Web pages about "Freedom Of Expression"

Children’s choir director still wanted for terrorist propaganda

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:52:41 +0100

The director of a children’s choir is still wanted by the Turkish authorities after she and members of her choir were accused of spreading propaganda for an outlawed separatist group.

An arrest warrant was issued for director Duygu Ozge Bayar after the Diyarbakir Yenisehir Municipality Children’s Choir sang the Kurdish language anthem Ey Raqip (Hey Enemy) at a world music festival in San Francisco in October 2007. The choir sang songs in a total of nine different languages including a Turkish patriotic song (Canakkale Marsi).

Amnesty International issued a public statement on 18 June, expressing concern over the threat the prosecution posed to the right to freedom of expression, and stating that the singing of Ey Raqip cannot be regarded as a threat to public order.

Members of the choir and their director were charged with “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation or its aims” after Turkish prosecutors said that the song was the anthem of the PKK – the separatist militant group Turkish troops have been fighting for over two decades. The conflict has cost almost 40,000 lives.

Nine choir members between the ages of 12 and 17 were tried for the offence in two separate courts. They each faced up to five years in prison.

Three boys aged 15, 15 and 17 at the time that the alleged offence was committed were tried in an adult court in Diyarbakir in the south east of Turkey on 19 June. Six other members of the choir under 15 years of age were prosecuted for the same offence at a Children’s Court on 3 July.

In both cases the charges were dropped because it was judged that the march was sung upon request and that the children did not intend to commit a crime.

The lawyer for the children, Baran Pamuk, said he was angry because the implication of the judge's ruling meant that singing Ey Raqip remained a crime.

Michael Santoro, who runs the San Francisco World Music Festival, and who invited the choir to take part, said: "These events were not political propaganda, nor were they designed with a separatist agenda in mind."

Duygu Ozge Bayar said that the song was requested by the audience in San Francisco. "We shared our culture there, at the festival," she said in a statement. "We sang various songs showing the styles of Diyarbakir … If performing these songs is separatism, then we are guilty of promoting separatism."

There is still an arrest warrant out for Duygu Ozge Bayar who stayed in the US after the festival to study English.

Olympics promises for human rights – the China Debate

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:30:42 +0100

Amnesty International has launched a new website for people to have their say about the human rights situation in China in the countdown to the Beijing Olympics. When bidding for the Games, the Chinese authorities made commitments that hosting the Games would help improve human rights.

Amnesty International has asked people to let them know whether you think they have fulfilled their promise.

The China Debate, launched on Thursday, aims to encourage an open, constructive and balanced discussion about human rights in China and the legacy the Beijing Olympics will leave behind.

To stimulate discussion, The China Debate presents video and expert opinions that focus on four key areas relevant to upholding the Olympic value of the "preservation of human dignity":

repression of activists
detention without trial
censorship
death penalty

Users around the world will be able to post their comments as well as video, pictures and soundbites. The site is available in English and Chinese.

Russia urged to respect artists' rights to freedom of expression

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:38:20 +0100

Two men who organized a contemporary art exhibition in Moscow have been charged with inciting hatred or enmity and denigration of human dignity.

Yurii Samodurov and Andrei Yerofeev staged the Forbidden Art 2006 exhibition at the Sakharov Museum in Moscow in March 2007.

The exhibition showed a number of art objects (photos, paintings, collages and others) which had been previously refused inclusion in some exhibitions.

However, several of the pieces, including work by well-known Russian contemporary artists such as Ilya Kabakov, Aleksandr Kosolapov, Aleksandr Savko and Mikhail Roginskii, have already been shown in other exhibitions in the Russian Federation and at major exhibitions of contemporary art worldwide.

The objects date from the Soviet era right up to the 21st century. Several of them use religious motifs such as icons or paintings depicting religious scenes, others use non-normative language.

According to the findings of the Taganskii district prosecutor, both men organized an exhibition which “is clearly directed towards expressing in a demonstrative and visible way a degrading and insulting attitude towards the Christian religion in general and especially towards the Orthodox faith.” If found guilty both men may face imprisonment.

