UN: Philippines journalist defamation conviction a violation of free speech
February 3rd, 2012
The United Nations Human Rights Committee have found that the defamation conviction of a Philippines journalist violated the journalist’s right to free expression. In the landmark ruling, the UN committee said that the prison sentence handed to journalist Alexander Adonis of Bombo Radyo, following his reporting on an alleged affair between a Philippine congressman and a married woman, was “incompatible” with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UNHRC has given the Philippine government 180 days to provide “information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committee’s views”.