17 Dec 10 | Index Index, minipost
Three activists from opposition Malady Front were detained in front of the presidential office. Uladzimer Yaromenak, Eduard Lobau and Hanna Sharuba were holding placards demanding President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to step down. Earlier last week supporters of opposition candidates were attacked in the western region of Hrodna while distributing leaflets. Belarus’ presidential election is taking place on 19 December 2010.
27 Oct 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Security forces in Alexandria have arrested over 50 people hanging posters in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is banned from putting up electoral candidates but circumvents the restrictions by fielding candidates as independents. The move is even more contentious given that Alexandria is a Brotherhood stronghold. Since 9 October, when they announced they would stand in November’s parliamentary elections, about 250 Brotherhood members have been detained. An official has said the posters breached a law forbidding the use of religious slogans for election purposes. This follows Tuesday’s threat by the largest liberal opposition party to boycott the election after state television refused to air its political adverts.
14 Apr 10 | Uncategorized
Traditional Ulster Voice leader Jim Allister has failed in his attempt to have leaflets printed by election rival Ian Paisley Junior banned.
Mr Allister, a QC hoping to win his young party’s first Westminster seat, maintains that the leaflets contain libellous material.
Mt Justice Gullen noted:
“It is open to argument that the words complained of do not amount to an untrue statement of fact but are part and parcel of the political opinions that seem to have been the hallmark of the campaign to date between these two candidates.
“In coming to this conclusion I am conscious of the need to ensure the free expression of opinion by those who put themselves into the democratic process for election by the population at large.
“I pause to observe again that I am far from ruling that these words may not be capable of defamatory meaning or that a jury may not come to a conclusion favourable to the plaintiff.
“I am not satisfied, however, that it is appropriate that an interlocutory injunction should be granted at this time and accordingly I refuse the plaintiff’s application.”
Mr Allister says he will press ahead with a defamation suit. So it seems, at least in North Antrim, libel is very definitely an election issue.
12 Apr 10 | Uncategorized
The Labour party launched its election manifesto this morning (12 April).
Among the 33,000 words (longer even than 1983’s “longest suicide note in history”, trivia fans) was this little sentence:
“To encourage freedom of speech and access to information,we will bring forward new legislation on libel to protect the right of defendants to speak freely”
This, undoubtedly, is A Good Thing. Moreover, it now means that all three mainstream parties have committed to reforming our libel laws in the next parliament.
The Lib Dems were first there, adopting the principle at their conference last year. And on Friday, Conservative shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve told the Libel Reform Campaign:
“the Conservative party is committed, if elected, to undertaking a fundamental review of the libel laws with a view to enacting legislation to reform them. This reform could best be done by means of a separate Libel Bill and this is the preferred approach for us.”
While we’re at it, we should mention that Amnesty has also lent its support to the campaign.
Sile Lane of Sense About Science and I will be representing the Libel Reform Coalition tonight at Westminster Skeptics in London, along with Simon Singh, Dave Gorman, Nick Cohen, Evan Harris, Joanne Cash and Jack of Kent.
