The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia would like to invite members of the public to the launch of its annual report, “Freedom of expression in Malaysia in 2011”, at Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, on 16 May 2012 (Wed).

Besides the highlights of the 2011 FoE report, there will be an additional presentation on media coverage of Bersih 3.0 compared with Bersih 2.0. It includes analyses of how different media reported on, among others:

• the numbers of those who turned up; and
• the numbers of those injured and which side – protesters or police – is allegedly responsible.

We invite everyone to come in the T-shirt that expresses their most pressing cause. This is another opportunity for all to state whatever they espouse.

We have an exciting, interactive launch in store. Major protest groups of 2011 will come together to share their core messages as one giant human microphone!

Please find below the programme:

Launch of Centre for Independent Journalism’s (CIJ) annual report “Freedom of Expression in Malaysia in 2011″

16 May 2012 (Wed); 8pm

Auditorium (1st Flr), Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, 1 Jalan Maharajalela, KL

8.00pm Welcome by CIJ executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah

8.05pm Curtain-raiser for presentation of Freedom of Expression in Malaysia 2011 report

8.10pm Presentation of Freedom of Expression in Malaysia 2011 report (by CIJ media monitor Ding Jo-Ann)

8.30pm Presentation of Bersih 3.0 media coverage (by Jo-Ann)

8.50pm Q&A

9.10pm Launch: Human microphone by major protester groups of 2011

9.40pm Ends

Title: Launch of Centre for Independent Journalism’s (CIJ) annual report “Freedom of Expression in Malaysia in 2011″
Location: Auditorium (1st Flr), Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, 1 Jalan Maharajalela, KL
Link out: Click here
Description: Launch of annual report on freedom of expression in Malaysia, also featuring a presentation on media coverage of Bersih 3.0 compared with Bersih 2.0.
Start Time: 20:00
Date: 2012-05-16
End Time: 21:30

(This version has been corrected on 4 May 2012. In pointing out media’s inaccuracy, we ourselves made a mistake. It was Harian Metro, not Kosmo, which wrongly attributed an attack on a journalist to protesters although the police were the alleged culprits. The error is very much regretted. We will improve our fact-checking procedure to avoid similar mistakes in future. One of our supporters pointed out another error in the date of the rally, which we have also corrected. – Masjaliza Hamzah, CIJ executive officer)

World Press Freedom Day Statement
3 May 2012

There has always been little cause for Malaysian media workers to celebrate World Press Freedom Day in light of the legal restrictions and political control, but this year it actually grew worse.

Just five days ago, our journalists were attacked, most of them allegedly by police personnel, while covering the Bersih rally. At least 12 cases were reported where journalists were harassed, threatened, assaulted, arrested, and had their equipment damaged or seized and some not returned. While the violence committed to these journalists was shocking, the violation to media freedom was compounded further when some media did not report the attacks, while others did worse through misleading reports about the rally.

At a time when accurate and balanced reports were sorely needed to give a truthful picture of what happened on the streets surrounding Dataran Merdeka on 28 April 2012, Astro censored a segment of BBC’s coverage that gave voice to the protesters, Harian Metro misreported an attack on a journalist as being blamed on the protesters although the police were the alleged culprits, Utusan Malaysia gave a similarly misleading impression of that incident and New Straits Times replaced a key word in a visiting Australian senator’s speech delivered in 2009 and ended up falsely depicting him as anti-Islam.

Such unethical coverage of Bersih showed critical failures in not only the function but also the structure of media, which are not addressed by the recent minor amendments to our printing presses law.

The unchanged reality is this: The ruling Barisan Nasional government still has effective control over the Malaysian print media, through show-cause letters, calls dispensing “advice”, and summonses to the Home Ministry. Such political interference creates a hostile environment for press freedom, making it difficult for conscientious journalists to practise ethics in their daily work, ultimately resulting in self-censorship on their part, or deliberately unethical reporting on the part of others, as these recent examples have shown.

On World Press Freedom Day 2012, the Centre for Independent Journalism renews its call to the people to reclaim their right to a media that can play its role of bearing witness and informing society. This call goes out especially to the thousands of people at the rally who saw and could document personal accounts of what some mass media did not or could not or wrongly report. If they want a free and fair election, they should know how crucial it is to have a free and fair media.

