Free Expression Watch

Police action at Trump anti-inauguration protests set grim tone for press freedom

CJFE — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 18:35:27 +0000

A snap decision by frontline police officers in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day led to an altercation between supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump and masked protesters. The riots culminated in the breaking of windows and burning of a limousine which became a symbol for resistance to the reactionary agenda of the incoming administration.

CJFE publishes new resource to help you secure your digital life

CJFE — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 17:44:59 +0000

Digital technologies have become extremely important to journalism work, but this also means there is a growing number of tools and platforms that can be used against journalists as means of surveillance, identification and harassment by states and non-state actors alike.

Protecting yourself no longer means just securing your physical safety; it must also include securing your digital safety. Any breaches to your online life put your physical life at risk.

Meryl Streep's extraordinary speech on press freedom is just as urgent for Canadians

CJFE — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 18:08:03 +0000

At Sunday night's Golden Globes ceremony, Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award to denounce President-Elect Donald Trump, and to call on the audience to support the work of a free and independent press.

"We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call [Trump] on the carpet for every outrage," Streep said. "That's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in the Constitution."

Bill C-51 is criminalizing radical youth in return for the illusion of security

CJFE — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 17:29:38 +0000

Kevin Mohamed's photo turned up in a strange place. One of the only publicly available photographs of the 23-year-old facing terrorism-related charges appeared in the February 2015 edition of Iron Warrior, a magazine published by the University of Waterloo's engineering faculty.

His photo can be seen only a few pages after an article co-authored by two Waterloo engineering students about the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015 (formerly Bill C-51). This is noteworthy because Bill C-51 would subsequently be used to facilitate Mohamed's prosecution.

Can Quebec take a joke? Comedy and human rights clash in court

CJFE — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 19:11:19 +0000

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"If I don’t have a lawsuit against me now, it’s not for a lack of trying," Quebecois comedian Mike Ward joked in front of a Montreal audience in 2009. Fast forward to 2016.

Civil society to Trudeau: Put human rights at the heart of Canada-China relationship

CJFE — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 15:38:02 +0000

The following letter was sent on October 6 to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion, and Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland.

We, the undersigned organizations and supporters, call on the Canadian government to put human rights, especially free expression and press freedom, at the heart of the "renewed" Canada-China relationship.

Six reasons why you should participate in the national security consultation about Bill C-51

CJFE — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 15:22:51 +0000

The government is listening to Canadians. Now, that statement has a completely different meaning. The federal government is engaging in wide-ranging public consultations, seeking input from Canadians about how to amend our national security framework and Bill C-51.

Ottawa ignores its obligations as Canadian professor languishes in Tehran prison

CJFE — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 18:13:53 +0000

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) adds its voice to human rights organizations, academic associations and concerned citizens across the country in calling for the Canadian government to immediately petition Iran for the safety and release of Dr. Homa Hoodfar, Canadian-Iranian professor of social anthropology at Concordia University.

Being a journalist in Honduras is likely to get you killed. And it could be Canada's fault.

CJFE — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 19:49:05 +0000

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On May 2, 2016, Honduran journalist Félix Molina survived two attempts on his life. On his way to record his daily radio show, Molina was approached by a man and woman. The woman aimed a revolver at Molina's head while the man yelled, "Shoot him!" The taxi quickly peeled away.

One year after initiating Charter challenge, CJFE renews campaign to review and repeal sections of Bill C-51

CJFE — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 21:03:38 +0000

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On the anniversary of filing a Charter challenge to Bill C-51, the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is calling on Canadians to send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government that it's past time to restore our constitutional freedoms and repeal the unconstitutional aspects of this dangerous and ineffective legislation.

On World Press Freedom week, no one poses a greater threat to free expression than Stephen Harper

CJFE — Sat, 02 May 2015 21:26:10 +0000

It was a wonderful start for a new federal government. The first piece of legislation Stephen Harper's Conservatives placed before Parliament in 2006 was an omnibus bill that promised a new era of openness, transparency and accountability.

The legislation was a breath of fresh air for Canadians who had been outraged by the Sponsorship Scandal -- a corrupt operation in Quebec that siphoned off about $100 million to national Liberal party operatives and senior members of advertising firms from a government-funded program to promote federalism in that province.