The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have called on African leaders to abolish "insult" laws and to accept the principles of press freedom. "The African press is crippled by a wide array of repressive measures, from the jailing and prosecution of journalists to the widespread scourge of 'insult laws' and criminal defamation," said a statement by the Paris-based WAN.
The organisation's Declaration of Table Mountain, agreed last month in Cape Town, calls on African governments "as a matter of urgency" to abolish all laws that restrict press freedom, to release jailed journalists, abolish draconian press laws and recognise the importance of press freedom for economic, political and social development.
In making the call, WAN documented 229 cases of editors, journalists and other media workers who have been harassed, assaulted, beaten, arrested, detained or imprisoned in 27 African countries between January and May 2007.
WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers, and its membership includes 76 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.