30 April 2012 (updated version)

We from Malaysian media civil society organisations condemn the arrest of two journalists and police violence towards others who were covering the sit-down protest for free and fair elections in Kuala Lumpur on 28 April 2012.

Media reports, video feeds, Facebook postings and tweets by the said journalists or their colleagues indicate at least 12 such cases:

• Radzi Razak, a journalist with theSun, was admitted into hospital yesterday due to injuries suffered during an alleged attack by at least seven police personnel. His left leg is broken and he may be suffering from internal injuries. He has lodged a police report on the assault.
• Arif Kartono, a photographer with English newspaper Malay Mail, alleged being assaulted by six uniformed police personnel and had his camera smashed.
• Wong Onn Kin, a photographer with Mandarin newspaper Guang Ming Daily, was reported to have been punched in the back of the head by three policemen when they saw him taking pictures of police charging at protesters. Wong identified himself as a journalist but was ignored; one of the officers pulled his media tag until the strap snapped. He was arrested and his camera confiscated. Wong was taken to a temporary detention centre and released at 9.30pm the same day, without his camera being returned. He has lodged a police report.
• Koh Jun Lin, a photojournalist with online news site Malaysiakini was arrested after taking photographs which document alleged police violence against protestors. Koh’s camera and memory card were also confiscated. He was released the same day but only his camera was returned.
• P. Malayandy, a photographer with Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai, was allegedly assaulted by about five policemen for taking pictures of police detaining protesters. His RM7,000 camera was allegedly snatched away by the police.
• Al Jazeera correspondent Harry Fawcett alleged police violence when his crew was documenting arrests and ill-treatment of protestors. Fawcett and colleagues were reportedly shoved and held, and their camera damaged during the incident. His video feed of Bersih 3.0 after the incident was recorded using Skype from an iPad tablet because the camera could no longer be used.
• Huang An Jian, a photographer with Mandarin newspaper Guang Ming Daily, was arrested while taking photographs of the arrest of protesters and alleged police assault. He was released the same day.
• Channel News Asia video cameraperson Kenny Lew alleged being punched by police, and had his tripod seized.
• Low Boon Tat, a photographer with The Star, was shouted at by policeman for taking pictures of protesters being arrested. He was surrounded by about 10 uniformed personnel. He identified himself as a journalist but was ordered to delete the pictures, and reported being kicked in the leg. The policemen knocked his camera against the wall, and smashed the lens in the process. Low was threatened with arrest and the police dangled a pair of handcuffs in front of him before taking away the memory card in his camera. Low has lodged a police report.
• Chen Shaua Fui, assistant editor of Mandarin news site Merdeka Review, claimed rough handling by four policemen who tried to snatch her camera, and when she produced her media accreditation card, it was kicked aside and she was threatened with arrest.
• Lisa J. Ariffin, a journalist from news site Malaysian Insider was reportedly hit by a tear gas canister aimed at the crowd. (Note: Malaysian police has been reported to fire teargas canisters at crowds of protesters rather than into the air during previous demonstrations.)
• P. Nathan, a photographer from The Star, reported being surrounded by five people, including policemen in uniform, after taking photographs of protesters near the Masjid Jamek LRT station. The police threatened to arrest him and wanted to confiscate his camera but let him off after he offered to clear his memory card of the images he had taken.

Our organisations view these incidents as a concerted attack on media freedom since they appear to be aimed at preventing professional journalistic documentation of alleged police violence against some of the Bersih protesters.

In recent months, photographs and videos have captured scenes of violence and brutality against peaceful gatherings. These have embarrassed the perpetrators of the violence and those behind them. Only a few days ago, a mob attacked the peaceful Occupy Dataran encampment. Among those targeted were those activists wielding cameras or smart phones, ostensibly in a bid to thwart any attempt to document the violence and identify the perpetrators, leading up to the Bersih rally.

The rally, estimated to have attracted some 80,000 supporters, was led by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).

