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Would interfering with payments to Wikileaks via online donation constitute an infringement on freedom of expression?

In the last few days, Paypal, Visa and Mastercard have removed their users’ ability to donate to Wikileaks online, asserting as grounds that Wikileaks engages or may engage in illegal activities.  There has been speculation that this restriction was due to US government pressure.

Amnesty International does not have information to confirm or refute that speculation, but emphasizes that governments cannot avoid their obligations to respect the right to freedom of expression by attempting to do indirectly what they would be forbidden from doing directly.  Businesses, too, should ensure that their own actions, at minimum, respect human rights.

via Q&A: Wikileaks and Freedom of Expression | Human Rights Now – Amnesty International USA Blog.

Related Articles

• “Q&A: Wikileaks and Freedom of Expression” and related posts (amnestyusa.org)
• U.N. rights boss concerned at targeting of WikiLeaks (reuters.com)

Filed under: News Tagged: | Amnesty International, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Julian Assange, MasterCard, PayPal, Visa, Wikileaks