Release imprisoned journalists, abolish “insult laws” and laws that restrict press freedom.
These were the demands of The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the World Editors Forum meeting in Cape Town this week.
The leaders of the world newspaper industry underlined their opinion that press freedom remains a key to the establishment of good governance and durable economic, political, social and cultural development, prosperity and peace in Africa, and to the fight against corruption, famine, poverty, violent conflict, disease, and lack of education
In a declarations they urged African countries to abolish “insult’’ and criminal defamation laws “which in the five months of this year have caused the harassment, arrest and/or imprisonment of 103 editors, reporters, broadcasters and online journalists in 26 African countries (as outlined in the annexure to this declaration).”
WAN also urged African governments as a matter of urgency to review and abolish all other laws that restrict press freedom, as well as to release jailed journalists. Ethiopia and Eritrea are these worst violators of press freedom, but even the South African government has on occasion withheld advertising to punish critical newspapers.
by Jan Speed
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