Libertà di stampa in Africa!

La World Association of Newspapers promuove un appello che chiede ai componenti degli Stati dell'Unione africana la libertà dei giornalisti imprigionati e l'abolizione delle leggi che restingono la libertà di stampa e creano un clima ostile ai giornalisti. La petizione sarà presentata al Presidente Thabo Mbeki del Sud Africa, durante il meeting degli stati che si terrà a Maputo dal 5 al 12 luglio.

PRESENTAZIONE IN INGLESE DELL'APPELLO che si può sottoscrivere andando all'indirizzo
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/freeafricanmedia/

The petition will be presented to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the Chair of the African Union, at a meeting of Heads of State in Maputo, from 5 to 12 July.

"The right for journalists to practice without fear of legal persecution and personal injury is fundamental to any functioning democracy," said Timothy Balding, Director General of WAN. "Too many journalists in Africa are forced to operate in appalling conditions which not only infringe on their capacity to operate as media professionals, but also violate their basic human rights."

The petition campaign was launched by two African human rights groups, the Centre for Research, Education & Development Of Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights and FAHAMU, which comes from the Kiswahili word for 'understanding'.

The petition asks for African leaders to release all incarcerated journalists and repeal anti-media and anti-freedom of expression legislation. National security laws, anti-terrorism legislation and criminal defamation laws have landed scores of journalists in prison throughout Africa and resigned many more to practising self-censorship.

WAN is encouraging its members to sign the petition, which can be found by clicking here.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 100 countries, 13 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Kajsa Tornroth, Director, Press Freedom Programme, WAN, 25 rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48 E-mail: [email protected].

The Africa Union Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Campaign is aimed at the African Union and its member states. The campaign petition currently in circulation, calls on the AU and its member states to release all imprisoned African Journalists/writers and repeal all anti-media and anti-free expression legislation in line with the AU's constitutive Acts which recognise media freedom and freedom of expression. The African Union will be holding its second meeting of Heads of States of member countries from the 10th to 12th of July. The second ordinary session of the AU commences on the 4th of July.

The campaign was launched in Pambazuka the mass circulating Africa focussed electronic weekly newsletter on rights and development issues as the first step in a wider strategy to create mass awareness and concentrate international public attention on the campaign to institutionalise press freedom and freedom of expression in Africa. See http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/freeafricanmedia/ for full text of the petition, supporting statements and other relevant material.

The campaign has received wide spread support and is supported by international and African media based and free expression organisations including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), World Association of Newspapers(WAN), West African Journalists Association (WAJA), Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), ARTICLE 19 The Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression and over 40 national media based associations/unions/free expression organisations /NGO's across Africa, Europe, Asia and America.

Fonte: Centre for Research Education & Development Of - [CREDO]- Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights