The Parliamentary Culture, Information and Human Rights Committees host the IWJF to discuss the draft freedom of expression law

The Parliamentary Culture, Information and Human Rights Committees host the IWJF to discuss the draft freedom of expression law

A group of members of the IWJF and the Civil Society Solidarity Initiative visited the Culture Committee and the Parliamentary Information and Human Rights Committee on Tuesday (1 August) to discuss the Freedom of Expression, Demonstration and Peaceful Assembly currently under way in the Parliament The two committees listened to proposals presented by the IWJF during hosting them at the Committee’s headquarters. The meeting discussed the most important points of disagreement, which called for delaying the adoption of the law several times in order to reformulate it and the demand of civil society to transfer the law for the next parliamentary session. The vision of civil society violates the constitutional entitlement.For her part, the head of the Committee on Culture and Information Parliamentary Ms. Mayson  Al-Damluji in the presence of deputies in Ahud al-Fadhli and Haider Mawla on the Committee’s efforts to amend the law on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and demonstration and not pass it in the form proposed,

She pointed out that the committee seeks to not pass the draft law only as guaranteed by the Constitution, stressing the role of organizations and the IWJF in the campaign and stand by the Committee in the movement within the parliament. The Human Rights Committee, represented by deputies Arshad Salhi and Ashwaq Al-Jaf, praised the role of the IWJF in the campaign, follow-up and gaining public opinion, stressing the role of the media in raising awareness about the laws, especially the freedom of expression law. He stressed the importance of pressuring amendments in line with the vision of civil society , He concluded by saying that the committee stands beside the civil orientation and that it met more than once with the Culture, Information and Endowments Committee and put a formula in line with the public demand, but they were surprised during the meeting by presenting different views by the deputies who were beside them. The meeting concluded with the two committees stressing the delegation of the IWJF on the importance of returning the draft law to the government and then postponing it because it is a flagrant violation of rights and freedoms, mainly freedom of expression