Dear Friend, 10th October, 2008
At this moment, at least 80 people around the world, many of them bloggers, are behind bars because they dared to express their political opinions online. We are hoping that you will take a moment to add your name to a petition by parliamentarians and others calling for their release. The short statement below, calling for freedom of expression on the Internet, has been signed by over 50 legislators from all continents, and is now being circulated for signature to bloggers, journalists, citizens and groups. Once it has received a large number of signatures, it will be sent to heads of state and government, including those who are holding the prisoners, as well as to the UN Human Rights Council.
This Call for e-Freedom has been initiated by the e-Parliament, which is a new forum for democratic legislators.
For the first time in history, the internet enables us to have a truly global conversation about our common future – in our local communities, our national communities and our global community. In blogs, websites and discussion groups, people are sharing ideas, exposing corruption and building networks to solve common problems.
Yet in some parts of the world, people who express views that conflict with those of their leaders risk imprisonment, torture or death. This is not only a denial of their rights. It denies their countries the benefits of free debate, and it prevents the world from hearing their voices as our global conversation expands day by day.
We are now contacting you as a member of the blogging community in the hope that you would like to sign this Call for e-Freedom -- to show solidarity with your fellow bloggers whose only crime has been to voice an opinion online.
At this moment, at least 80 people around the world, many of them bloggers, are behind bars because they dared to express their political opinions online. We are hoping that you will take a moment to add your name to a petition by parliamentarians and others calling for their release. The short statement below, calling for freedom of expression on the Internet, has been signed by over 50 legislators from all continents, and is now being circulated for signature to bloggers, journalists, citizens and groups. Once it has received a large number of signatures, it will be sent to heads of state and government, including those who are holding the prisoners, as well as to the UN Human Rights Council.
This Call for e-Freedom has been initiated by the e-Parliament, which is a new forum for democratic legislators.
For the first time in history, the internet enables us to have a truly global conversation about our common future – in our local communities, our national communities and our global community. In blogs, websites and discussion groups, people are sharing ideas, exposing corruption and building networks to solve common problems.
Yet in some parts of the world, people who express views that conflict with those of their leaders risk imprisonment, torture or death. This is not only a denial of their rights. It denies their countries the benefits of free debate, and it prevents the world from hearing their voices as our global conversation expands day by day.
We are now contacting you as a member of the blogging community in the hope that you would like to sign this Call for e-Freedom -- to show solidarity with your fellow bloggers whose only crime has been to voice an opinion online.
The text that we are asking people to sign is as follows:
As Members of Parliament and Congress and as citizens, we call on all governments to allow their people to express their views on the Internet freely and without fear of retribution. In particular, we call for the release of those who are now in prison because they expressed opinions online that their governments did not like. We believe the Internet should be a space for free exchange among all the world’s people, where no one loses their life or their liberty for saying what they think.
You can add your name simply by visiting http://www.e-parl.net/efreedom and signing at the bottom of the page. If you can also encourage your friends and colleagues to add their names, we would be most grateful.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Graham Watson MEP , Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, European Parliament
Sirpa Pietikainen MEP, European People's Party (Christian Democrats), European Parliament
Ana Maria Gomes MEP, Socialist Group, European Parliament
Anders Wijkman MEP, European People's Party (Christian Democrats), European Parliament
As Members of Parliament and Congress and as citizens, we call on all governments to allow their people to express their views on the Internet freely and without fear of retribution. In particular, we call for the release of those who are now in prison because they expressed opinions online that their governments did not like. We believe the Internet should be a space for free exchange among all the world’s people, where no one loses their life or their liberty for saying what they think.
You can add your name simply by visiting http://www.e-parl.net/efreedom and signing at the bottom of the page. If you can also encourage your friends and colleagues to add their names, we would be most grateful.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Graham Watson MEP , Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, European Parliament
Sirpa Pietikainen MEP, European People's Party (Christian Democrats), European Parliament
Ana Maria Gomes MEP, Socialist Group, European Parliament
Anders Wijkman MEP, European People's Party (Christian Democrats), European Parliament
