A/HRC/20/17 C. Press releases 13. On 22 March 2011, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint press release 2 on the deteriorating situation in Bahrain, noting that the Government had failed to implement human rights commitments made in February 2012. He called on the Government to fully respect the right to fully guarantee the rights of peaceful demonstrators expressing their legitimate concerns and grievances. 14. On 5 April 2011, at the end of his three-day visit to Hungary, the Special Rapporteur highlighted his outstanding concerns regarding the Hungarian media legislation, such as restrictions on media content based on vague concepts, insufficient guarantees to ensure the independence and impartiality of the regulatory body empowered to apply the law, excessive fines and other administrative sanctions that can be imposed on the media, and lack of sufficient protection of journalistic sources. He recommended that the Government undertake broad public consultations on the “media law package” as a whole, as well as on ongoing constitutional reforms, to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is fully guaranteed in accordance with Hungary’s international human rights obligations. 15. On 27 April 2011, the Special Rapporteur expressed deep shock and sorrow over the killing of Ahmed Kerroumi, a political activist he had met on a recent official visit to Algeria. He called on the Government of Algeria to conduct a detailed and independent investigation into his killing and to bring those responsible to justice. 16. On 2 May 2011, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day of 3 May, the Special Rapporteur issued a press release on the right to freedom of expression on the Internet, expressing particular concern regarding journalists, bloggers and activists who have been targeted in countries such as Libya, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. He called on all Governments to choose reform over repression, to embrace diverging views, to listen to the people, and to build a strong society based on the consent of the governed, whose freedom of expression must be upheld. 17. On 1 June 2011, the Special Rapporteur, together with the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, issued a joint declaration establishing guidelines to protect freedom of expression on the Internet. 18. On 11 July 2011, the Special Rapporteur, together with the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, expressed his dismay at the use of tear gas and water cannons by security authorities in Malaysia against peaceful protestors during the Bersih 2.0 rally on 9 July 2011, reportedly leading to injuries and one death. The mandateholders also expressed concern over the arrest of more than 1,600 people, as well as the continued detention of six leaders from the Socialist Party of Malaysia on the basis of the Emergency Ordinance, which allows for detention without trial for up to 60 days. 19. On 5 August 2011, the Special Rapporteur, together with other mandate holders, warned that the scale and gravity of the violent crackdown in the Syrian Arab Republic continues unabated, and reiterated their call for an immediate end to the violent strategies adopted by the Government to quash ongoing demonstrations. The Special Rapporteur expressed his deep concern at the Government’s continued attempt to prevent the world 2 Press releases issued by the Special Rapporteur are available at http://www.ohchr.org/en/ NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?NTID=PRS&MID=SR_Freedom_Expressio. 5