Following ARTICLE 19’s intervention, the European Court of Human Rights found that Russia violated the rights to freedom of expression and privacy by using facial recognition technology to arrest and convict a peaceful protester.

We argued that facial recognition technology must be used with the utmost caution, accompanied by adequate safeguards, and that biometric mass surveillance is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the digital age. 

The landmark victory is significant because it establishes a binding or persuasive precedent within its jurisdiction. It is proof that we can push authorities to show greater tolerance for peaceful protests and ensure that digital technologies strengthen freedom of expression for all.

As part of our concerted efforts to ensure that digital technologies respect human rights and benefit all people, we’ve lobbied the UN to do the same.

Check out our progress in 2023:

Journalists reporting on some of the most important issues of our time – war and conflict, corruption, or human rights violations – must enjoy the full protection of the government and its institutions. The rise of corrupt elites using strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), to intimidate and silence free reporting and block the public from having access to information they need, poses a dangerous threat to the safety of journalists and our collective ability to keep abuses of power in check. 

In Europe, journalists and free expression advocates are celebrating a significant win: after a long, hard-fought campaign, a directive to protect them from SLAPPs is finally on the horizon. 

The early signs indicate that stakeholders pushed back firmly against the EU Council’s attempts to water down key safeguards. This means we are witnessing an historic moment when it comes to countering abusive litigation against public watchdogs.

Since the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, ARTICLE 19 and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) have pushed relentlessly – through country missions, public events, and call-outs on social media – to urge governments to take bold measures to counter abusive litigation against those who expose corruption.

This is a ringing endorsement for freedom of expression and journalists’ safety. Protecting those who are at the forefront of defending the right to freedom of expression is fundamental – and this proves that, when we stand together, we can build more resilient communities that protect each other.  

On 11 December – the day after Human Rights Day – Brazil witnessed a pivotal moment: the government committed to confronting and preventing human rights violations in the Amazon. 

Eighteen months on from the murder of Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Philips, the Ministry of Human Rights inaugurated a Working Group of government representatives, ARTICLE 19 and other civil society organisations, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to fully investigate the murders, implement protections for land rights activists in the Vale do Javari Indigenous territory, and implement measures to ensure such a tragedy cannot be repeated.

For 7 long years, ARTICLE 19 has tirelessly advocated for human rights frameworks to be adopted into national policy – and the Malaysian government is finally listening! 

In July, the Law and Institutional Reform Minister relied on expert analysis from ARTICLE 19 as the government prepared to overhaul rules on race, religion, and royalty. Our landmark publications, the Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality and the Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of incitement, were used as primary documents to help the minister better understand the complexities in addressing this issue. 

What’s more, in September, the Prime Minister announced that the government will enact the Freedom of Information Act. ARTICLE 19, along with other NGOs, will lead on drafting the bills the government adopts.

This progress is proof that passionate advocacy can achieve tangible results, and we look forward to the next chapter in Malaysia’s move towards a more inclusive society.

With Social Media 4 Peace, a UNESCO project funded by the European Union, ARTICLE 19 has set up local coalitions in Kenya, Indonesia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina to address the challenges global tech giants pose to local communities. Completely voluntary and made up of national regulators, media associations, tech companies, fact-checkers, peace-building organisations, international non-governmental and civil society organisations, and academia, they are a testament to the power of collective voice, collective participation, and collective action. 

Our advocacy efforts in Tajikistan have paid off! The government has agreed to abolish repressive provisions of the draft media law and introduced new legal provisions that give journalists greater protections when reporting on public officials. 

ARTICLE 19 and other civil society organisations have consistently supported and advocated for an Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in Iran, which will document rights violations and international crimes. In July, together with Impact Iran and Front Line Defenders, ARTICLE 19 addressed the Human Rights Council about the mission’s ongoing investigations – emphasising the key role they will play in helping us hold perpetrators accountable. We will continue to support the people of Iran in their search for truth and justice.

We hope you are more likely to describe 2023 as ‘victorious’ at the end of this newsletter than you were at the start!

All of the successes above were the result of people coming together, over the course of many years, to build a better world. 

But systemic change doesn’t happen overnight. 

This kind of deep, sustained, long-term progress requires investment from people who want a freer, fairer future for all.

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