The Commission through its Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Advocate Pantsy Tlakula, officially launched the campaign during the 52nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human Rights Session in Yammoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
The campaign was commissioned in partnership with Article 19 and the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria.
The launch coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Banjul Declaration on the Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa. The anniversary will be marked through a number of activities that will include the convening of a continental Conference on Freedom of Expression in early 2013, the publication of articles on the best practices on freedom of expression and the launching of an African award to encourage and inspire free expression advocates throughout the world.
In launching the Pan-African campaign to decriminalise expression, Commissioner Tlakula said the campaign would strengthen the efforts of several organisations fighting against the criminalisation of expression.
The Special Rapporteur indicated that the campaign is well underway with countries such as Tunisia having already launched campaigns to decriminalise defamation in May 2012.
The launch comes at a time when Zimbabwe is experiencing an increase in the number of cases involving arrests for criminal defamation. Recent cases involve the arrest of community news activist Kudakwashe Matura who was arrested in Kariba on 8 September 2012, Daily News editor Stanley Gama, and his deputy Chris Goko, who were also arrested on the same day in Harare.
Another journalist, Nhau Mangirazi was on 17 October 2012 summoned to appear at Karoi police station in a suspected criminal defamation case following the publication of story in the Weekly Mirror of 21 September 2012 titled: chief terrorises headman. The editor of the Weekly Mirror, Dennis Kagonye was also questioned in connection with the same story by police in Karoi on 16 October 2012.
Post published in: News