2016 Right Livelihood Award laureates receive their awards

Stockholm, Nov. 25(Greenpost)–Syria’s White Helmets, Russia’s Svetlana Gannushkina and Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet receive awards in Stockholm’s Vasa Museum today. 

Egyptian feminist Mozn Hassan was barred from attending the ceremony, according to a statement from the award foundation.

The Laureates of the 2016 Right Livelihood Award received their prizes at tonight’s ceremony in Stockholm. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Laureate Mozn Hassan has been prevented from travelling to Europe, and 10 journalists from Turkey’s leading independent newspaper Cumhuriyet remain in prison.

Jakob von Uexkull, Founder President of the Right Livelihood Award, said: “Our 2016 Laureates work in some of the most difficult circumstances. Hailing from Syria, Egypt, Russia and Turkey, they have witnessed some of the most turbulent events in modern times. Amid the failed coups and stalled peace negotiations, despite propaganda wars and persecution, they stand up for the fundamental rights to life, equality, education and freedom of expression, and are not afraid to speak truth to power.”

Raed al Saleh, Director of Syria Civil Defence, commonly known as “The White Helmets”, said: “In 2013, the Syrian regime gave us a choice: leave or be killed. For most of our communities, leaving was not an option. But nor was waiting to be killed. Three years on we are now 3,000 volunteers working in 120 teams across Syria. It is not only on their behalf that I am with you today, but also on behalf of all the Syrian civilians that daily face indiscriminate bomb attacks and that live in fear.”

The White Helmets were recognised by the award jury “for their outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians from the destruction of the Syrian civil war”.

In her video address, Mozn Hassan, who shares the award with her organisation Nazra for Feminist Studies, said: “The award is not only a recognition of Nazra’s work, it is a recognition of a century of feminist activism in this country that has inspired us. Back in 2011, when everything seemed possible, hundreds of thousands of young men and women were politicized and introduced to the public sphere. A new feminist wave is being formed in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution.”

Hassan, who was commended “for asserting the equality and rights of women in circumstances where they are subject to ongoing violence, abuse and discrimination”, is under a travel ban imposed on her by the Egyptian authorities.

Russian human rights defender Svetlana Gannushkina received the award “for her decades-long commitment to promoting human rights and justice for refugees and forced migrants, and tolerance among different ethnic groups”.

She used the occasion to draw the attention to the current political discourse surrounding migrants and refugees: “The political trends we are now witnessing cause great alarm. Right-wing political forces are becoming stronger around the world. The rhetoric of their leaders is built upon anti-immigration sloganeering, as they posit themselves as the defenders of the people in their countries. Radicalism has become a serious challenge to civil society,” Gannushkina said.

Turkey’s leading independent newspaper Cumhuriyet received the award ‘for their fearless investigative journalism and commitment to freedom of expression in the face of oppression, censorship, imprisonment and death threats’.

Representing Cumhuriyet in Stockholm, Zeynep Oral, columnist at the newspaper and President of PEN-Turkey, read out a statement from Orhan Erinç, Chairman of the Cumhuriyet Foundation, who has not been allowed to leave the country: “Cumhuriyet represents the enlightened and the contemporary face of Turkey. The only force that can defeat darkness, oppression, violence and non-existent justice is the unconditional defence of freedom and secularism. The ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ that we receive during these very crucial days is therefore a light of hope and solidarity that is so essential for us.”

The Right Livelihood Award Foundation urged the governments of Egypt and Turkey to lift undue restrictions on Laureates Mozn Hassan and immediately release Cumhuriyet staff.

UNESCO Frank La Rue, OSCE Mijatovic on Freedom of Speech

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 25(Greenpost)–UNESCO Assistant Director -General for Communication and Information Frank La Rue said on November 2, International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. UNESCO sent out a message.

This is an important day not only to commemorate and honor all those who have died in the line of duty, but also to call for justice in cases of violence and harassment against journalists.

Harassment against journalists in any form must be rejected, including arbitrary arrests and verbal intimidation. Ending impunity on all of these acts is the most important step to guarantee the safety of journalists.

