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Republic of Kazakhstan is one of the few member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) without an access to information law. As a result, public governance remains non-transparent. Free speech organisation Article 19 released its analysis of the draft Law on Access to Public Information which has been created by a group of Kazakhstani MPs and legal experts.

Article 19, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, The Committee to Protect Journalists, Index on Censorship, PEN Canada and Amnesty International condemn the excessive prison sentence of 19 and a half years handed down to Canadian-Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan.

In 2010 the right to information has been realised for five billion people and growing. However, over half the countries of the world have not yet adopted right to information laws and many that have done so have failed to implement them adequately. Marking Right to Know Day 2010, organisation Article 19 promotes the right to information around the world.

Over the last ten years there have been numerous attacks on journalists in the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Yet, in all three countries, not one of these incidents has resulted in a full and effective investigation or prosecution of the instigators of these crimes. Article 19 and International Media Support (IMS) call to protect journalists in these countries and to combat impunity in a constructive way.

Kyrgyz human rights reporter Azimjon Askarov was convicted and sentenced to life in prison by a court in Jalal-Abad region, southern Kyrgyz Republic on 15 September 2010. Kyrgyzstan-based Uzbek journalist Ulugbek Abdusalamov was arrested on 14 June in the same Jalal-Abad region and has been held in detention since then.

On 16 September 2000, Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze ‘disappeared’ on his way home from work and was later found dead. To date none of the masterminds behind his killing has been brought to justice. To commemorate Georgiy and honour journalists in the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, who, like him, were killed because of their work, on 16 September, 2010 Article 19 and IMS are hosting an international conference in Kyiv to redefine advocacy strategies to combat impunity.

A coalition of nine freedom of expression organizations undertook a joint mission to Republic of Azerbaijan from September 7-9. In a joint statement released on 15 September, organisations call for the Azerbaijani government to immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned journalists, and appeal to authorities to put an end to the climate of impunity gripping the country.

A new report launched by the human rights organisation Article19 concludes that the freedom of expression situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan has deteriorated over the past five years and should be considered among the most pressing human rights concerns in the country.

The “International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan” launched a three-day freedom of expression mission to Republic of Azerbaijan on 7 September, during which ten international nongovernmental organisations will highlight their serious concerns regarding the freedom of expression situation in the country, which has been unfolding with little attention from the international media spotlight.