UN
Answers ICP on
Zainab
Al-Khawaja as
FAO Honchos
Sue Media,
Kaye Echo
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 23 --
Sometimes the
UN does answer
questions
about the lack
of freedom of
expression.
And sometimes
the UN and its
agencies try
to quash
freedom of the
press (on
this, today we
have an
example from
the UN system
in Rome.)
Inner City
Press: in
Bahrain there
is a noted
activist,
Zainab
al-Khawaja,
has on appeal
been sentenced
to one year
for ripping up
a photograph
of the
king.
And I wanted
to know it
seems like,
what does the
UN think about
that?
And other than
sort of a
generic
statement, is
there any UN
response to
the idea of a
prison
sentence for a
nonviolent
expression of
opposition?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, we need
to look and
see what the
verdict was
and how it was
achieved so we
would have to
examine that.
On October 23,
the UN sent
Inner City
Press this
response:
"Regarding
your question
yesterday
about Ms.
Zainab
Al-Khawaja,
our colleagues
at the Office
of the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights are
aware of and
have been
monitoring her
case for a few
years now.
On the most
recent
developments,
while
acknowledging
that the
decision of
the Court of
Appeal to
reduce Ms.
Alkhawaja's
initial
three-year-sentence
to one year is
a welcome
development in
the ongoing
trial, OHCHR
notes that
participation
in peaceful
protests and
criticising
the Government
should not be
grounds for
detention or
prosecution
The Office
therefore
urges the
Government to
take all
necessary
steps to
secure the
right to
freedom of
opinion and
expression in
accordance
with
fundamental
principles as
set forth in
article 19 of
the
International
Covenant for
Civil and
Political
Rights."
Meanwhile in
Rome, the UN
Food and
Agriculture
Organization
or its
executives are
trying to sue
a publication
for its
reporting:
"Four FAO
executives
denounced Italian Insider to
the Italian
judiciary for
alleged
defamation in
an evident
attempt to
prevent
coverage of
dubious
activities at
the UN agency.
FAO Director
General José
Graziano da
Silva also is
sueing Insider
editor-in-chief
John Phillips
for allegedly
damaging the
reputation of
the Rome-based
agency.
The trial has
been set to
open at the
Rome Tribunal
Nov. 4."
So,
this UN agency
or its
executives are
suing (while
the UN itself
claims
immunity.)
On October 22
when UN
Rapporteur of
Freedom of
Expression
David Kaye --
who could and
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
believes
should chime
in on the FAO
executives'
legal case
against a
publication --
held a press
conference
before his
appearance
before the
UN's Third
Committee, his
topic was
whistleblower
protection, on
which the UN
itself is
particularly
weak.
When
called on,
Inner City
Press asked
Kaye about
retaliation
against UN
official
Anders Kompass
for blowing
the whistle on
alleged child
rapes by
French troops
in the Central
African
Republic. Video here and embedded below.
Free
speech ironies
at the UN were
on display
right in
Kaye's press
conference.
The
representative
of the UN
Correspondents
Association,
which among
other things
took funds
from
now-indicted
David Ng's
South South
News and then
give it an
award, and gave
Ng a photo op
with Ban
Ki-moon at
Cipriani,
demanded to
ask the first
question, even
claiming that
the UN
Department of
Public
Information
has granted
this “right”
in writing.
Where?
, 
