Law decrees passed in April and August by Cuba’s dictatorship to regulate the media, which, among other things, establish various cybersecurity crimes, “could eliminate freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association”, indicated three reporters of the United Nations.
In a letter sent to the authorities of the Caribbean island, the rapporteurs for freedom of expression Irene Khan, of assembly (Clement Nyaletsossi) and of defense of human rights (Mary Lawlor) analyzed the decree 35, approved in April, as well as the 42, beyond of resolution 105/2021, published in August.
Experts have warned that the texts leave to the discretion of the Armed Forces of Cuba the adoption of “special measures” on telecommunications, without defining precisely what they would be, nor the need for authorization from a judge.
“Any restriction of rights must be foreseen in the law, pursue a legitimate objective and fulfill the requirements of necessity and proportionality”, pointed out the three rapporteurs.
In the letter, they also indicate that, if the opposite occurs, legitimate expressions could be withdrawn for political and other unjustified reasons.
According to the reporters, the provisions that allow operators to suspend telecommunications services are vaguely formulated, allowing this possibility to happen when “the information is false, offensive, harmful to human dignity or public morality and respect for public order”.
“States should not suspend access to the internet as a means of combating misinformation”, pointed out the United Nations rapporteurs, who indicated fear for limiting the rights of journalists, opponents, politicians and human rights defenders.
At the conclusion of the letter, UN representatives asked the Cuban regime to modify the analyzed laws, “with the objective of defining in a rigid and limited way the contents that can be restricted, in accordance with international law”.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/un-reporters-criticize-cubas-cybersecurity-law-that-could-limit-internet/
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