Yurii Samodurov, director of the Sakharov Centre, was charged on 15 May 2008. Andrei Yerofeev, head of the department for contemporary art at the State Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow, was charged on 22 May. Both men are charged under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (Inciting hatred or enmity, denigration of human dignity with the use of one’s official position).

The Taganskii district prosecutor’s office commissioned several expert opinions on the art objects. One expert on iconography found that “the negative impulses coming from the objects may provoke aggression, or at least lack of respect towards [the religious objects] used in the exhibition or against any other object used in religious cults”.

Yurii Samodurov had been previously found guilty of inciting hatred or enmity and sentenced to a conditional prison sentence in connection with another exhibition. Amnesty International considered him at that time a possible prisoner of conscience and campaigned for the protection of his right to freedom of expression.

Amnesty International considers that the art objects do not incite hatred. While some viewers may be offended by what they see, this should not lead to a criminal prosecution of those who have organized the exhibition.

International human rights law does not permit, still less require, freedom of expression to be restricted or prohibited simply on the grounds that some people find it offensive.

Please join Amnesty International’s appeal to the Russian authorities to drop the charges against Yurii Samodurov and Andrei Yerofeev.

Turkey urged to respect LGBT people's right to freedom of association

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:50:11 +0100

A local court in Istanbul ordered the closure of the Turkish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender solidarity organization, Lambda Istanbul. The court ruled on 29 May in favour of a complaint by the Istanbul Governor's Office that Lambda Istanbul's objectives were against Turkish "moral values and family structure". An appeal challenging this ruling is currently pending.

In recent years provincial governorships in Turkey have similarly targeted organizations working to promote the rights of persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. For example, in September 2005, the Ankara Governor’s Office accused the Ankara-based group KAOS-GL, a gay and lesbian cultural research and solidarity organization, of “establishing an organization that is against the laws and principles of morality”.

Similarly, in August 2006, the Ankara Governor’s Office attempted to close the human rights group Pembe Hayat (Pink Life), which works with transgender people, claiming that the association opposed “laws and morality”. In both of these cases, however, prosecutors dropped the charges.

Amnesty International considers that closure of or attempts to close organizations on the basis of advocating for the rights of persons with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities violate the right to freedom of association, and are discriminatory.

Amnesty International is calling on people to write to Beşir Atalay, the Minister of Interior:

reminding him of his duty to ensure the respect and protection of the rights of all persons to freedom of association, without discrimination including on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity; in particular, in the words of the Yogyakarta principle 20: “to ensure the rights to peacefully organise, associate, assemble and advocate around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to obtain legal recognition for such associations and groups”;
urging him to ensure that notions of public order, public morality, public health and public security are not employed to restrict any exercise of the rights to peaceful association solely on the basis that the association affirms diverse sexual orientations or gender identities;
asking him to support a comprehensive non-discrimination law which includes specific protections against unequal treatment based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all areas of life;
asking him to remind provincial governorships and their association directorates of their obligation to respect and protect the rights of all persons to freedom of association, without discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to take measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Violence and coercion mark Zimbabwe's election

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:07:34 +0100

Voting in Zimbabwe on Friday has been marked by a campaign of state violence and intimidation in the run up to the presidential election. Amnesty International has said that it is deeply disturbed by the campaign that is part of a deliberate strategy by the Zimbabwean government to ensure that Robert Mugabe wins the election.

The decision to hold the vote came despite calls by the international community to postpone the election until the security situation in Zimbabwe had improved. Across Zimbabwe, thousands of suspected supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have been harassed and intimidated.

"Today’s election is being held against a backdrop of widespread killings, torture and assault of perceived opposition supporters. Zimbabwe has been allowed to operate outside the African Union (AU) and UN human rights framework for far too long,” said Amnesty International.