The Coalition had intended a two-hour sit-down beginning 2pm at Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Independence Square on 28 April, but could only assemble around the square following a court order obtained by the police on 27 April preventing the public from entering the area until 1 May 2012. Multiple barriers and a razor wire were also erected around the square which was heavily guarded by riot police on the day of the protest. Chaos ensued after the crowd which had congregated from late morning was forced to disperse after police fired tear gas and shot chemical-laced water at them, and incidence of violence from both sides were reported.

We urge Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to conduct a thorough and swift investigation, and charge those responsible for these violent acts, including those allegedly committed by police personnel towards journalists. Compensation must also be given to those whose equipment have been deliberately damaged. The Prime Minister must also adopt firm measures to ensure all uniformed personnel understand and respect the role of journalists.

Journalists, including press photographers, are professionals tasked with bearing witness to matters of public interest and reporting them ethically. This function is especially crucial when there are contentious subjects such as the Bersih protest, and information from as many sources as possible is needed to reveal the larger picture. Like the police, journalists have a public duty to perform and they should be afforded protection towards this end. Unless journalists are obstructing police work, they should be left alone to do their job. And certainly, no journalist in a nation that prides itself as a democracy should ever be arrested for doing their job.

Jointly issued by:

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia

Charter 2000-Aliran

Journalists Union of North Malaya

Penang Chinese Media Journalist and Photographers Association (PEWAJU)

Penang Press Club

Penang Press Employees Cooperative Society Limited

For more information, contact: Masjaliza Hamzah, CIJ Executive Officer (cijmalaysia@gmail.com); Anil Netto and Mustafa K Anuar, Charter 2000-Aliran coordinators (aliran@streamyx.com); or Ooi Choon Nam, PEWAJU secretary (choonnamnet@gmail.com)

Invitation to Public Forum

In conjunction with the recent Bersih 3.0 rally, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Civil Rights Committee (CRC) of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall are pleased to invite you to a public forum.

Behind the Barricades: A Critical Analysis of Bersih 3.0

Date: Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Time: 8-10.30pm

Venue: Auditorium, KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

No.1, Jalan Maharajalela, KL

The speakers are:

• Syahredzan Johan, Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee chair, on legal issues surrounding the right to assemble and access to detainees
• E. Nalini, Suaram executive director, on police action and human rights standards on public order policing
• Masjaliza Hamzah, CIJ executive officer, on treatment of journalists at Bersih 3.0 and the media’s role in reporting on “crisis” situations
• Boon Kia Meng, educator, activist and participant of the Occupy Dataran movement, on being a protestor and the meaning of protests

The Bersih rally and issues surrounding it have been widely discussed in media and social media platforms and this forum hopes to capture that rich discussion in a face-to-face conversation. Specifically, it will look at various angles – law, media, security and freedom of assembly – to reveal a larger picture of what is unquestionably an important marker in this nation’s history.

CIJ and CRC are also hosting this to celebrate the role the media plays in a democracy, in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. We hope this forum is one of many occasions for us to come together toprocess what happened, analyse and learn from our experiences on 28 April 2012.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you,

Liau Kok Fah and Masjaliza Hamzah

See poster here: Barricades poster

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) wishes to draw attention to the fact that there has been significantly less print media coverage of the Bersih 3.0 rally and its aims, compared with last year’s event.

CIJ began monitoring articles on Bersih 3.0 on 14 April 2012, two weeks before the scheduled 28 April rally. This matched an identical study conducted last year which began two weeks before the 9 July 2011 rally. CIJ monitored articles in four newspapers – Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times, The Star and theSun.

In the corresponding period last year, Utusan Malaysia published 316 articles on Bersih compared with only nine this year. This represents a fall of 97%. The New Straits Times had a similarly drastic drop of 92%, with only eight articles published this year compared with 97 in 2011. The Star had a 91% drop with only nine articles this year compared with 104 in the same period last year. theSun performed relatively better with a drop of 62%; it published 10 articles for Bersih 3.0 rally compared with 26 for last year’s rally.

Coverage by Utusan Malaysia and the New Straits Times remains largely negative. There was an increase in neutral articles published in The Star, with six out of the nine articles on Bersih so far recorded as neutral. Of the four media, theSun tops the list of most balanced coverage with eight of the 10 articles recorded as neutral, one as positive, and one as negative.

