Human rights groups' open letter to David Cameron

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deeliman

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#1 deeliman
Member since 2013 • 4027 Posts

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Dear Prime Minister,

We have joined together as an international coalition of free speech, media freedom and human rights organisations because we believe that the United Kingdom government's response to the revelations of masssurveillance of digital communications is eroding fundamental human rights in the country. The government's response has been to condemn, rather than celebrate, investigative journalism, which plays a crucial role in a healthy democratic society.

We are alarmed at the way in which the UK government has reacted, using national security legislation against those who have helped bring this public interest information to global attention. We are concerned about:

• The use of Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to detain the Brazilian media worker, David Miranda on 18 August 2013 at London Heathrow Airport. Miranda was carrying journalistic material on behalf of the UK's Guardian newspaper and is the partner of the journalist, Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story of mass surveillance of digital communications by the UK and USA

• The sustained pressure against the UK's Guardian newspaper for reporting the disclosures of whistleblower, Edward Snowden, including sending officials to force the Guardian to destroy hard drives allegedly containing information from Snowden

• Your call on 16 October 2013 for a House of Commons Select Committee to review whether the Guardian has damaged national security by publishing material provided by Edward Snowden, and a subsequent announcement that the review will be conducted by the Home Affairs Select Committee as part of their inquiry into anti-terrorism.

We believe these actions clearly violate the right to freedom of expression, which is protected under British, European and international law. Under such laws, the right to freedom of expression includes the protection of both journalists, and those that assist them in the course of their vital work.

The right to freedom of expression and media freedom enable the free flow of information in order for the public to hold their governments to account. While the protection of national security can be a legitimate ground for restricting the right under international law, such restrictions are narrowly defined. Governments must show that a restriction is necessary to achieve a legitimate purpose and must be proportionate to the aim pursued. The presumption in favour of freedom of expression requires governments to demonstrate that the expression will actually harm national security; it is not sufficient to simply say that it will.

National security should never be used to justify preventing disclosures of illegalities or wrongdoing, no matter how embarrassing such disclosures may be to the UK or other governments. In the case of Snowden and the Guardian, the disclosures have facilitated a much-needed public debate about mass surveillance in a democracy, and exposed the possible violation of the fundamental human rights of millions of people worldwide. As such, no liability should be incurred as the benefit to the public outweighs the demonstrable harm to national security.

We also believe that this use of national security will have dangerous consequences for the right to freedom of expression and media freedom in the UK and beyond, creating a hostile and intimidating environment and discouraging those who could reveal uncomfortable truths and hold those in power to account. We are concerned that this will further create negative consequences for the reputation of the UK as an advocate for the protection and realisation of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom worldwide. States with little regard for the human rights of their people will seek to use the UK's example to legitimise their own repressive practices.

The UK has a strong history of democracy, and while targeted surveillance may play an important role in protecting national security, in doing so it should not erode the very values it seeks to protect. We call on you to honour the UK's international obligations to defend and protect the right to freedom of expression and media freedom, and to end the UK government's pressure on the Guardian and those who assist them.

Apparently it's signed by 70 international human rights organisations. What do you guys make of all this?

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Fightingfan

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#2 Fightingfan
Member since 2010 • 38011 Posts

What's the problem? United Kingdom doesn't have freedom of speech.

Don't believe me go make fun of black people, or Christianity.

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Ninja-Hippo

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#3 Ninja-Hippo
Member since 2008 • 23434 Posts

You'd have to be incredibly stupid/naive to think that deliberately obtaining classified intelilgence material and then leaking it to the public falls under 'free speech.' The government is *never* going to say 'good job journalists! Investigative journalism at it's finest!' They're obviously going to rebuke those involved for what is objectively breaking the law.

Now, this isn't to say that whistleblowing is fundamentally immoral or wrong. But in this instance the government has a legitimate beef with journalists for leaking what was highly classified information relating to how the government deals with terrorism threats, and the notion that it would in any way applaud or support or encourage those who did it is just laughable.


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Ninja-Hippo

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#4 Ninja-Hippo
Member since 2008 • 23434 Posts

@Fightingfan said:

What's the problem? United Kingdom doesn't have freedom of speech.

Don't believe me go make fun of black people, or Christianity.

Congrats on winning the dumbest post of the thread with the very first response btw. You dont see it too often.

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Fightingfan

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#5  Edited By Fightingfan
Member since 2010 • 38011 Posts

@Ninja-Hippo said:

@Fightingfan said:

What's the problem? United Kingdom doesn't have freedom of speech.

Don't believe me go make fun of black people, or Christianity.

Congrats on winning the dumbest post of the thread with the very first response btw. You dont see it too often.

You don't think that's true?

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Ninja-Hippo

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#6  Edited By Ninja-Hippo
Member since 2008 • 23434 Posts

@Fightingfan said:

@Ninja-Hippo said:

@Fightingfan said:

What's the problem? United Kingdom doesn't have freedom of speech.

Don't believe me go make fun of black people, or Christianity.

Congrats on winning the dumbest post of the thread with the very first response btw. You dont see it too often.

You don't think that's true?

It's blatantly, obviously, massively common-sense and nothing else required not true. If it were how the heck does an English writer produce a book called the God Delusion? How does Christopher Hitchens devote entire lectures to ruthlessly mocking the religious? How is it legally allowed to have a tiny, horrible, uber-right wing party whose one and only platform is the deportation of all non-white people?

Come the **** on.

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Lotus-Edge

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#7 Lotus-Edge
Member since 2008 • 50513 Posts

@Ninja-Hippo said:

@Fightingfan said:

@Ninja-Hippo said:

@Fightingfan said:

What's the problem? United Kingdom doesn't have freedom of speech.

Don't believe me go make fun of black people, or Christianity.

Congrats on winning the dumbest post of the thread with the very first response btw. You dont see it too often.

You don't think that's true?

It's blatantly, obviously, massively common-sense and nothing else required not true. If it were how the heck does an English writer produce a book called the God Delusion? How does Christopher Hitchens devote entire lectures to ruthlessly mocking the religious? How is it legally allowed to have a tiny, horrible, uber-right wing party whose one and only platform is the deportation of all non-white people?

Come the **** on.

Even those seem a bit tame next to The Satanic Verses....