and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the government is not upholding citizens’ right to freedom of expression and MISA urges the Angolan government to heed this ruling and release de Morais immediately. There was significant progress made by access to information advocacy in the region in 2014, with Malawi marking a positive start to the year in January when the cabinet adopted the Access to Information (ATI) Policy. The ATI Policy provides a framework for enacting and implementing the ATI Bill. And then, on 26 November 2014, we welcomed the Mozambican Parliament’s passing of an access to information (ATI) Bill. The Bill passed its first reading on 21 August and in November the Assembly of the Republic, during an extraordinary session, unanimously passed the second and final reading of the Bill. These victories, however, highlight the frustrating stagnation in processes to pass access to information legislation; to amend ineffective laws; or to implement existing legislation in other countries. We call on the governments of Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia to expedite the adoption of access to information laws in their countries. use of legislation such as national security laws, to impose restrictions on the use of online platforms. MISA will continue to work closely with other concerned organisations to campaign for freedom of expression online and to participate in the drafting of an African Declaration on Internet Rights to ensure respect for human rights in the online arena. MISA remains committed to achieving media freedom and freedom of expression in Southern Africa and will continue to bring violations – and victories – such as those documented in this report, to light and to fight for perpetrators to be held accountable. I urge you to join us in our fight by reporting any media violations and visiting our website to find out how you can become involved in our campaigns to improve access to information and free expression in southern Africa. Enjoy the read! Zoé Titus In 2014, as in the year before it, we continued to see more and more media workers and citizen journalists turning to online platforms to express themselves. But, with the increasing use of new media and online platforms to create and share information, we are also seeing increased insecurity from governments and subsequent attempts to curtail freedom of expression in the online arena. We condemn efforts to inhibit freedom of expression and access to information through ICT platforms, including the mis- So This is Democracy? 2014 5