"It is time for effective African and international solidarity with the victims of human rights violations in Zimbabwe. The people must not be left alone to suffer this ongoing violence."

Supporters – or perceived supporters – of the MDC have been arbitrarily arrested and detained. The MDC claims that about 2,000 of its members are in custody. Among the political detainees was the party’s Secretary General Mr Tendai Biti, who was released from detention on 26 June after being arrested on 12 June on charges of treason.

Over 80 people have been killed in the post-election violence so far – most of them MDC supporters.

"War veterans" have set up informal "bases" in rural and urban areas where they plan attacks against perceived MDC supporters. They conduct "re-education" sessions that include severely assaulting people suspected to be MDC supporters as a "lesson" to others. Victims include women, children and the elderly.

State security agencies such as the police and army are being used to pursue a partisan agenda – seriously compromising their constitutional responsibility to protect the human rights of all Zimbabweans.

Other perceived opponents of the government have also been targeted, including human rights defenders and lawyers. A number of lawyers have been forced to flee the country out of fear for their lives and the safety of their families.

Human rights defenders, including members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), have been arbitrarily arrested and denied bail purely for exercising their right to peaceful protest.

"Human rights activists like Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu from WOZA have been languishing in detention since their arrest on 28 May, solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful protest," said Amnesty International. "Meanwhile, murderers, torturers, and other perpetrators of human rights violations are left at large and given free rein to commit further human rights violations with impunity.”

Tunisia: Human rights lip service

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:37:52 +0100

The Tunisian government is misleading the world as it conveys a positive image of the human rights situation in the country while abuses by its security forces continue unabated and are committed with impunity, Amnesty International revealed in a new report today.

“The Tunisian government has repeatedly asserted that it abides by its international human rights obligations, yet this is far from the reality. It is high time that the authorities stop paying lip service to human rights and take concrete action to end abuses,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “As a first step, the Tunisian authorities must acknowledge the disturbing allegations documented in this report, commit to investigating them and bring those responsible to justice."

The report, In the Name of Security: Routine Abuses in Tunisia, details Amnesty International’s concerns regarding serious human rights violations being committed in connection with the government's security and counter-terrorism policies. In their efforts to prevent the formation of what they call “terrorist cells” inside Tunisia, the authorities have been responsible for arbitrary arrests and detentions which breach Tunisian law, and have forcibly disappeared detainees, used torture and other ill-treatment and tried, convicted and sentenced people using unfair proceedings. In addition, they have tried civilians before military courts and produced little evidence to substantiate the charges.

A broad definition of terrorism in the Tunisian Anti-Terrorism Law is used by the authorities to criminalize legitimate and peaceful opposition activities. Although some legal reforms were introduced in recent years to provide better protection for detainees, the laws are routinely flouted by the Tunisian security forces, and have not served as an adequate safeguard against torture, unfair trial and other serious human rights abuses.

Ramzi el Aifi, Ousama Abbadi and Mahdi Ben Elhaj Ali were three of the co-defendants in the Soliman case. Their lawyers report that they were punched, tied up and kicked by prison guards at Mornaguia prison on 16 October 2007, apparently because they had gone on hunger strike in protest against their conditions of detention. Abbadi sustained a serious eye injury and a deep, open leg wound and was in a wheelchair, unable to stand, when seen by his lawyer on 20 October 2007. Ramzi el Aifi told his lawyer that he had been tied up with a rope, beaten up and that a stick had been inserted into his anus. No investigation into these abuses is known to have been initiated by the Tunisian authorities and those allegedly responsible have not faced ustice. Ramzi el Aifi and Ousama Abbadi were sentenced to life imprisonment, though Abbadi's sentence was reduced to 30 years' imprisonment on appeal. Mahdi Ben Elhaj Ali was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reduced to eight years on appeal.

Most human rights abuses are committed by forces of the Department of State Security (DSS), who use torture virtually with impunity.