To help secure justice for journalists, UNESCO works with judiciaries around the world, to sensitize them about the importance of cases in which journalists are killed. UNESCO also partners with media, governments and civil society gorups to also raise awareness on this issue.

Protecting journalists and guaranteeing a free press is essential for the development of societies and important for every woman and man to exercise their right to access information, their right to participate as citizens in democracy, and to work for the right to development.

Dunja Mijatovic OSCE representative on freedom of media said for 250 years the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act has been a shining example of the importance media freedom and freedom of expression play in the advancement of democracy.

En frihet står på spel

Gemensam debattartikel i Journalisten.se den 3 maj av Margot Wallström, Sveriges utrikesminister och Timo Soini, utrikesminister i Finland.

Margot Wallström och Timo Soini
Finlands utrikesminister Timo Soini och utrikesminister Margot Wallström.Foto: Regeringskansliet

Mediefriheten hotas alltmer inom EU, dess närområde och runt om i världen. Aktuella exempel därpå omfattar repressiv lagstiftning, våld mot journalister och spridning av statligt kontrollerad propaganda och desinformation. Åtgärder av detta slag innebär inte bara en begränsning av journalisternas arbete och ett hot mot deras liv. De begränsar även medborgarnas delaktighet i samhället, vilket underminerar själva grunden för demokratin.

I år då tryckfrihetsförordningen firar 250 år arbetar Sverige och Finland tillsammans i syfte att öka våra ansträngningar för att försvara yttrande- och pressfriheten inom och utanför Europa.

I Sverige och Finland tryggades pressfriheten för 250 år sedan, i och med att Sveriges riksdag antog den första tryckfrihetsförordningen i världen. Riksdagsledamot Anders Chydenius från Karleby, som idag ligger i Finland, var pådrivande i denna process. Förordningen innebar att censuren för tryckta skrifter avskaffades samt att allmänhetens rätt att få tillgång till allmänna handlingar och delta i politiska debatter tryggades. Utöver att skydda yttrandefriheten har tryckfrihetsförordningen på ett avgörande sätt bidragit till framväxten av våra moderna och nydanande nordiska samhällen.

Vi beklagar att de grundläggande fri- och rättigheterna i allt större utsträckning hotas runt om i världen samtidigt som tryckfrihetsförordningen nu firar 250 år. Demokratin och rättsstatsprincipen undermineras på många håll, samtidigt som man kränker de mänskliga rättigheterna och inte erkänner deras allmängiltighet. Centralt för dessa utmaningar är att medielandskapet är hotat. Repressiv lagstiftning riktas mot journalister och människorättsförsvarare. Vissa stater lägger allt större medel på spridning av ren propaganda och desinformation. Journalister trakasseras, hotas, förföljs och dödas. Gärningsmännen ställs alltför sällan inför rätta. I många fall kan rädslan för repressalier och trakasserier resultera i självcensur bland journalister och mediearbetare.

Denna utveckling gör det nödvändigt att öka ansträngningarna för att främja yttrande- och mediefrihet, bland annat genom främjande av mediekompetens och ökat stöd till fria och oberoende medier runt om i världen.

Många internationella organisationer och frivilligorganisationer har uttryckt oro över den försämrade mediemiljön. OSSE:s representant för mediefrihet, som är ett viktigt organ på området, har vid flera tillfällen uttryckt oro över situationen för mediefriheten i OSSE-området.

EU:s nyligen inrättade grupp för strategisk kommunikation har vid upprepade tillfällen avslöjat rysk propaganda och desinformation som inte enbart handlat om att snedvrida sanningen eller påverka den allmänna opinionen. Den förefaller även syfta till att underminera själva konceptet objektiv information, genom att framställa all information som antingen vinklad eller ett politiskt maktinstrument. Sådan propaganda och desinformation riskerar att underminera förtroendet för medier och institutioner samt främja utbredningen av nätforum som vidareförmedlar konspirationsteorier och halvsanningar riktade mot motståndare och journalister. Därigenom urholkas allmänhetens förtroende för de institutioner som utgör det demokratiska samhällets grundvalar. Därför samarbetar vi med våra grannar i Norden och Östersjöområdet för att utbilda journalister i undersökande journalistik och stödja fria och oberoende medier i områden som är särskilt utsatta för desinformation och propaganda.

