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Inside Expression: September 2023

DIGITAL REPRESSION IN IRAN, BRING JOURNALIST EVAN GERSHKOVICH HOME, AND
A VICTORY FOR THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION AT THE UNHRC

[2]

THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY, ARBITRARY DETENTIONS, AND RELIGIOUS HATRED AT THE
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 

The 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) got underway in
Geneva on 11 September. ARTICLE 19’s advocacy emphasised the need for
governments to be held to account on key issues like privacy, religious
hatred, disinformation, and arbitrary detention, and highlighted the human
rights crises in Cambodia, Myanmar, Russia, and Ukraine.

Together with lawyers representing Dow Jones (publisher of _The Wall Street
Journal_), we also called for the immediate release of the newspaper’s
correspondent Evan Gershkovich [3], whom Russia’s security services
detained back in March. As we set out in our address, States must help
bring Evan home, and must condemn Russia for attacking and jailing
journalists for doing their jobs.

Read more

[4]

A IMPORTANT STEP FOR THE RIGHT TO KNOW

On 19 September, ARTICLE 19 welcomed [4] an important victory for
transparency and access to information: the European Parliament’s
Committee for Legal Affairs unanimously voted to grant the public the right
to access documents for cases coming before the European Court of Justice.
As the court is increasingly tasked with constitutional matters and
upholding human rights, it’s vital that values of open justice prevail,
and that the public has oversight of court proceedings.

‘ACCESS TO COURT DOCUMENTS IS ESSENTIAL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY – BOTH ARE KEY IN ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING TRUST IN
THE JUDICIARY AND WIDER DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THE PUBLIC
ARE ABLE TO ACCESS AND UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND JUDICIAL DECISIONS,
AS WELL AS THE ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD DURING PROCEEDINGS.’

– Mark Dempsey, Senior Advocacy Officer, ARTICLE 19

FIND OUT MORE AND JOIN US ON 28 SEPTEMBER TO MARK RIGHT TO KNOW DAY.

Learn more

[5]

TIGHTENING THE NET IN IRAN – AGAIN

One year on from MAHSA JHINA AMINI’S death in custody, Iran is placing
even tougher restrictions on women’s rights, as well as on digital
freedoms for all.

Women continue to risk harassment, torture, and arrest for expressing
themselves online.The authorities have arrested women for posting selfies
in which they are not wearing hijab. They are also targeting activists and
influencers who declare solidarity with the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’
uprising. The Iranian government is also using legislation to disable
virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxies established to circumvent its
censorship, and regularly shuts down mobile connections during protests,
preventing people from staying safe and sharing news and information.
Surveillance and the use of facial recognition technology to monitor
protests has also been rife.

ARTICLE 19 calls on governments around the world to support initiatives
that establish gender equality in Iran and, alongside the tech industry, to
stop the sale of surveillance technology to the regime.

‘THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED MILESTONE FOR FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION IN IRAN. MANY IRANIANS WITHDREW THEIR BARRIERS OF
SELF-CENSORSHIP AS THE UPRISING APPEALED TO POPULAR SUPPORT ACROSS IRAN.
DESPITE THIS BRAVERY, THIS ALSO USHERED IN ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFIC PERIODS
IN IRAN’S HISTORY FOR FREE EXPRESSION BEING MET WITH BRUTAL
REPRESSION.’

- Mahsa Alimardani, Senior Researcher for the MENA region, ARTICLE 19

Find out more

[6]

_TECHTONIC_: TRACKED BY TIKTOK

In the latest episode of _Techtonic_ (our podcast about Big Tech),
_Financial Times_ tech reporter CHRISTINA CRIDDLE talks to host CHRIS
STOKEL-WALKER about what it was like to have rogue TikTok employees
tracking her phone to reveal her sources.

SUBSCRIBE TO _TECHTONIC_ [6] WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS TO HEAR NEW
EPISODES, RELEASED FORTNIGHTLY ON MONDAYS.

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Google Podcast

‘MY HEART STOPPED... THE HEADLINE SAID THAT BYTEDANCE HAD TRACKED
JOURNALISTS THROUGH THEIR TIKTOK ACCOUNTS, AND THAT INCLUDED TRACKING THEIR
PHYSICAL LOCATIONS… I WAS SCROLLING THROUGH THE STORY, TRYING TO FIND OUT
IF IT WAS ME.’