By failing to investigate allegations of torture, the Public Prosecutor and his staff as well as judges, who often lack independence, effectively help to cover up instances in which detainees are held incommuncado for prolonged periods in breach of Tunisia's own law, as well as torture of detainees in violation of Tunisian and international law. Through their silence and failure to act, they become complicit in the abuses.

“The Tunisian authorities have an obligation to protect the public and combat terrorism, but when doing so they must comply with their obligations under international human rights law," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "They must ensure that the anti-terrorism and related provisions do not facilitate human rights abuses, and that, in practice, the DDS and other security forces at all times fully respect international human rights laws and standards.”

Despite this record of abuses, a number of Arab and European governments and the US government have returned people they suspected of involvement in terrorism to Tunisia, where they have then suffered arbitrary arrest and detention, torture or other ill-treatment, and blatantly unfair trials.

Houssine Tarkhani was forcibly returned from France to Tunisia on 3 June 2007, and detained on arrival. He was kept in secret detention in the DSS in Tunis for nine days, in violation of international human rights law, as well as three days longer even than the period permitted by Tunisian law for garde à vue detention. During this time, his lawyer reported, Houssine Tarkhani was beaten with a stick all over his body, given electric shocks, insulted and threatened with death. He was subjected to further beating when he asked to be allowed to read the police report, which he was not permitted to read. During tis detention in garde à vue, none of his immediate relatives were informed of his detention as required under Tunisian law. His family knew of his whereabouts only when he was brought before an investigating judge on 12 June 2007. He first appeared before the investigating judge without the assistance of his lawyers, who were not permitted access to him until 19 June 2007, when they saw him at Mornaguia prison. His lawyer’s request to have him examined for evidence of torture still remains unanswered.

“Instead of forcibly returning Tunisian nationals who face torture and unfair trials, foreign governments should be pressing the Tunisian government to take concrete steps to promote human rights reform,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Note to editors:

Amnesty International experts will present the findings of the report at a press briefing in Paris at 15:00 GMT on Monday 23 June.

To arrange for an interview with a spokesperson in Paris, please contact Aurélie Chatelard on + 33 (0) 6 76 94 37 05.

To arrange for an interview with a spokesperson in London, please contact Nicole Choueiry, Middle East and North Africa Press Officer on +44 (0) 7831 640 170.

One thousand protesters unaccounted for in Tibet lock-down

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:06:48 +0100

As the Olympic torch relay travels to Lhasa, Amnesty International urged the Chinese government to provide information about the over 1,000 people detained during the protests last March and called for free access to Tibet by independent observers.

The call came as Amnesty International published an update on the situation in Tibet since the outbreak of violence – looking at the continuing violent crackdown against protesters, the situation of those detained, including those reported to have been beaten and deprived of proper health care and adequate food, and the severe censorship facing journalists and Tibetans.

“There is very little information coming out of Tibet, but the information we have paints a dire picture of arbitrary detentions and abuse of detainees,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International.

“With the torch relay about to enter Tibetan areas, this should be an opportunity to shine some light on the situation there.”

Official reports only provide information on a small number of those who have been sentenced after questionable trials.

Foreign journalists are still blocked from entering Tibet. Limited reports that have come through friends and family members to the media and Tibetan organizations say police and security forces have confiscated mobile phones, computers and other communications equipment in hundreds of raids on monasteries, nunneries and private homes, physically preventing thousands from communication with the outside world.

Those who dare to find ways of sending information to foreign media or human rights organizations regarding protests and arrests, risk arrest and imprisonment.

“The complete lock-down in Tibet is allowing human rights abuses such as arbitrary detentions, ill treatment and severe censorship to go unreported and unpunished,” said Sam Zarifi.

“Hundreds of people languish in Chinese prisons for peacefully expressing their opinions, in appalling conditions and without their relatives even knowing where they are. The passing of the torch should allow journalists a chance to see the actual situation on the ground and promote the ‘Free and Open Olympics’ promised in the Beijing Olympic Action Plan.”

