Clampdown on newspapers: SERAP seeks urgent UN measures against FG
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Mr. Frank LA RUE, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to “urgently issue urgent appeal and measures to stop the government of President Goodluck Jonathan from continuing harassment and intimidation of several media houses and newspapers.”
“Unless the Special Rapporteur takes action urgently the effective enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom will continue to be under grave threat,” the organization also said.
The organization said that, “the seizure and censorship of major newspapers critical of government’s policies amounts to undue and impermissible external interference in the operations of independent media houses. This apparently unlawful action has in turn negatively impacted on the citizens’ effective enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”
SERAP in the petition dated 9 June 2014 and signed by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said that it “continues to receive information about continuing threats against and harassment of independent media houses solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and the media.”
“SERAP is seriously concerned about these violations and infringements of the right to freedom of expression and the media. Rather than thoroughly investigating the violations bringing suspected perpetrators to justice, apologising and paying adequate compensation to the media houses concerned, the government has justified them on the flimsy ground that newspaper distribution channels may have been infiltrated by some persons to transport “materials with grave security implications.”
According to the organization, “By this action the government is exerting pressure on the media houses. This demonstrates the government’s increasing intolerance for the peaceful exercise of the rights to expression, opinion, information, association and assembly by the citizens. This action also contradicts the fundamental principles of pluralism, tolerance and broadmindedness, without which there can be no democratic society.”
“SERAP believes that there can be no freedom unless thought is free and unrestricted; not free thought for those who agree but freedom for the thought others or we ourselves dislike. It is only from the clash of ideas that truth can emerge, for the best test of truth is the power of thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market of ideas,” the organization added.
According to the organization, “The right to freedom of opinion and expression is a core right of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights both of which Nigeria has ratified. This right is important not only for protecting the citizens against undue infringements of the State but also guaranteeing effective participation of individuals and media houses.