Joint statement: New proposed legislation to stifle the voice of rights defenders
Paris-Geneva-Dhaka, June 26, 2015 – Authorities in Bangladesh must reject the proposed Cyber Security Act 2015 and the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) RegulationAct 2014, as they bothviolate international human rights standards on freedom of expression andassociation, said the Observatory and Odhikar.
Bangladesh authorities are aiming to tighten theircontrol over free expression through the newly proposed Cyber Security Act2015. This Act, which is currently awaiting approval by the Cabinet, widens thescope of crimes and imposes harsher sentences than the existing Information andCommunication (ICT) Act. It also grants the authorities the right to prosecuteany person, including foreigners, who threatens Bangladesh’s “nationalsecurity” through online communications. The existing ICT Act alreadycriminalises defamatory and “anti-State” publications and has been used totarget dissenting voices, in particular human rights defenders, and thisrepression would only increase in scope and severity with the newly proposedlegislation.
The proposed Cyber Security Act is part of a systemicapproach by the Bangladesh authorities to stifle free expression and severelyrestrict the work of civil society. The ForeignDonations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act 2014, which was alreadyapproved by the Cabinet in 2014 and is currently before the Parliament in order to be passedinto law, subjects the work of civil society organizations to increasingcontrol by the government. According to this Act, non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) will not be allowed to receive any foreign donationswithout prior permission from the NGO Affairs Bureau (NGO-AB), and will need toinform the NGO-AB of any activities they undertake with such funds. The NGO-AB,which is under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office, has theauthority to inspect, monitor and suspend the activities of NGOs that receiveforeign funding, with no appeal or independent review mechanism.
“These proposed legislative reforms will result ingreater repression of free expression and the ability of human rights defendersto work safely, freely and effectively in Bangladesh”, said Karim Lahidji, President of FIDH. The right ofevery individual to freedom of association and expression is a fundamental anduniversal right enshrined in numerous international treaties and standards,particularly Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and PoliticalRights, which Bangladesh has ratified.
“We call on the authorities in Bangladesh toimmediately reject these two proposed acts, and ensure that legislation inBangladesh is in line with international law and protects fundamental freedomsand human rights”,stated Gerald Staberock, Secretary General of OMCT
The Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders (OBS) was created in 1997 by FIDH and OMCT. The objectiveof this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy to situations ofrepression against human rights defenders.
For more information, please contact:
ñ FIDH: Arthur Manet / Lucie Kroening: +33 1 43 55 25 18
ñ OMCT: Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui: Tel: +41 22 809 49 24
ñ Odhikar: ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director:odhikar.bd@gmail.com