Chinese authorities have not only detained monks and nuns and other protesters, they have also targeted Tibetan artists who did not have any direct involvement in the on-going protests. What these figures had in common was involvement in efforts to preserve Tibetan culture. Jamyang Kyi, a well-known singer, TV presenter and producer, was arrested on 1 April from her work place at the Qinghai TV station and held incommunicado for at least one month before, it is believed, being placed under house arrest, only after paying a significant fee.

Background Information
Initial protests after March 10 turned violent and targeted ethnic Han Chinese individuals and businesses. But protesters, often led by monks and nuns, are believed to have been mainly peaceful since March 14, when the Dalai Lama exhorted demonstrators to avoid violence.

The Olympic torch relay is travelling through China under great scrutiny and with journalists highly controlled in areas such as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The original schedule for the torch relay travelling through Tibet has been changed and it is now reported to be on Saturday 21 June.

South Korea: Stop excessive force against protestors

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:58:43 +0100

South Korean authorities should immediately investigate reports of excessive force against demonstrators protesting about US beef imports, said Amnesty International.

The authorities should also ensure people’s safety at future protests - there are fears of more violence and arrests with the imminent 10 June rally marking the anniversary of the 1987 democratic uprising that led to free elections and political reforms.

“The police’s resort to violence has angered a lot of peaceful protesters and increased the possibility of violence,” said Norma Kang Muico, Amnesty International’s Korea researcher. “The government should use the anniversary of the 1987 protests as an occasion to demonstrate its commitment to human rights and rule of law.”

More than 300 people were arrested during candlelight vigils held on 31 May and 1 June. Police used fire extinguishers and water cannons fired at close range against largely peaceful demonstrators, causing serious injuries such as blindness, broken bones and concussions.

Amnesty International has received hundreds of reports of riot police rounding people up and arbitrarily arresting all those who happened to get caught in the process, including peaceful protesters, bystanders and passers-by. Several detainees reported police violence during and after their arrest.

Among those beaten and arrested was a 27-year-old man. Police officers kicked him and beat him with clubs and shields. When the Amnesty International South Korean section director, Kim Hee-jin, visited him at the Hyehwa Police Station on 2 June, his face was swollen and he had cuts and scratches on his face and arm. He was suffering head and chest pains from the beatings. Although injured and in visible pain, the police did not provide him with any medical attention during his 48-hour arrest.

Amnesty International called for anyone still detained to be properly charged and brought to court or released immediately.

Since early May, tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated against the renewal of US beef imports over fears of BSE or mad cow disease.

END/

Public Document
****************************************
Norma Kang Muico, Amnesty International Korea researcher (London), on +44 (0)77 3902 7510

or
Kim Hee-jin, Director of Amnesty International South Korea +82 10 4229 0511

Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

Women activists arrested in Zimbabwe

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:49:45 +0100

A group of Zimbabwean women activists are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment following their arrest at a peaceful demonstration in Harare.

Fourteen activists from the organisation Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), including WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magadonga Mahlangu, were arrested on 28 May and are being held under harsh prison conditions.

Jenni Williams, national coordinator of WOZA, fellow WOZA leader Magadonga Mahlangu, and 12 other activists, including one man, were captured as they marched to the Zambian Embassy. They were calling on the Chair of the Southern African Development Community to help bring an end to the violence that has been taking place in Zimbabwe since elections were held on 29 March 2008.

It is reported that some of the WOZA members were beaten by police as they were arrested. They are all being charged with ‘distributing materials likely to cause a breach of the peace,’ under Section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Jenni Williams has a further charge against her for ‘publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State’ under Section 31 of the same Act.
Some WOZA members appeared in court on 30 May and others on 31 May. After initially being granted bail, the state prosecutor then won an appeal against granting them bail and all 14 were remanded in custody.

The thirteen women are being held at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and the male WOZA member is being held at Harare Central Remand Prison. Reports indicate that conditions in both of these prisons are deplorable and fall well below international standards.