CIJ would also like to highlight that apart from theSun, no other newspaper published the order from Justice Rohana Yusuf for Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to clarify his statement that Bersih 3.0 was not a security threat. This was related to Bersih 2.0’s judicial review application of the minister’s decision to ban the coalition last year.

Given the significance of the Bersih 3.0 rally and the issues it raises, it is alarming that a matter of such great public interest has received a near-blackout by the print media. This can only fuel speculation that Utusan Malaysia, the New Straits Times and The Star are deliberately toning down their Bersih coverage — at best, of their own accord, or at worst, due to interference from the government or the political parties which own them.

CIJ views these statistics on the media coverage of Bersih 3.0 rally as a clear example of how the print media is still not free to report fairly and accurately in Malaysia. Print media’s poor performance as provider of accurate information contradicts Malaysia’s rise in global indices on media freedom and the liberalisation promise behind the recent amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).

CIJ calls for a complete repeal of the PPPA and a review of the ownership of the print media by political parties.

The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ) is a non-profit organisation that aspires for a society that is democratic, just and free, where all peoples will enjoy free media and the freedom to express, seek and impart information.

18 April 2012

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is of the view that the tabled amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) do not go far enough in ensuring media freedom in Malaysia. CIJ cautiously welcomes that the Home Minister will no longer have absolute discretion to approve printing licences and publishing permits, and the reinstatement of judicial oversight over the minister’s decisions. These changes, however, by themselves are far from adequate to ensure that the media is free to report fairly and accurately. No government minister should ever have had absolute discretion to approve publishing permits in the first place. The amendments only abolished some of the heavy-handed provisions that placed too much power in the executive’s hands, which should never have been allowed in the first place.

The fact that publishing permits must still be granted and the minister has a right to revoke or suspend these permits means that the government still has effective control over the Malaysian print media. Newspapers would still be subjected to show-cause letters and be required to answer summonses to the Home Ministry if they published articles that displeased the minister or ministry officials. These show-cause letters may still be used as a political tool by any political party in government should a newspaper run foul of its voter-base. Editors would also still be subject to calls from the ministry dispensing “advice”. These aspects are all not consistent with the concept of a free media that is able to serve the public interest by reporting fairly and holding the government and those in power to account.

The proposed amendments also do not address the fact that most major Malaysian newspapers are owned by political parties. The amendments therefore do not address the additional barrier editors and journalists face in trying to report in a fair and balanced manner.

CIJ is of the view that the PPPA in its entirety should be repealed and newspapers should be free to publish without the need for a government permit. There are sufficient laws in place to deal with newspapers that publish false news without the need for ministerial oversight. To ensure true media freedom, the issue of media ownership will also need to be addressed.

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is a non-profit organisation that aspires for a society that is democratic, just and free, where all peoples will enjoy free media and the freedom to express, seek and impart information.

CIJ is seeking a person to join our team as the Programme Officer (Documentation & Response). The primary tasks of this post are as follows:

1. monitor select media on issues related to media freedom and Freedom of Expression (FOE)

2. record violations and trends of FOE issues on the CIJ database for CIJ’s FOE Annual Report

3. identify issues which require CIJ’s response

4. assist in the writing of press statements

Applicants must be a keen defender of the right to free expression and love the daily fix of news on/offline. Other must-have skills include fluency in written/spoken Bahasa Malaysia and English and the ability to work in a team as well as independently. Those who understand the importance of media monitoring in defending media freedom and free expression will definitely have an edge over the rest.

Interested applicants, please send cover letter and CV (including expected salary)

to: cijmalaysia (a) gmail.com

Closing date for application: April 15, 2012

Watching the Watchdog: Monitoring Media Coverage of the Malaysian 13th General Election

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is embarking on a media monitoring project for the upcoming general elections and is seeking dedicated, highly-motivated, civic-minded people who will be able to monitor select media every day from nomination day until after the election results are announced. CIJ will monitor select media inMalay, English, Mandarin and Tamil across print, TV and online platforms. This project is a civil society initiative to promote democracy and fairness in Malaysian media coverage of the elections process.