Medielandskapet förändras snabbt, vilket skapar både möjligheter och utmaningar i fråga om yttrande- och mediefrihet. Många länder har redan gått över från traditionella tidningar och tv till digitala distributionskanaler. Internet och sociala medier ger människor möjlighet att använda sig av sin yttrande- och åsiktsfrihet samt rätt att få tillgång till information. Tack vare de tekniska framstegen och sociala medierna är vi alla potentiella “journalister” idag. I utövandet av rätten att uttrycka en åsikt går frihet och ansvar hand i hand.

Ny teknik kan skapa möjligheter för demokratisk utveckling. Samtidigt kan teknik användas för att sprida propaganda och desinformation. I detta sammanhang är kritiskt tänkande och källkritik av avgörande betydelse. Medierna spelar en nyckelroll när det handlar om att koppla samman information, så att medborgarna själva kan avgöra vad som är sant respektive osant.

De nordiska länderna är ingalunda fredade mot yttrandefrihetshot. Hatpropagandan och radikaliseringen, särskilt på nätet, utgör ett ständigt växande problem även i våra samhällen.

Terroristorganisationer som Daesh använder sig i sociala medier av bilder på extremt våld för att påverka den allmänna opinionen och provocera våra samhällen i syfte att skapa ökad radikalisering och rekrytering. Det vanliga bruket att publicera foton och videor på extremt våld och avrättningar i sociala medier skapar rädsla och ökar polariseringen inom våra samhällen, vilket ger ytterligare näring åt extremisternas sak.

250-årsjubileet för tryckfrihetsförordningen i Sverige och Finland påminner oss om den långa väg vi har vandrat för att främja yttrandefriheten. Utvecklingen i världen i stort visar emellertid tydligt att det inte är läge att stanna upp nu. Sveriges och Finlands regeringar har åtagit sig att, tillsammans med företrädare för media och det civila samhället, arbeta än hårdare för att främja yttrandefriheten i världen.

Margot Wallström
Utrikesminister, Sverige

Timo Soini
Utrikesminister, Finland

Celebration of 250th anniversary of free press in Sweden

Stockholm, Nov. 25(Greenpost)–Dec. 2 marks the 250th anniversary of free press in Sweden.

It’s 250 years since Sweden established the world’s strongest freedom of the press through a ground-breaking new fundamental law, the Freedom of the Press Act.

Freedom of the press, freedom of expression and opposition to censorship are of course well worth celebrating – and continuing to fight for today!

Human rights are unfortunately now being challenged more and more around the world. The democratic space for defenders of human rights, opinion-formers, journalists and bloggers is tending to shrink. It is incredibly important to stop this trend.

It is easy to be inspired by the founding figure, member of the Riksdag Anders Chydenius, who in 1766 championed this historic fundamental law in Sweden, which in fact predates both the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution.

The Freedom of the Press Act was based on principles that were formulated during the Age of Enlightenment in 18th-century Europe. People have intrinsic rights, and the State has a responsibility and an obligation to defend those rights. The purpose of the Act was to strengthen the influence of citizens.

Chydenius sat on the parliamentary committee that prepared the legislative proposal, and his hard work eventually pushed a majority decision through, despite the nobility voting against.

Chydenius was a priest in Gamlakarleby (today called Kokkola), Österbotten, which is now part of Finland. He was an early advocate for free trade, and became famous when he criticised the then prevailing policy of high trade barriers. Some rich people in the big towns and cities became even richer, but life became more difficult for ordinary people, many of whom starved. This was a major problem in remote Österbotten. This is why he was sent to the Riksdag.

There, he argued in the same way for freedom of the press and openness in government administration as he did for free trade. Without these principles, a small power elite in Stockholm holds all the influence and wealth. The periphery will always be brushed aside as long as it does not receive information about what is going on in the corridors of power. State secretiveness benefits a small clique at the expense of the rest of the country.

What made the Freedom of the Press Act so fantastic for its time was the four principles that still today lay the foundation for Sweden’s strong freedom of expression.