– Christina Criddle, tech journalist, _The Financial Times_

[7]

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: HOW INFORMED VOICE ENSURES WE LEAVE NO ONE
BEHIND

On 18 and 19 September, UN leaders met at a crucial summit to discuss next
steps in achieving Agenda 2030, which some UN officials dubbed the ‘big
rescue plan’ to scale up progress towards achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).

The meeting in New York was a key opportunity for leaders to make firm
commitments on freedom of expression and access to information (SDG 16). It
was time to acknowledge that only when people have a voice – when they
are both informed and consulted – can they meaningfully participate in
decisions that affect their own lives. ARTICLE 19 called on [8] leaders to
recognise the central role that freedom of expression plays in achieving
_all_ the SDGs – from decent education to quality healthcare, clean
water, and climate action.

Unfortunately, world leaders failed us. Freedom of expression and the right
to information were not included in any of their statements, and in fact
were totally absent from their discussions. [9]

Although this was a huge disappointment, ARTICLE 19 will continue to call
for improvements to SDG 16. We will continue to show how only freedom of
expression can empower everyone, everywhere, to speak up and demand all our
other rights, which our governments have pledged to deliver by 2030.

And we will continue to remind the world that it is only when people raise
their voices together [10] that they can demand the change they – and all
of us – need.

Find out more

DID A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE FORWARD THIS TO YOU?

SUBSCRIBE [11] TO ARTICLE 19'S MONTHLY INSIDE EXPRESSION UPDATE. 

[12]

News and campaigns

* Just a day after human rights discussions began in Geneva, the Malaysian
government [12] made a mockery of its membership to the UNHRC by allowing
police to intimidate and harass farmers who were peacefully protesting
against land evictions. This followed previous harassment during
International Women’s Day and Labour Day protests.

*

From 11–13 September, ahead of the Polish parliamentary elections [13] on
15 October, ARTICLE 19 and partners of the MEDIA FREEDOM RAPID RESPONSE
travelled to Warsaw to gauge the climate for media freedom. We found that
journalists in Poland face unprecedented challenges, including rising
numbers of legal threats and increased political pressure and polarisation.


*

ARTICLE 19 and partners are currently in Greece, following our online
fact-finding mission last year. During the visit, we are meeting with
leading media professionals, political officials, and state representatives
to examine threats to the safety of journalists, impunity for crimes
committed against them, surveillance, risks to media pluralism, and legal
threats, including strategic lawsuits against public participation
(SLAPPs). [14]

Read more

CONVERSATIONS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

* MAHSA ALIMARDANI (Senior Researcher, ARTICLE 19) spoke to FRANCE 24
[15] and Sky News about the first anniversary of Mahsa Jhina Amini’s
death in Iran.

* MICHAEL CASTER (ARTICLE 19 Asia Digital Programme Manager) set out in
_CONTEXT_ [16] why the Biden administration must push Vietnam over its
record of digital repression.

* BARBORA BUKOVSKÁ (Senior Director for Law and Policy, ARTICLE 19) told
_EURACTIV [17]_ why calls in Slovakia for a 2-week post-election moratorium
on politicians speaking to the media is not only absurd but also an open
threat to press freedom.

[18]

[19]

JOIN THE MOVEMENT FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

You can advance freedom of expression around the world by supporting
ARTICLE 19!

Invest in freedom of expression today

BOOKMARK

[20]

_NARCAS: THE SECRET RISE OF WOMEN IN LATIN AMERICA’S CARTELS _BY
DEBORAH BONELLO

‘Bonello presents a complex report on women’s roles in a world of
extreme machismo and an eye-opening challenge to the perception of women
involved in the complicated and brutal world of cartels.’ – _Booklist _


Order now

ARTICLE 19 opportunities

Working in human rights is a challenging but rewarding career choice. With
ARTICLE 19 you will find an international community of activists, legal
specialists, and experts working together to protect basic freedoms.

Work with us

MUST-LISTEN PODCAST:

[21]

CREATING ARTISTIC RESILIENCE: VOICES OF ASIA 

[22]Malaysian artist and activist FAHMI REZA talks to Manojna Yeluri from
Artists at Risk Connection about political art and censorship, his run-ins
with local authorities, and the socioeconomic and political issues that
drive his work.

LISTEN NOW

Coming soon from ARTICLE 19...

SOCIAL MEDIA 4 PEACE IN COLOMBIA

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