Monitors must fit the following criteria:

• Literate in English, AND Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin OR Tamil (depending on which media is monitored).
• Monitors must sign a pledge to maintain complete objectivity for the project as well as adhere to a code of conduct.
• Monitors must undergo a one-day training on 24 March 2012 @ De Palma Meeting and Conference Centre, 14^th Floor Menara PKNS, Petaling Jaya.
• Must commit to allocate approximately two hours daily during the monitoring period (from dissolution of parliament to 3 days after election day, approximately 21-30 days) for monitoring work.
• Must be familiar with Microsoft Excel
• Must have internet access and own computer.

Monitors will be paid a fee for their time and effort.

Former journalists, university and college students – especially those with political, journalism and social science knowledge – retirees and bloggers with an active interest in media and the democratic process, are most welcome to apply.

If you can meet the above criteria and have a desire to contribute toward ensuring that the media play its role in enabling the right to freedom of expression of both voters and candidates, please email us at pantaumedia2012 (a) gmail.com, by 14th March 2012 stating:

1. full name

2. personal contact details

3. relevant information about your interest/knowledge/experience in such work (including academic qualifications)

4. preferred language.

Successful applicants will be contacted for a short interview before the training. For more information, email pantaumedia2012 (a) gmail.com

JOINT STATEMENT: Malaysian and Egyptian Organisations to UN: Protect Hamza Kashgari’s freedom of expression and hold the Malaysian and Saudi Governments accountable for his deportation

29 Feb 2012

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) denounce in the strongest terms the Malaysian and Saudi authorities’ blatant disregard for due process and international norms in the secret rendition of Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari. Kashgari, wanted by the Saudi authorities for tweets which allegedly insulted Islam and Prophet Muhammad, was deported by the Malaysian authorities on 12 February 2012.

Kashgari fled Saudi Arabia when his life and well-being were threatened despite his apology and removal of his aforementioned tweets. Detained at an undisclosed location since his arrest on 9 February at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kashgari was denied access to legal counsel as well as the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). He was deported hastily, reportedly in a private plane supplied by the Saudi authority in the morning of 12 February, while awaiting a court injunction against his deportation. His lawyers managed to obtain an injunction order a few hours following his deportation.

Blasphemy is a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, and sending Kashgari back amidst public calls for his execution for “insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad” is nothing short of a death sentence.

“Only in Saudi Arabia could a blogger get executed because of his tweets,” the organisations said. “The international community should play its role in the protection of human rights and freedom of expression.”

As civil society organisations from Malaysia and Egypt, CIJ and ANHRI are alarmed that Malaysia, a two-term member of the Human Rights Council (HRC), violated international norms against forced deportation (non-refoulement) when it sent Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia, a fellow member of the HRC. The collusion between these two countries in the deportation of Kashgari is a blight on their human rights record and their membership in the HRC.

The undersigned organisations urge the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression:

1. to investigate whether Kashgari’s deportation is in accordance with the relevant international norms and standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or in the relevant international legal instruments accepted by the States concerned;
2. to seek clarification from the Malaysian and Saudi Governments on the arrest, detention, denial of due process, and deportation of Kashgari;
3. to assist Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, both members of the Human Rights Council, to implement international human rights standards on the ground to prevent similar cases in the future;
4. to investigate claims from human rights organisations which said charges against Kashgari were politically motivated, given his public activities in solidarity with protesters in Syria, and aimed at silencing political dissent and curbing online activism in Saudi Arabia.

Based on this, the undersigned organisations urge these UN human rights bodies to help protect Kashgari’s right to free expression and hold the Malaysian and Saudi Governments accountable for their actions.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information

The Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia

مؤسستين مصرية وماليزية تدينان ترحيل ” حمزة كشغرى”

القاهرة\ كولامبور  فى 29 فبراير، 2012

مركز الصحافة المستقلة الماليزي والشبكة العربية لمعلومات حقوق الإنسان تدينان بشدة تجاهل السلطات الماليزية والسعودية الصارخ للإجراءات القانونية والمعايير الدولية فى عملية الترحيل السرى للصحفى السعودى حمزة كشغرى، إذ قامت السلطات الماليزية بترحيله فى 12 فبراير 2012 حيث كان مطلوباً من قبل السلطات السعودية التى تتهمه بالإساءة إلى الدين الإسلامى فى تغريدات كان قد كتبها على موقع تويتر للتدوين القصير.

