The African National Congress (ANC) will reschedule its September 20 debate on the Protection of Information Bill to next quarter due to public outcry and accusations that the legislation threatens freedom of expression. The ANC is divided on the bill and plans to consult with groups against the bill before resuming debate—the groups hope to rewrite the bill, which has no “public interest defense,” threatening journalists who disclose protected information. The Protection of Information Bill would regulate the distribution of state information, “weighing state interests against transparency and freedom of expression.” On August 31, the ANC told a special committee that it would not add a clause to protect the public interest, because it did not consider journalists a separate class.

Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist with Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, was denied his appeal on September 20 after being arrested in April 2011 for “defaming” Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenka and sentenced to two years in prison. Poczobut argued that investigators and prosecutors “violated his rights,” forbidding witnesses and the lawyer he selected from appearing in the courtroom. Poczobut is a Belarusian citizen from Poland, and one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB). In February 2011, he served a 15-day sentence for participating in protests surrounding Lukashenka’s reelection. In the past, Poczobut had his accreditation revoked and faced harassment in response to his journalistic activities.

In its International Religious Freedom Report issued on September 13, the U.S. State Department failed to designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) despite the significant deterioration of religious freedom in the country. Iran, China Saudi Arabia, Burma, Eritrea, North Korea, Sudan and Uzbekistan were noted in the report as having governments that “engage in or tolerate ‘particularly severe violations’ of religious freedom, where the abuses are “egregious, ongoing, and systematic.” In a May 2011 letter, Freedom House joined other human rights groups in calling on the State Department to designate Pakistan a CPC given the pervasive violence against religious minorities and the impunity that is enjoyed by militant groups. The State Department’s decision to leave Pakistan off the list sends the wrong signal to those that espouse religious intolerance and undermines the message that the Pakistani authorities are obligated to protect their citizens and uphold the rule of law.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced September 15 that the government will repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA), along with three emergency provisions, and replace them with two laws to prevent “terrorism, subversive activities and maintain public order.” The ISA and emergency declarations currently allow detention without trial for up to two years, and students, activists and opposition leaders have been arrested as a result. However, the government claims once the ISA and other acts are repealed citizens will no longer be detained strictly based on ideology. The government will also amend the Police Act to better promote freedom of assembly—although street protests would still be considered illegal— and the Printing Presses and Publications Act, to make it easier for outlets to keep their licenses by not requiring annual renewal.