Former Minister of Justice warns of global human rights crackdown under cover of COVID-19

He particularly singled out media freedom, claiming that it is being increasingly assaulted under the guise of stopping the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Former Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler warned of an international effort to suppress human rights under "the cover of the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensification of the global political pandemic" on Monday.

The former Paul Martin-era justice minister and human rights activist made the comments at the second annual Global Conference for Media Freedom, which Canada is co-hosting alongside Botswana.

Cotler described a global political pandemic as being "characterized by resurgent global authoritarianism, the backsliding of democracies, and global assaults on media freedom where journalists are increasingly under threat and under assault." He particularly singled out media freedom, claiming that it is being increasingly assaulted under the guise of stopping the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

While Cotler did not cite an example of the alleged attack on media freedom in response to the pandemic, his comments echo concerns laid out in a policy paper submitted to the conference by the Canadian government. The report specifically called out the Chinese government, alleging "[after] first aggressively attempting to silence doctors who issued initial warnings, the government moved quickly to control the flow of information about the spread of the virus, targeting the few independent reporters who dared to expose the extent of the infection."

"In many countries, measures reflected deliberate efforts to use the virus as a pretext to expand government information control, while in others, authorities may have acted out of genuine public health motives but with clear disregard for the role the free press plays in protecting public health," the report continued.

The Global Conference for Media Freedom has come under scrutiny, however, as the co-hosting nation of Botswana has a troubling track record in regard to press freedom, over which concerns have grown since the outbreak of the pandemic. A platform at the previous year's conference was also given to Malaysia, where their former Minister of Communication appeared to call for stricter global laws against "hate speech" despite his prime minister describing himself as a "proud anti-Semite" while peddling anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information