“Democracy is on the wane all over the world,” says Sverre Pedersen, chairman of Freemuse, who has prepared the report. Freemuse has monitored and documented violations of artistic freedom of expression for 25 years. Pedersen is clear that the situation for artistic freedom of expression has worsened since 2021. A main reason is the increase in authoritarian regimes in the last ten years. What is Freemuse? Freemuse is an independent international organization that works for artists’ freedom of expression. The organization has advisory status vis-à-vis the UN and UNESCO. Every year they publish the report “The State of Artistic Freedom”. The head office is in Denmark and the organization has branches in seven countries, including Norway. The chairman is Sverre Pedersen. About 70 percent of the world’s population lives in dictatorships. That corresponds to 5.4 billion people, and the trend is increasing. Photo: Haakon S. Windsland – It is now a critical level. If Modi wins the presidential race in India next year, 10 percent of us live in democracies, Pedersen points out. More frequent use of the death sentence According to Pedersen, the use of the death sentence has also changed. – We see that the authorities are increasingly using the death penalty as the most ultimate form of censorship, says Pedersen. It is not in all cases that the death sentence is actually carried out, but Freemuse sees that the use of the death sentence has increased. – It is a step up overall. It is used to show the population that ‘don’t mess with us and if you do, we will kill you’, he continues. The Freemuse report examines key events in 10 countries that illustrate the increasing pressure on artistic freedom of expression. China Cuba Egypt Iran Myanmar Nigeria Russia Thailand Turkey Ukraine Persecuted artists in Iran and Russia In Iran, more than 100 artists were imprisoned in connection with the nationwide protests against the authoritarian clerical regime. Seven of the artists have been sentenced to death. In Russia too, the number of persecuted, censored and threatened artists increased last year. – Throughout the last decade, many artists in Russia have been punished for shedding light on sensitive issues such as the rights of LGBTQ+ people, says Pedersen. Several Russian artists who have expressed anti-war views have also been arrested or forced to flee. – Many of them have been labeled as “extremists” for criticizing the Putin regime, Pedersen continues. The report also tells of a Ukrainian officer who was killed in Russian-occupied Kherson after he refused to participate in a concert organized by Russian occupiers. Makes recommendations In 2021, 38 artists in 12 countries were killed. There are only the reported cases. Freemuse has chosen not to give out numbers this year, but Pedersen says there were more artists who were killed in 2022. Rather than a list of numbers, this year Freemuse has chosen to go into the depth of various conflicts. In addition, Freemuse comes with a list of 39 recommendations for freedom of expression advocates worldwide. Eight of them are aimed at heads of state. Freemuse’s recommendations to state leaders …ensure freedom of artistic expression and access to cultural rights without discrimination. This principle must be included in all parts of the country’s legislation and policy-making. …abolish the death penalty and other legislation that restricts artistic freedom of expression in any way …must ensure that national legislation is consistent with international human rights and national provisions on artistic freedom of expression …abolish all forms of censorship mechanisms …ensure that artist organizations and other professional organizations are encouraged to introduce human rights principles in all stages of their operations …ensure that government officials and other civil and professional actors who are exposed to hate crimes and violent acts are given the opportunity to have the case investigated in line with international standards …should avoid criminalizing speech and only applying legislation in cases where speech violates freedom of expression …should ensure the immediate release of all artists serving illegal prison sentences, and drop all charges brought against them on illegal grounds – The importance of fighting for democracy and human rights is more important than ever, says Pedersen. The report will be handed over to Culture and Gender Equality Minister Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) during Cultural Expression in Drammen today.
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The worst year for artistic freedom of expression ever – news Culture and entertainment
