Inside Expression

December 2024

This month: Celebrating the successes of the free expression movement in 2024

Journalist Evan Gershkovich hugs his mother upon his return to the US, having been detained in Russia for 16 months on bogus espionage charges. 1 August 2024. (Nathan Howard / Reuters)

Dear John,

As the year draws to a close, it’s time to rest, recuperate, and review. What went right? What went wrong? And what lessons can we carry into the New Year to build a freer, fairer future for all?

We won’t sugarcoat it: 2024 has been a tough one. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives in senseless wars, the chasm between rich and poor cranked open even further, and it’s set to be the hottest year since records began – again.

Faced with these compounding catastrophes, a dearth of effective leadership, and declining faith in democracy, no wonder so many people punished incumbents at the ballot box this Super Election Year.

But even on the darkest days, there were cracks of light.

From Syria to South Korea, people achieved extraordinary things in 2024. Even in the face of eye-watering risks, communities came together, demanded better, and achieved real change.

Making these gains is hard enough. Making them last is even harder. Sustained progress requires sustainable movements; movements with the strength, resilience, and tenacity to make rights a lasting reality, even – or especially – when the going gets tough.

A crucial element of movement-building is celebrating every win: from freeing one journalist to shaping laws that will improve the lives of millions. Yet in the fast-paced world of human rights, we rarely have time to sit back, take stock, and acknowledge how far we’ve come.

That’s why we’re dedicating our final newsletter of the year to celebrating the successes of the free expression movement in 2024.

Each win is a testament to the courage of those who resist, the resilience of those who persevere, and the vision of all those who imagine a fairer, more equal world. We hope these success stories serve as an inspiring reminder that together, we can move mountains.

As a vital part of this movement, thank you for your support this year. We hope you have a joyful, restful, and rejuvenating break – there’ll be plenty more mountains to move in 2025!

Warmest wishes,

All of us at ARTICLE 19

Defining a new digital era for all

Advances in AI dominated the digital discourse in 2024. As governments grappled with regulation, ARTICLE 19 published a new report to help ensure AI serves humans – not the other way around.

New UN resolutions on AI and internet connectivity reflected many of our calls, and the Internet Engineering Task Force (which shapes how the internet is designed and developed) published new tools to help developers protect human rights – a win that was 6 years in the making.

In the EU, while the AI Act was a missed opportunity, 2024 was the first year of enforcing the Digital Markets Act. Our sustained advocacy led to ARTICLE 19 being included in discussions previously closed to civil society, and we expanded the conversation about how pro-competition tools can transform digital markets to Latin America.

We also celebrated a number of national legal wins: from a historic victory against mass surveillance in Poland, to the US Supreme Court protecting free expression online, to federal regulation – following years of ARTICLE 19 advocacy – ensuring that US sanctions don’t stop civil society in Iran from accessing the technology they need to resist repression.

Defending our right to protest

Activists protest at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, 23 November 2024. (Maxim Shemetov / Reuters)

2024 is set to be the first year in which the average temperature was more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But instead of tackling global heating, our leaders are holding climate activists’ feet to the fire: over the past 12 years, over 2,000 environmental defenders have been killed.

ARTICLE 19 defended the right to protest from increasing criminalisation throughout 2024. At the UN, we joined the expert group on environmental civil disobedience, and we welcomed a strong new resolution on protest at the Human Rights Council.

Türkiye’s proposed ‘agents of influence’ bill, which risks criminalising the activities of civil society organisations and journalists, was withdrawn in November following strong civil society opposition – but it is likely to be presented in parliament again soon. We are calling on the European Commission to act now to protect critical voices in Türkiye.

In Iran, we continued to support high-risk communities on the ground, including protesters, ethnic religious minorities, and LGBTQI+ people. Over the past 3 years, we have helped over 3,000 people to stay safe.

And in Thailand, ARTICLE 19 Asia Pacific supported youth organisation Law Long Beach to provide legal aid to young protesters – who, despite authorities’ attempts to silence them, are leading some of the most vibrant protest movements in the country.

‘No one is 100% ready to be subjected to state action. We need to see that [young protesters] have a support system and ensure they will not face further rejection at home or from their peers.’

– Alisar Bindusa

(Adviser, Law Long Beach, Thailand)

Standing up for journalists worldwide

Polish journalist Grzegorz Rzeczkowski with ARTICLE 19 Europe's Joanna Szymańska after Grzegorz won his SLAPP case last year. (ARTICLE 19)

The number of journalists killed is at a 5-year high. Half of those killed in 2024 were in conflict zones – and 1 in 3 at the hands of Israel’s army. What’s more, 550 journalists are currently behind bars: a 7% increase from 2023.

Faced with these horrifying statistics, work to protect individual journalists can feel like a drop in the ocean. But for those individuals and their families, it is the entire ocean. We must never forget that behind each and every number is a whole human life.

In the US, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was released from prison in Russia, where he’d been detained on bogus espionage charges for 16 months. ARTICLE 19 helped Evan’s legal team to access the UN, which found that Russia had violated international law. He was released in July – and the UN finding means he can now sue Russia for damages.

In Guatemala, we celebrated justice for 2 Indigenous environmental journalists in January: charges were finally dropped against Carlos Choc, and 3 police officers were found guilty of illegally detaining Norma Sancir at a protest back in 2014. ARTICLE 19 Mexico and Central America has repeatedly documented violations against both journalists and called for justice.

In Poland, investigative journalist Grzegorz Rzeczkowski, who won his SLAPP case in 2023 with ARTICLE 19 Europe’s support, continued his vital work – including reporting on Russian influence in Poland, for which he received yet more threats. In October, we welcomed the interior minister ordering the security services to keep him safe.

‘ARTICLE 19 has been a crucial ally, standing by me in court and speaking out against the harassment I endure. Their presence and support mean a lot.’

– Grzegorz Rzeczkowski

(Polish journalist)

Making governments more transparent

At least 55 countries still lack laws that guarantee people’s right to information (RTI). Some countries have RTI laws that aren’t fit for purpose; others have laws that look great on paper, but are poorly implemented; and still others – like Slovakia, Iraq, and Mexico – attacked people’s right to know just this year.

But while some countries are backsliding, others are progressing. In Senegal, the government took positive steps this year to advance transparency, access to information, and citizen participation following relentless campaigning, over many years, by ARTICLE 19 Senegal and West Africa.

Namibia approved an RTI law this year; Zambia enacted theirs; and in Kenya, following 8 years of advocacy by ARTICLE 19 Kenya and Eastern Africa, the RTI regulations finally came into effect. Activists and journalists are already using them to hold the government to account.

In Malaysia, too, the push for a federal RTI law gained momentum. ARTICLE 19 Asia Pacific is advising the government on the law: a huge step forward, and the fruit of many years of sustained advocacy.

Thank you for being part of this movement!

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