Pandemic 'Unprecedented' Obstacles to Freedom of Expression, Amnesty Says
In Tanzania, according to Amnesty, the government of former President John Magufuli, which has consistently downplayed the impact of the coronavirus and refused to take action to stem the pandemic, has resorted to laws banning and punishing " false information ”to restrict media activity in particular.
REUTERS - STRINGER
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Many governments around the world have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to put in place "
unprecedented
" obstacles
to freedom of expression and silence critics, Amnesty International denounced in a report published on Tuesday, October 19.
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Combined with a wave of disinformation, these repressive measures have often prevented populations from having access to exact information on the virus, which is essential to enable them to cope with it as soon as the pandemic emerges in early 2020, underlined the human rights organization.
"
Throughout the pandemic, governments have launched an unprecedented attack on freedom of expression,
" Amnesty official Rajat Khosla said in a statement.
"
Channels of communication have been targeted, social networks censored and media outlets closed,
" he added, and "
journalists and health professionals have been silenced and jailed
."
For Amnesty, the resulting lack of information was a "factor" worsening the toll of the pandemic, which is approaching five million deaths.
►
Click here to read the report
Restricted media activity
Amnesty International cites in particular the case of
China
, where more than 5,000 criminal investigations had been opened as of February 2020 against people accused of "
fabricating and willfully spreading false and harmful information
" on the nature and extent of the epidemic. .
In
Tanzania
, the government of former President John Magufuli, which has consistently downplayed the impact of the coronavirus and refused to take action to stem the pandemic, has resorted to laws banning and punishing "
fake news
" in particular to restrict media activity.
In
Nicaragua,
authorities have passed legislation aimed at combating cybercrime, which effectively allows them to "
punish those who criticize government policies
" and "
suppress freedom of expression
".
In Russia, a law severely punishing the dissemination of false information about the coronavirus is likely to remain in place once the pandemic is over, Amnesty International has warned.
Besides governments, the London-based NGO has criticized digital platforms, which it says are not doing enough to fight disinformation.
All this "
makes it more and more difficult for people to form a fully informed opinion and to make informed choices about their health,
" she stressed.
Exact information is however "
crucial
", according to her, to "
reduce and combat vaccine hesitation
".
(With
AFP
)
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