Summary
Safety and ability of journalists and other media actors to work in full freedom should be protected, with any harassment and violence, offline and online, promptly investigated and liability imposed.
Obligations
Election Parts
Issues
Criteria
- Freedom of movement was guaranteed to all electoral stakeholders, including the media
- Claims of defamation were not used to suppress freedom of expression or to stifle the media or public debate and were not used to silence criticism of the government or its institutions
- The legal framework provided citizens with an effective (timely and enforceable) remedy throughout the electoral process
- Security of the person was guaranteed for all election stakeholders, including the members of the media
Quotes
- The Human Rights Council, (…) 9. Urges States to do their utmost to prevent violence, intimidation, threats and attacks against journalists and media workers, including by: (a) Increasing and accelerating efforts to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference.
- It is imperative that everyone involved in killings of, attacks on and ill-treatment of journalists and other media actors be brought to justice.
- National authorities must not only guarantee journalists’ security and media freedom by preventing and unconditionally condemning blatant violations, but they must also recognise and oppose the threat that more insidious methods pose to the independence and genuine pluralism of the media, to the interest of the public in receiving unbiased, critical information and hence to our democratic systems.
- There are prompt and effective investigations of threats and crimes against journalists and new media actors. There is no climate of impunity.
- To create enabling environments for freedom of expression, States should: a. Take immediate and meaningful action to protect the safety of journalists and others who are attacked for exercising their right to freedom of expression and to end impunity for such attacks.
- In the context of promoting free expression during electoral processes, States should: (b) Guarantee the safety of journalists and media workers; legislative and policy measures must be adopted to prevent attacks against journalists and to eradicate impunity in relation to episodes of violence and intimidation.
- Ensuring the safety of journalists online and offline and ending impunity for threats, intimidation, harassment, attacks and killings of journalists, including women journalists, bloggers, cartoonists and human rights defenders is key to restoring confidence in the public sphere as a safe place for democratic deliberations.
- In the context of elections, harassment and violence against reporters or political candidates should be prohibited by law, and promptly investigated by the relevant authorities.
- States have a special obligation to take rapid and effective measures to prevent, protect, investigate, prosecute and punish attacks, threats, intimidation and harassment, offline and online, against journalists and other media workers, including against their property and families, during election periods, particularly where State actors are or may be involved. This obligation is especially pronounced in relation to female journalists and individuals belonging to marginalised groups.
- States are under a positive obligation to provide protection to journalists and others who are at risk of being attacked for exercising their right to freedom of expression, to launch effective investigations when such attacks do occur, so that those responsible may be held accountable, and to offer effective remedies to victims.