The draft law introduces criminal charges related to the use of the internet and social media, such as undermining national unity, inciting immorality, spreading fake news, character assassination, and publishing hate speech

Shireen Abu Akleh (51) was shot in the face while she was going to cover a raid by the Israeli forces on a Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin in northern occupied West Bank. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also wounded in the unannounced firing

London’s High Court passed an order permitting the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the US. Here are some reactions from activists and human rights defenders following this judgement.

The British High Court’s decision overturns the January decision by the district judge that found that extraditing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange would be “oppressive”. Rights advocates and Assange’s supporters and family strongly condemned the High Court’s decision

Mohamed Mouloudj faces charges such as spreading false news, harming national unity, and belonging to a terrorist group. The authorities also arrested several prominent civil society figures, including academics, journalists and a Hirak activist  

A number of journalists critical of the government have been arrested and sentenced to prison terms. Algeria’s rank in the World Press Freedom rankings published annually by Reporters Without Borders has also slipped to 146 out of 180 countries, down 27 places since 2015

Rabah Kareche of the Liberte daily was arrested on April 19 and kept in pre-trial detention following his articles on the Berber Tuareg tribe community’s demonstrations against land grab

Soulaimane Raissouni’s trial has been called “unfair” and one of the many “arbitrary and abusive prosecutions” by the Moroccan authorities against journalists critical of the government

Raissouni was held in pre-trial detention for more than a year before he was eventually convicted and sentenced to five years in prison on sexual assault charges following a trial termed “flawed” and “not justice” by human rights groups

Radi was arrested in July 2020 on charges including sexual assault and espionage, which have been termed as politically motivated by rights groups. His colleague Imad Stitou was also convicted for “participation in rape” and sentenced to one year in prison

A sustained and systematic campaign by the Algerian government has targeted journalists and news portals critical of its policies. Several journalists have been arbitrarily detained or face judicial persecution  

Press freedoms in almost 75% of the 180 countries evaluated in the index have significantly declined. This has been aggravated by the COVID-19 outbreak which many countries have used as justification for exercising more control over the news media