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The use of encryption and anonymity to exercise the rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital age 2015, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States should promote strong encryption and anonymity. National laws should recognize that individuals are free to protect the privacy of their digital communications by using encryption technology and tools that allow anonymity online. Legislation and regulations protecting human rights defenders and journalists should also include provisions enabling access and providing support to use the technologies to secure their communications.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The protection of sources and whistle-blowers 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- National legal frameworks must protect the confidentiality of sources of journalists and of others who may engage in the dissemination of information of public interest. Laws guaranteeing confidentiality must reach beyond professional journalists, including those who may be performing a vital role in providing wide access to information of public interest such as bloggers, "citizen journalists", members of non-governmental organizations, authors and academics, all of whom may conduct research and disclose information in the public interest. Protection should be based on function, not on a formal title.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right to freedom of opinion and expression in electoral contexts 2014, para. 83b
- Paragraph text
- [Accountability mechanisms are a crucial means of ensuring that regulatory frameworks are enforced and abuses of power are rectified. Impunity is a root cause of the lack of safety faced by journalists. In the context of promoting free expression during electoral processes, States should:] Guarantee the safety of journalists and media workers; legislative and policy measures must be adopted to prevent attacks against journalists and to eradicate impunity in relation to episodes of violence and intimidation;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
The implications of States’ surveillance of communications on the exercise of the human rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- States cannot ensure that individuals are able to freely seek and receive information or express themselves without respecting, protecting and promoting their right to privacy. Privacy and freedom of expression are interlinked and mutually dependent; an infringement upon one can be both the cause and consequence of an infringement upon the other. Without adequate legislation and legal standards to ensure the privacy, security and anonymity of communications, journalists, human rights defenders and whistleblowers, for example, cannot be assured that their communications will not be subject to States' scrutiny.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Laws that criminalize expression continue to be used by States to imprison journalists who disseminate "inconvenient" information. Journalists may be arrested and detained, particularly in the run-up to elections, often on the basis of vague anti-terrorist or national security laws. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned that the current number of journalists in prison is the highest since 1996. Criminal prosecution of journalists creates a "chilling effect" that stifles reporting on issues of public interest.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The protection of journalists and combating impunity requires context-specific measures that address the specific risks in each situation and effectively addresses the root causes of attacks. While there are many organizations committed to ensuring the protection of journalists at all levels, there has not been much collaboration and joint strategies adopted at the international level. The Special Rapporteur thus welcomes the initiative to draft a United Nations joint Plan of Action on the Protection of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and looks forward to its effective implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The precarious situation of journalists is further exacerbated by a culture of impunity. Failure to undertake effective investigations and to prosecute those responsible for attacks against journalists perpetrates further violence and undermines the ability of journalists to report on similar matters in the future.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- To combat impunity and to prevent human rights violations against journalists, States must take measures to facilitate awareness among the judiciary, journalists and civil society of the relevant international standards and show willingness to work towards the implementation of these standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- It is also worrying that the number of journalists forced into exile as a result of attacks, threats and possible imprisonment doubled between 2009 and 2010 compared with the previous year. While the host Government has the obligation to respect and to ensure the rights of all individuals within its territory, regardless of nationality or other grounds, the Special Rapporteur reiterates the obligation of all States to guarantee the protection of journalists and others who exercise their right to freedom of expression in their own countries in the first place.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Citizen journalists have come to play an increasingly important role in gathering and disseminating news, in particular in countries where press freedom is restricted, or in a disaster or conflict zone where professional journalists may not be present. While they cannot replace professionally trained journalists, they contribute to the public's access to a richer diversity of views, opinions and information. Like professional journalists, and for the same reasons, citizen journalists are subjected to acts of harassment and intimidation, including death threats, arbitrarily arrested and detained, prosecuted and sentenced to imprisonment and/or to harsh fines, and even assassinated. However, they enjoy less protection than professional journalists, as they do not have the support of media organizations and networks, and lack recognition as professional journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur commends the courageous work of journalists and citizen journalists, who often risk their lives to inform the public. The Special Rapporteur encourages journalists and citizen journalists to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and to report honestly, objectively and in an ethically responsible and independent manner, so as to enhance their credibility and protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Impunity for those who attack and/or kill journalists remains a central obstacle to guaranteeing the protection of journalists. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned that perpetrators have enjoyed total impunity in 94 per cent of cases in which journalists were murdered in 2009, and in only 2 per cent of cases of attacks against journalists in 2009 were the offences tried before the competent authorities and the perpetrators and instigators prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur encourages journalists and citizen journalists, should they encounter any human rights violations as a result of their work, to document them and to submit complaints to him by e-mail, at urgent-action@ohchr.org.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Most important, the Special Rapporteur urges all States to end impunity for threats and attacks against and the murder of journalists, media professionals, associated personnel and citizen journalists. In particular, the Special Rapporteur calls upon the 12 countries with the highest rates of impunity (see para. 29 above) to investigate all violations thoroughly and to prosecute the perpetrators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
14 shown of 14 entities