Basilio Sepe/BenarNews
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights marked World Press Freedom day on Monday by demanding that nations respect and protect the rights of journalists, even as advocacy groups urged her to give special attention to abuse of media freedom in Bangladesh.
In a statement, Michelle Bachelet noted that freedom of the press has come under particular attack during the pandemic, when the public is especially in need of information.
“The COVID-19 crisis has made it clearer that critical reporting on government policies or public figures is all too often met with prosecution,” she said. “Laws adopted or applied to restrict and criminalize disinformation during the pandemic have also been used by States to target journalists.