Freedom

UN rights council limiting press freedom to protect religion

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the World Editors Forum (WEF) accused the UN Human Rights Council of “undermining” the freedom of expression in the name of religious sensibilities" in a resolution the two groups adopted Tuesday.

Passed at the 2008 World Newspaper Congress in Goteberg, Sweden, the statement concerns an amendment to a March 2008 UN Human Rights Council resolution that required the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to report "abuses" of free expression being used to promote religious discrimination.

That amendment was proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The media groups alleged that the amendment was a veiled attempt to discourage press criticism on religious issues.

Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov spoke on press freedom in Russia at the Congress Tuesday, saying that Russian press laws under former President Vladimir Putin had sought to suppress freedom of expression by portraying it as a threat to national security.

On Monday, current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev encouraged the Russian parliament to reject a bill that would allow officials to close media outlets suspected of spreading libel or slander, a move some see as a continuation of his inaugural promise to respect Russian laws and rights.

(Published by Jurist - june 5, 2008)