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom snaps three-game streak of wins at home - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- DePauw Faculty Talks Merit Pay, Academic Freedom, Donor Funds, and Event Planning at Monthly Meeting - The DePauw - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- SC governor: Proposed Medical Freedom Act could place innocent lives at risk - Live 5 News WCSC - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Li Yilei recaptures the freedom of childhood through sound - The FADER - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- The massive copper mine that could test the limits of religious freedom - Grist - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Netflix Is Rethinking Employee Freedom, a Core Tenet of Its Vaunted Culture - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom Caucus touts bill banning Ranked Choice Voting - Pelican Post - Online Newspaper - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Proposed TikTok ban is an affront to economic and personal freedom - The Hill - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Chase Freedom Encourages Cardmembers To Celebrate With Family, Given and Chosen, With Q2 2024 Quarterly ... - Yahoo Finance - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Baseball Game Recap: Freedom Patriots vs. East Bay Indians - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- 'The veils and the women': Can we really advocate for freedom when we are banning them? - LSE Home - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom wins going away against Brandon - MaxPreps - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Protect the founder of WikiLeaks for the future of press freedom - The Baylor Lariat - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Applauds Confirmation of Judge Nicole Berner to Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals - Reproductive Freedom for All - Reproductive Freedom for All - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Five Themes Discussed at Princeton's Workshop on Decentralized Social Media - Freedom to Tinker - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Meghan Markle Unveils New Brand on Poignant Date with Prince Harry - PEOPLE - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Freedom set to open the 2024 season against Torrey Pines (CA) - 69News WFMZ-TV - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Texas A&M Creating A Task Force To Work On Academic Freedom - Navasota News - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- H.S. BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Freedom teams advance to Christmas tournament title games - Morganton News Herald - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Gow cites freedom of expression in defending porn videos which led to his firing as UWL chancellor - WIZM NEWS - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Sound Of Freedom: All Updates & Controversies Since It Released - Screen Rant - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Im ready for freedom, Gypsy Rose Blanchard says as she gets early release from jail after role in moms... - The US Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Turkish Airlines Hasn't Applied For Permission to Operate Crucial Fifth-Freedom Flights From Singapore to Australia - paddleyourownkanoo.com - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- New ballot language submitted for proposed changes to Arkansas Freedom of Information Act - Mountain Home Observer - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The SRFOE calls on States to guarantee freedom of expression as a fundamental right for gender equality and the ... - Organization of American States - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Irene Crcoles releases 'Closet', a single that screams freedom - WECB - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Sound of Freedom Is Now Streaming: Heres Where to Stream the Controversial Crime Thriller Online for Free - Hollywood Reporter - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- FIA consider more freedom in technical regulations - The Judge 13 - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Texas A&M Academic Freedom Task Force Is Nearing Completion Of Its Recommendations - WTAW - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- 2023 was a dire year for freedom of speech on campus, says this organization. Will next year be any better? - Fox News - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The Spellbinding Freedom of Baldur's Gate 3 - The New York Times - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Stream It Or Skip It: Sound of Freedom on Prime Video, the Child-Trafficking Movie That Became a Culture War Flashpoint And Box Office Sensation -... - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Rare Mammoth Specimen Unearthed at Freedom Mine near Beulah, North Dakota - Net Newsledger - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Frontlines of Freedom TV Ep. 1 | 2023 Year In Review | Gaza | Ukraine | Trump RDI - Renew Democracy Initiative - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- We need more freedom of speech on campus, but that can't include advocating for genocide - Minnesota Reformer - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom, first and last Sonoma Sun | Sonoma, CA - Sonoma Valley Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Home for the holidays, from wrongful imprisonment - Star Tribune - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- The Freedom to Dress Cannot Be Overstated - Highsnobiety - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom Town Column: Selectmen's meetings have resumed at the town office - Conway Daily Sun - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Did Disney own the rights to Sound of Freedom? - Dexerto - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Freedom Fitness 615 is ready to take on new year's resolutions - Lebanon Democrat - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Expressing the freedom of self-expression for Holocaust Memorial Day - North Kesteven District Council - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Airdate: Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom - TV Tonight - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Harry Belafonte Used Fame to Fight for Freedom - The New York Times - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Abducted Anambra truck driver regains freedom - Punch Newspapers - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- OP-ED: Kwanzaa, Freedom, Justice and Peace: Principles and Practices For A New World - Black Press USA - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Webinar to give overview of Arkansas Food Freedom Act - Searcy Daily Citizen - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Statement to Mark 25th Anniversary of International Religious ... - USCCB - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom of Information Act - Health.mil - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- 'Freedom' to be featured on GS merchandise - Statesboro Herald - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom students say they feel safe on campus; social media ... - thepress.net - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- What kind of freedom? | News, Sports, Jobs - Marshalltown Times Republican - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Woman has few hopes for freedom in shaken bay death conviction - Mississippi Today - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- MFRR Monitoring Report 575 media freedom violations in the first ... - European Centre for Press and Media Freedom - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Michigan's Freedom of Information Act Must Be Significantly Reformed - Mackinac Center for Public Policy - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Freedom without justice - IPS Journal - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Free speech concerns arise in wake of journal editor Eisen's firing - STAT - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Salman Rushdie calls for defense of freedom of expression as he ... - Spectrum News 1 - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Governor Murphy Sounds the Alarm on Incoming GOP Assault on ... - InsiderNJ - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Soloviev Group Announces Affordable Housing Units in Freedom ... - New York YIMBY - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- North Macedonia Curbed Roma Citizens' Freedom of Movement ... - Balkan Insight - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- NCT 127: We are limitless but that freedom also has a lot of ... - NME - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Academic freedom or state control: Court hearing will consider blocking key higher ed law in FL - Florida Phoenix - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Salman Rushdie calls for defense of freedom of expression as he receives German prize - Euronews - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- It's Cold War II, and the enemies of freedom are lining up to forge a new world order - The Telegraph - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Freedom Caucus Urges GOP Leaders To Remain in Washington ... - The Messenger - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Statesboro: 'Freedom' the Eagle now has his own merchandise - WJCL News Savannah - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Escaping North Korea: 'Beyond Utopia' documents one path to ... - The Christian Science Monitor - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- PRH, WNDB Launch Freedom of Expression Award - Publishers Weekly - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- Carbondale branch of NAACP hosts 46th Freedom Fund Banquet - The Southern - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]
- 'Herald favored our freedom of speech' The Durango Herald - The Durango Herald - October 23rd, 2023 [October 23rd, 2023]