© AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene(Nairobi) – The Ethiopian government has been using Covid-19 restrictions and a recently declared state of emergency as a pretext to restrict free speech. “While misinformation about the pandemic can be a concern, it’s no excuse to limit free speech,” said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The newly enacted hate speech and disinformation law similarly risks being used as a tool of repression, Human Rights Watch said. Under international human rights law, restrictions on freedom of expression for reasons of public health may not put the right itself in jeopardy. To safeguard against abuse, emergency measures must be subject to independent oversight and regular review, Human Rights Watch said.

Source: Ethiopian News May 06, 2020 03:56 UTC