A/HRC/19/69 48. During their deployment from 24 December 2011 to 20 January 2012, League of Arab States observers witnessed several peaceful opposition demonstrations, which were held without State interference. The observers considered that their presence may have dissuaded State forces from using violence to disperse demonstrators. The observers also noted that citizens in Homs and Dar‟a pleaded with them not to leave, which the observers attributed to a possible fear of reprisals. 49. In a televised interview broadcast on 7 December 2011, the President stated that the military and security forces had received “no command to kill or be brutal”, while acknowledging that some members of the State forces had gone “too far”. 50. The Government informed the commission that armed groups were killing or forcibly displacing individuals who resisted calls to participate in demonstrations or strikes. The commission documented cases of opposition activists threatening shopkeepers who refused to join strikes. The commission also found cases of anti-Government armed groups executing suspected Shabbiha (see also paragraphs 114 and 115 below). 51. On 28 August 2011, the Government issued a new media law (Decree No. 108/2011), which sets out a number of basic rights relating to freedom of expression and information for journalists and citizens.15 includes broad prohibitions, including a ban on publishing any news related to the armed forces not actually issued by the forces themselves. It leaves untouched the vaguely defined criminal offences described in articles 285 to 287 of the Penal Code that have long been used to punish and silence critical journalists, human rights defenders and political dissidents. In November, the Government established a national media council to implement the media law, and appointed a former deputy Minister for Information to head it. On 8 February 2012, the President issued a decree on organizing Internet communications and combating cybercrime, which sets out broad offences that restrict freedom of expression on the Internet. 52. In practice, freedom of expression and information has continued to be severely restricted. The Government systematically uses censorship and the arbitrary denial of media licenses to control the media. Journalists and bloggers who have expressed dissenting views have been harassed, dismissed from Government jobs, arbitrarily arrested and detained. 53. Activists and human rights defenders have continued to mobilize through the Internet and social media. “Citizen journalists” have filmed human rights violations by the military and security forces and posted them on the Internet. Others have conveyed their dissent through cultural expressions, such as satirical puppet plays broadcast over the Internet. In response, the Government has tried to block or slow down Internet access in restive cities at different times, destroyed computer equipment during raids and hacked into private e-mail and social media accounts. 54. Pro- and anti-Government hackers have fought for control of cyberspace and, in some cases, spread disinformation. According to testimony received, these include the “virtual Syrian army”, an online network that disseminates news supporting the Government and tries to sabotage opposition sites. A member of this group told the commission that the group neither worked for the Government nor engaged in illegal activities, but sought only to provide a balanced picture of the unrest. 55. Syrian journalists covering the crisis and related violations remained at risk. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders reported on three killings of Syrian journalists, two of which were attributed to State forces. On 19 November 2011, 15 12 “President al-Assad issues legislative decree on media law”, SANA, 29 August 2011. Available from www.sana.sy/eng/361/2011/08/29/366490.htm.