Protecting free expression in armed conflict

ARTICLE 19 is launching a new policy, Clearing the fog of war – protecting free expression in armed conflict.

In an armed conflict, reliable information can be as lifesaving as emergency aid.

Yet it is freedom of expression and the right to information that are often its first casualties as:

• Conflict parties seek to shape and control the narrative;
• Journalists who report on atrocities are targeted, killed and prevented from carrying out their work;
• Attacks on telecommunication infrastructure deny civilians access to the information they need to protect themselves;
• In the digital age, governments and armed groups deploy increasingly sophisticated strategies to surveil, censor and manipulate information.

With more than 120 armed conflicts around the world, from Sudan to Myanmar, to Israel and Palestine to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine to Yemen, attacks on free expression during war have become a norm. It is clear that more must be done to protect this fundamental right.

This is why our new policy sets out how international law safeguards people’s free expression in armed conflict; where it can be strengthened; and, crucially, what states, the private sector, humanitarian organisations, and others must do to protect civilians’ right to speak and to know.

“During armed conflict free expression is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. It helps people stay out of danger and remain connected, ensure that hospitals and humanitarian organisations can maintain access to the internet to function properly, and that war crimes and other atrocities are not perpetrated with impunity.

“We hope that this policy brief will not only help clarify legal standards and the basis of upholding free expression in wartime, but also act as a reminder for all those involved in, or working on, armed conflict, that freedom of expression saves lives, helps alleviate human suffering, and plays a vital role in accountability efforts. It must always be protected.” ?– Chantal Joris , Senior Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19

Read the policy