وكان حمزة قد فر من السعودية لأن حياته وسلامته قد صارتا مهددتين بالرغم من اعتذاره ومسحه للتغريدات سالفة الذكر. وفى 9 فبراير تم القبض عليه فى مطار كوالالمبور الدولى واعتقاله فى مكان مجهول وحرمانه من الوصول إلى محام فضلاً عن الوصول لوكالة الأمم المتحدة للاجئين. وحسبما ورد،فقد تم ترحيله على عجل فى طائرة خاصة بعثتها السلطات السعودية فى صباح يوم 12 فبراير بينما كان فى انتظار أمر قضائى. بعد بضعة ساعات من ترحيله، تمكن محاموه من الحصول على الإنذار القضائي.

يذكر أن التجديف جريمة يعاقب عليها بالإعدام فى السعودية، وأن إعادة كشغرى إليها وسط دعوات عامة لإعدامه بتهمة إهانة الإسلام ﻻ تستدعى أقل من حكم بالإعدام.

وقالت المؤسستان “فقط فى السعودية يمكن لمدون أن يعدم بسبب تغريداته, يجب على المجتمع الدولى أن يلعب دوره فى حماية حقوق الإنسان وحرية التعبير“.

وبصفتهما منظمتا مجتمع مدنى فى ماليزيا ومصر، فإن مركز الصحافة المستقلة الماليزي والشبكة العربية لمعلومات حقوق الإنسان فى مصر تبدوان انزعاجهما من أن ماليزيا، وهى الدولة العضو فى مجلس حقوق الإنسان التابع للأمم المتحدة لدروتين متتاليتين، قد انتهكت القواعد الدولية المتعلقة بالترحيل القسرى عندما أعادت حمزة إلى السعودية، والتى بدورها دولة عضو فى مجلس حقوق الإنسان. إن التواطؤ بين هاتين الدولتين فى ترحيل حمزة لهو بمثابة وصمة عار فى تاريخيهما الحقوقي وعضويتيهما فى مجلس حقوق الإنسان.

تحث المنظمتين الموقعتين أدناه مكتب المفوض السامى لحقوق الإنسان، وفريق الأمم المتحدة العامل المعنى بالاحتجاز التعسفى، ومقرر الأمم المتحدة الخاص المعنى بتعزيز وحماية الحق فى حرية الرأى والتعبير لأن يقوموا بالتالى:

أ - التحقيق فى عملية ترحيل حمزة وما إذا كانت مطابقة للمعاير والقواعد الدولية ذات الصلة كما منصوص عليها فى الإعلان العالمى لحقوق الإنسان أو فى الصكوك القانونية الدولية ذات الصلة والتى وافقت عليها الدولتين المعنيتين.

ب - السعى للحصول على توضيح من الحكومتين الماليزية والسعودية بشأن اعتقال، واحتجاز، وحرمان حمزة من الإجراءات القانونية السليمة وترحيله.

ج - مساعدة ماليزيا والسعودية، وكلتاهما عضوان فى مجلس حقوق الإنسان، فى تنفيذ معايير حقوق الإنسان الدولية على الأرض لمنع حدوث حالات مماثلة فى المستقبل؟

د - التحقيق فى مزاعم المنظمات الحقوقية التى قالت أن الاتهامات الموجهة لحمزة هى ذات دوافع سياسية، نظراً لنشاطاته العلنية المتضامنة مع المتظاهرين فى سورية، وأنها تهدف إلى إسكات المعارضة السياسية والحد من النشاط الالكترونى فى السعودية.

وبناءاً على ذلك، فإن المنظمتين الموقعتين تناشد هيئات حقوق الإنسان التابعة للأمم المتحدة المذكورة أعلاه أن تساعد فى حماية حق حمزة فى حرية التعبير، ومساءلة الحكومتين الماليزية والسعودية على أفعالهما.

مركز استقلال الصحافة الماليزى

الشبكة العربية لمعلومات حقوق الإنسان

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