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Reporters Without Borders,
16.04.2002.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), speaking to the meeting about freedom of
expression and opinion, protested strongly about the presence of delegates from
China, Iran, Burma, Vietnam, Cuba and Zimbabwe - countries where press freedom
is abused and journalists regularly imprisoned. It also pointed out that some
countries sitting on the Commission - Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia - had not
signed or ratified the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, whose Article 19 guarantees freedom
of expression. "In those countries, the government gags the media with
complete impunity [Gag Law,
Cuba], yet here in Geneva, they are called upon to pass judgement on other
countries in matters of human rights," the RSF representative said.
Since the last meeting of the Commission, the press freedom situation in the
world has deteriorated. The fight against terrorism, whatever its justification,
has led to greater repression in dictatorships such as China but has also seen a
reduction in basic freedoms, especially freedom of expression, in many
democracies. Even in some European Union states, threats to diversity and
freedom of information arose or increased. For all these reasons, RSF asked the
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion to monitor the press
freedom situation in democratic countries, especially the United States.
RSF also deplored the absence of any resolutions condemning the human rights
situation in countries such as Eritrea, where journalists face systematic
repression.
RSF deplored too the continuing impunity concerning attacks on journalists,
notably in Israel and the Occupied Territories, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso,
Ukraine, Haiti and Colombia, and asked the Commission to press these government
to stop hindering the legal punishment of these abuses.
RSF also asked the Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression and Opinion
and on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions to pay special attention
to investigations into the murders of journalists. In the present deteriorating
state of freedom of expression, RSF called on the Commission to forthrightly
condemn, without regard for short-term considerations, all countries that
attacked press freedom.
Contacter Reporters sans frontières
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