Maxence Melo Mubyazi, Tanzania: 2019 International Press Freedom Awards

[libeva]

Jamii Forum ndio mtandao ulio huru zaidi Africa hakuna mtandao wowote ulio huru kma jamii forum Africa hongera kwa Melo kwa kupigania haki ya kutoa maoni kwa vitendo.

Ile forum ya Kenya haipo huru?

 

[Bubu Msemaovyo]

CPJ is honored to present its 2019 International Press Freedom Award to Maxence Melo Mubyazi, a champion of online freedom of expression in Tanzania. He is the co-founder and managing director of Jamii Forums, a popular East and Central African website and discussion forum that is a source of breaking news. He has been charged under the country's restrictive Cybercrimes Act and, in 2017, appeared in court 81 times.

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CPJ is honored to present its 2019 International Press Freedom Award to Tanzanian journalist Maxence Melo Mubyazi.

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Melo is the owner and co-founder of Jamii Forums, a popular East and Central African website and discussion forum that is a source of breaking news and a secure whistleblowing platform that promotes accountability and transparency in Tanzania. The website hosts frank debates, mostly in Kiswahili, about topics that include graft in the public sector and government incompetence.

Melo, a champion for online freedom of expression and internet governance, has faced persecution from the government. In 2016, Jamii Forums' office was raided by Tanzanian security forces, who also detained Melo for interrogation. After being held for eight days, Melo was charged with managing a domain not registered in Tanzania and obstruction for refusing to disclose the identities of Jamii Forums' users.

The charges against Melo fall under Tanzania's 2015 Cybercrimes Act--sometimes called the Jamii Forums Law--and the 2010 Electronic and Postal Communications Act, which have been used as tools to censor the media and to limit criticism of the government. Jamii Forums has unsuccessfully challenged both laws in court.

In 2017, Melo appeared in court 81 times. Today, he continues to fight in Tanzanian court to clear his name. The cases restrict him from traveling beyond the city of Dar es Salaam without permission. CPJ has repeatedly called on the Tanzanian government to cease its harassment of Melo and Jamii Forums.

In June 2018, Jamii Forums shut down temporarily when the government enacted online content regulations, under the Electronic and Postal Communications Act, which require bloggers and online forums to pay a registration fee of US$900. Melo told CPJ that complying with the law would mean betraying the anonymity guaranteed to users. Fikra Pevu, another news portal that Melo founded, stopped publishing then as well, partly because of the legal and financial pressure created by the content regulations.

Melo was also detained in 2008 on allegations of terrorism on the orders of the then-president's office, and his equipment was confiscated. No charges were filed.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who took office in 2015, has clamped down on press freedom and freedom of expression through the use of harsh new laws, harassment, and intimidation. Giving this award to Melo also shines a light on the worrying trend in sub-Saharan Africa of governments using overly broad cybercrime laws to crack down on free speech online.

Source: cpj.org

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Hongera JamiiForums

 

[DiasporaUSA]

waapi ....

Dodoma

 

[MUFINDI BOY]

Good news!!! Am proud to be here

 

[Mangungo II]

Wakina nani hao ?

Kawe alumni

 

[MANI]

Kama PhD yake

Ningekuwa ni mm Max..hii tunzo sijuo tuzo ningeipelela Ikulu ..!unafika pale unamwambia Mkulu nimeleta tuzo ya watanzania kupata mm ni km tumepaa Tanzania nzima!

 

[Wangari Maathai]

Kama PhD yake

😅😅yes!ya leo alopewa UDOM!

 

[MANI]

Hongera sana mkuu Maxence Melo

 

[abdi ally]

Kuna watu habari kama hii wanaumia sana

Wachawi hao

 

[abdi ally]

Jamii Forum ndio mtandao ulio huru zaidi Africa hakuna mtandao wowote ulio huru kma jamii forum Africa hongera kwa Melo kwa kupigania haki ya kutoa maoni kwa vitendo.

Kuna Kila sababu watanzania wote tumpe tunzo ya heshima Melo tena yenye ukubwa wa Hali ya juu kabisa kwa mchango wake mkubwa Sana wa kutetea uhuru wa habari na maoni.

Mana bila Melo kukaza na kuwa makini katika maswala ya kimtandao weng wao leo wangekuwa ununio[emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]

 

[Kyakashombo]

Shujaa wetu! Wa ukweli

 

[Farolito]

Hongera sana Max,Mungu akutangulie

Hivi Kirefu cha CPJ ni nini?

 

[Mwl.RCT]

Hivi Kirefu cha CPJ ni nini?

Committee to Protect Journalists

 

[Farolito]

Asante mkuu

Committee to Protect Journalists

 

[Beeb]

Hongera melo

 

[stella1975]

Pongezi nyingi ziende kwa serikali ya awamu ya tano kwa kutupatia huu uhuru

Hili nalo linakuja kutuharibia text zetu

 

[stella1975]

I

Ipongeze na Serikali ya awamu ya 5 pia!

Hii hii serikali iliyokuwa inamkamata kila Siku na kumfungulia mashtaka au serikali gani sijakuelewa makonda

 

[DiasporaUSA]

Hili nalo linakuja kutuharibia text zetu

Sehemu yako ya starehe siku moja moja sio mbaya ukampa mlinzi hata bia moj au buku mbili, hua wana appreciate sana watakuja kukusaidia siku hutaamini.( Hata asipokusaidia we mpe tu)

 

[Black Mirror]

Pongezi nyingi ziende kwa serikali ya awamu ya tano kwa kutupatia huu uhuru

Nilimskiliza Huyu mkurugenzi anahojiwa BBC, niliumia sana kusikia kuwa amesha hudhuria Mahakamani zaidi ya mar 100 , leo hii serikali unaishukuru kwa lipi ndugu? Namtakia maisha marefu huyu Mkurugenzi wa JF

 

[the truecaller]

hii taasisi ni ya wapi na mbona imekaa kiukanjanja hivi.
au ndio kazi ya nyalandu huko usa.?