The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC)
Presse Embleme Campagne (PEC)
Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC)
حملة الشارة الدولية لحماية الصحفي

General Assembly
Human Rights Council 52nd session
General Debate item 4
Mr President,
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very worried by the deterioration of freedom of expression in Russia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. About hundred new laws restricting press freedom have been passed in Russia. There is military censorship, almost all independent media have been banned, blocked, or declared “foreign agents”. And hundreds of journalists left the country.
PEC condemns the systematic campaign of repression and restriction of civic space that has taken place in Russia. The criminalisation of protest, the silencing of the free press, and the massive propagation of disinformation are all factors which enabled the Kremlin to perpetrate his war of aggression in Ukraine.
PEC is also deeply concerned by the worsening of press freedom in Iran. Many journalists have reportedly been detained to prevent them from exposing Iran’s human rights abuses. We call on Iran to release all arbitrarily detained individuals, including all journalists. We condemn the Iranian authorities’ actions to restrict the access to the Internet and disrupt social media platforms.
PEC urges the Russian and Iranian authorities to allow media to report unimpeded by government interference.
Thank you, Mr President
Geneva, 23 March 2023

http://www.pressemblem.ch

President: Blaise Lempen, [email protected] +41793336570
Jean-Philippe Jutzi, PEC Vice President, [email protected] +41792920849
Ana Leurinda, PEC UN representative, [email protected] +41766389122