World Press Freedom Day: MRA asks govt to create safe space for journalists

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the government at all levels in Nigeria to take urgent measures to create a safe and conducive environment for journalists to practice across the country.

The organisation said both online and offline journalism practices should be protected, noting that the rising spate of uninvestigated attacks against journalists in recent years undermines the government’s obligation to protect media practitioners.

In a statement to commemorate ‘World Press Freedom Day’ (WPFD), MRA urged the Federal Government to make a commitment to protect journalists and other media workers from various forms of attacks, including online, saying such a move would signal its appreciation of the importance of the theme of this year’s WPFD, “Journalism Under Digital Siege”.

Idowu Adewale, MRA’s media officer who signed the statement said “recent advancements in surveillance technologies all over the world and Nigeria’s acquisition of such technologies in recent years is having a significant negative impact on media freedom and freedom of expression more broadly, the safety of journalists, access to information and the right to privacy, thereby putting all of these rights at risk. It is also putting journalists under siege.”

“human safety and security, as well as respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, should underpin any national cybersecurity effort.  There can be no justification for the indiscriminate interception, monitoring, or surveillance of people’s private communication, which leaves innocent citizens fearful for their safety and of their government,” Mr. Adewale argued.

According to him, where the Government or its security agencies plan to engage in targeted communication surveillance, such action may only be carried out within the framework of a law that conforms with international human rights law and standards, upon a specific and reasonable suspicion that a serious crime has been or is being carried out and after the prior authorisation of an independent judicial authority has been obtained.

He called on the Government to put an end to the practice by security agencies and regulatory bodies of interfering in different ways with the rights of individuals to seek, receive and impart information or to communicate with others through any means of communication and digital technologies, such as by blocking or otherwise intentionally disrupting access, saying actions constitute a violation of international human rights law and standards.

He said besides refraining from engaging in any such intentional disruption of access to the Internet and other digital technologies, the Government’s international human rights commitments also impose an obligation on it not to condone any such action by other actors, including private companies and criminal groups.

In July 2021, the National Assembly had approved a sum of N4.87bn budget for the National Intelligence Agency to track WhatsApp and intercept and monitor calls and messages on mobile devices.