Sufficient blankets and warm clothing have not been provided to the WOZA detainees, which is of particular concern as it is currently winter in Zimbabwe. They are being remanded in custody until 6 June when they will appear in court again.

Amnesty International understands that the WOZA members were arrested and detained purely because they were attempting to exercise their universally guaranteed rights to freedom of association and assembly.

Though WOZA members have been arrested on dozens of occasions since the formation of the organisation in 2003, the most recent arrests are part of a wider crackdown on human rights defenders, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, election observers and opposition activists in the wake of the parliamentary and presidential elections of 29 March.

Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka flourish under veil of secrecy

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:22:04 +0100

Ensuring respect for human rights around the world very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage – without exposure and public scrutiny abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial.

The importance of the media in conflict situations cannot be overstated, without reports, pictures and film of the fighting and the violence, no-one knows enough to put the pressure on the participants to ensure human rights are respected.

This need is particularly strong in Sri Lanka, where fatalities on all sides are believed to be very high with large numbers of civilians caught in the crossfire. All parties to the conflict are responsible for grave violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern that "since the start of the year civilian casualties had gone up as the number of indiscriminate attacks had grown in the north, east and south of the country."

Despite the gravity of the human cost of war, Sri Lanka is a conflict where journalists face unjustified restrictions on reporting and there are very few established facts. In fact, both sides consistently contradict each other.

The conflict in Sri Lanka is between government forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and armed Tamil groups alleged to be aligned with the government. Sri Lanka, as Amnesty International reported in its February report Silencing Dissent, is a country where media coverage of war has effectively been silenced – through threats, restrictions and violence.

The conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka has continued to escalate since the ending of the ceasefire agreement on 16 January 2008. The withdrawal of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement means that there is a vacuum of independent reporting of human rights violations. This makes it more urgent that journalists are allowed to report without undue restrictions and document human rights abuses on the ground.

Yet journalists are often barred from conflict areas. The LTTE does not allow independent reporting in the areas under its control, while the government masks the cost of the war.

According to the Free Media Movement, a Colombo-based media watchdog, Government of Sri Lanka officials have barred photographers in the past week from entering hospitals in Colombo where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers injured in battle in late April are being treated.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, 25 journalists from the minority Tamil community had fled the Jaffna peninsula where government forces are battling Tamil Tiger rebels.

It is two years since support staff Suresh Kumar and Rajiv Kumar were gunned down at the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper office on 2 May 2006. The newspaper has come under severe attack because of its alleged Tamil nationalist stance. Seven media workers have been killed in Jaffna since the beginning of May 2006, four of these working with Uthayan.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the office and killed the two workers in the absence of the journalists the gunmen were apparently looking for. The killers still walk free.

"Publishing our daily newspaper in Jaffna is an increasingly Herculean and dangerous task with armed gunmen who continuously threaten our work and our lives," said the editor of Uthayan.

To date, the organisation is unaware of any investigation that has led to the arrest and prosecution of those believed responsible for the killing of journalists and other media workers.

In another incident, journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam was arrested on 7 March and has been held in the Terrorist Investigation Division Detention centre in Colombo since. The authorities have claimed that he is held on suspicion of involvement with the LTTE, although he has not been charged with any offence.

Amnesty International has said that his detention is arbitrary. He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive specialist treatment for a serious eye condition.

In all, at least 10 media workers have been unlawfully killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. Others have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and allegedly disappeared while in the custody of security forces.

For Press Freedom Day 2008, Amnesty International has urged the Sri Lankan government to protect media workers and their rights to life, liberty and security of person, in compliance with Sri Lanka’s obligations under international law.

The organization has also called on the government to respect media workers and publicly announce that killings, threats, or other attacks will not be tolerated and to investigate all cases of attacks, disappearances and killings of media workers promptly, independently, impartially and effectively, irrespective of the identity of perpetrators or victims.

The organisation is also calling on the LTTE to issue instructions to all its members to cease all killings, threats or other attacks on media workers. All parties to the conflict must stop targeting journalists.