UN free speech rapporteur told to watch his mouth

Frank la Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to free expression, got a firm telling off by representatives of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Geneva last week. His crime? To suggest that Restrictions [on free speech] should never be used to protect particular institutions or abstract notions, concepts or beliefs, including religious ones. And that “defamation of religions does not accord with international standards on freedom of expression”

Enraged diplomats from Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and individual delegations such as Algeria, Egypt, Malaysia, Sudan and Yemen claimed that La Rue was overstepping the bounds of his mandate by saying such things. [MediaWatchWatch] Read more See Also: [National Secular Society] Read more