  • State censorship was abolished. Previously, all written material required advanced permission prior to publication. It was often difficult to obtain permission if the text was not flattering towards those in power.
  • The principle of public access to official documents was created. The documents of the authorities would no longer be secret, but public. Previously, it was punishable to print and spread state documents. For a long time, even the parliamentary record had been classified as secret.
  • The main principle shifted from prohibited to permitted. Previously, it had been prohibited to print anything without prior special permission. Now, instead, almost everything was permissible until such times as it was prohibited. Every writer was allowed to print and spread their texts until such times as a court found a breach of the law in the publication. All state documents could be read and spread as long as they were not classified as secret.
  • Freedom of the press was guaranteed in a fundamental law. Ordinary laws set boundaries for citizens, but a fundamental law sets boundaries for the State. The State may not breach a fundamental law, even by enacting new legislation, as that legislation would be invalid.

Lars Johan Hierta, pioneer of a free press

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 25(Greenpost)–The statue of Swedish newspaper publisher Lars Johan Hierta watches over Riddarhustorget in Stockholm’s Old Town. 

Lars Johan Hierta founded the evening newspaper Aftonbladet − currently Sweden’s largest newspaper − as early as in1830.

Aftonbladet was not Sweden’s first newspaper but it is now one of the oldest daily newspapers in Sweden. Its predecessors were uncritical and indulgent of King Karl XIV Johan, who ruled with the help of the nobility. One of Hierta’s primary aims was to attack what was referred to as the ‘bedchamber rule’ of the King. This meant that the King had his favourites, who had special access to the royal bedchamber. The most favoured of all, Count Magnus Brahe, was one of Sweden’s most powerful men, despite not having any political position.Ahead of the first edition, he promised that the newspaper would “seek quick information about strange measures within the administration”. For Hierta, it was self-evident that the newspaper would be independent.

This, of course, bothered Lars Johan Hierta, who through his newspaper was fighting for freedom of expression, free trade (including lower import tariffs) and democratic development towards a two-chamber parliament of elected representatives.

Criticism from the ruling classes was devastating. During its first four years, Aftonbladetwas prosecuted five times.

As much as the newspaper was hated by the powers that be, it was loved and lauded in equal measure by the people. In particular, the section called ‘Kaleidoscope’, written in a light-hearted and satirical tone, met with great acclaim. This was the birth of the modern newspaper column. And Wendela Hebbe, Sweden’s first woman journalist to be employed full-time, began at Hierta’s newspaper.

The King eventually tried to close down the paper. But Hierta, who was both clever and prepared, had already issued new publishing authorisations to other publishers. He changed the paper’s name to The new Aftonbladet, The second…, The third… and so forth. When he sold Aftonbladet in 1851, he had changed the name twenty-six times.

So free speech survived, albeit under threat.

As we now celebrate the 250th anniversary of Sweden’s Freedom of the Press Act, regarded as the strongest in the world, we should all send a thought of gratitude to Lars Johan Hierta.

Source: Foreign Policy News

250th anniversary of free speech celebrated in Sweden

Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 25(Greenpost)–Sweden, a small country located at the northernest corner of the world, was almost the first in the world that guaranteed the free speech and transparency 250 years ago.

Margot Wallström, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs issued 250 words on free speech as saying that free speech and transparency were guaranteed on 2 December 1766, when the Swedish Parliament passed the Freedom of the Press Act, the first legislation of its kind anywhere in the world.

This is an important landmark to celebrate-250 years of media freedom!

The ACT has served Sweden well. Free speech and transparency are prerequisites not only for democracy, but also for innovation, feeding ideas through critique, debate and scrutiny. Transparency is also an important tool in combating corruption.

However, as the 250th anniversary approaches, it is disturbing to see that the fundamental rights and freedoms it sets out to defend are increasingly under threat around the world. In many places, democracy and the rule of law are being underminded, human rights violated and their universal nature denied.

These developments call for redoubled efforts to promote freedom of expression, tansparency and media freedom, including promotion of media literacy and increased support to free and independent media around the world.

In the second half of 2016, the Swedish MFA is running a campaign in defence of freedom of expression where we hope to contribute to the global discussion on this important topic.

Please join us in this important conversation. Let the 250th anniversary become the starting point for a new era of freedom of expression, said Margot Wallström.