Rapporteurship on Freedom of Expression 2011 - cesice

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INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS




OEA/Ser.L/V/
II.
Doc. 69
30 December
2011
Original:
Spanish



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
2011

VOLUME II


ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION
2011




Dr. Catalina Botero
Special Rapporteur for Freedom Of Expression





GENERAL SECRETARIAT
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION 2011

Index


Page

TABLE OF ACRONYMS AND REFERENCES vii

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER I: GENERAL INFORMATION 3

A. Creation of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of
Expression and Institutional Support 3
B. Mandate of the Office of the Special Rapporteur 6
C. Principal Activities of the Office of the Special Rapporteur 7


1. Individual Case System: Strategic Litigation on Freedom of
Expression within the inter-American System 8
2. Precautionary Measures 12
3. Public Hearings 13
4. Seminars and Workshops with Strategic Actors in the Region
14
5. Annual Report and development of expert knowledge 18
6. Special statements and declarations 18


D. Staff of the Office of the Special Rapporteur 20
E. Funding 21

CHAPTER II: EVALUATION OF THE STATE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE
HEMISPHERE 23


A. Introduction and methodology 23
B. Evaluation of the state of freedom of expression in the
Member States 24


1. Argentina 24
2. Bolivia 32
3. Brazil 40
4. Canada 48
5. Chile 51
6. Colombia 55
7. Costa Rica 66
8. Cuba 68
9. Ecuador 73
10. El Salvador 101
11. United States 104
12. Guatemala 115
13. Guyana 121
14. Haiti 126
15. Honduras 129
16. Jamaica 142
17. Mexico 145
Page

18. Nicaragua 174
19. Panama 180
20. Paraguay 184
21. Peru 186
22. Dominican Republic 194
23. Trinidad and Tobago 195
24. Uruguay 196
25. Venezuela 198

CHAPTER III: THE RIGHT TO ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION IN THE AMERICAS
211


A. Introduction 211
B. Guiding Principles of the Right of Access to Information
214


1. Principle of Maximum Disclosure 214


a. First corollary of the principle of maximum
disclosure:
The right of access to information is the rule and
secrecy the exception 216
b. Second corollary of the principle of maximum
disclosure:
The State bears the burden of proof to justify limits
on the right
of access to information 222
c. Third corollary of the principle of maximum
disclosure:
Supremacy of the right of access to information in
the event
of conflicting statutes or lack of regulation
229


2. Principle of Good Faith 232


C. Content and Scope of the Right of Access to Information 236


1. Every Person Has the Right of Access to Information
236
2. Subjects with Obligations under the Right of Access to
Information 241
3. Object or Scope of the Right 248
4. Obligations Imposed on the State by the Right of Access to
Information 255


a. Obligation to respond to requests in a timely,
complete, and accessible manner 255
b. Obligation to provide an administrative remedy that
satisfies the right of access to information 263
c. Obligation to provide an appropriate, effective
judicial remedy for reviewing denials of requests for
information 276
d. Obligation of active transparency 284
e. Obligation to produce or gather information 293
f. Obligation to create a culture of transparency
299
g. Obligation of adequate implementation 301



Page

5. Limitations to the Right of Access to Information 309


a. Legal establishment and regulation of exceptions
309
b. Regime of sanctions 336


D. Conclusions 342

CHAPTER IV: REPARATIONS FOR THE VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 13 OF THE AMERICAN
CONVENTION AND OTHER RIGHTS RELATED TO ILLEGITIMATE RESTRICTIONS ON THE
RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION 347


A. Introduction 347
B. The right to reparation in inter-American human rights law
348
C. Damages and reparations arising specifically from to Article 13
of the
American Convention 351


1. Case of "The Last Temptation of Christ"
(Olmedo Bustos et al.) v. Chile 351
2. Case of Ivcher Bronstein v. Peru 352
3. Case of Herrera Ulloa v. Costa Rica 353
4. Case of Ricardo Canese v. Paraguay 355
5. Case of Palamara Iribarne v. Chile 356
6. Case of Claude Reyes et al v. Chile 358
7. Case of Kimel v. Argentina 359
8. Case of Tristán Donoso v. Panama 360
9. Case of Ríos et al. v. Venezuela 362
10. Case of Perozo et al. v. Venezuela 363
11. Case of Usón Ramírez et al. v. Venezuela 364
12. Case of Manuel Cepeda Vargas v. Colombia 365
13. Case of Gomes Lund v. Brazil 366


D. Examination of the components for reparation of freedom of
expression in inter-American case law 367


1. Measures of restitution 368
2. Measures of compensation 374
3. Measures of satisfaction 378
4. Measures of rehabilitation 382
5. Guarantees of non-repetition 383

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 387


A. Violence against journalists and media outlets 387
B. Criminalization of expression and promoting proportionality in
the application of subsequent liability 389
C. Statements of high-level State authorities 390
D. Prior censorship 390
E. Discriminatory distribution of government advertising 390
F. Progress on access to information 391
G. Allocation of radio frequencies 391

TABLE OF ACRONYMS AND REFERENCES


ACHPR: African Commission on Human and Peoples'
Rights
American Convention: American Convention on Human Rights
American Declaration: American Declaration of the Rights and
Duties of Man
Declaration of Principles: Declaration of Principles on Freedom of
Expression
European Convention: European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms
European Court: European Court of Human Rights
IACHR: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights
ILO: International Labor Organization
Inter-American Court: Inter-American Court of Human Rights
OAS: Organization of American States
OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe
Office of the Special Rapporteur: Office of the Special Rapporteur for
Freedom of Expression
UN: United Nations
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization


ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION 2011

INTRODUCTION


The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression
(hereinafter, "Office of the Special Rapporteur") was created in October of
1997 by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter,
"IACHR") during its 97th Period of Sessions. Since its establishment, the
Office of the Special Rapporteur has had the support of not only the I