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Increasingly, repressive governments are using their power to stifle dissent by taking away the basic and fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More specifically, Article 19 is yet again under attack as threats to freedom of press continue to expand across the world. As World Press Freedom Day is commemorated every year on May 3, the call to protect and respect the principles of freedom of expression are pressing.

Article 19 states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

This is not just lofty rhetoric. It pertains to real world events.

On April 25th and 26th of this year, Ethiopian authorities arrested six bloggers and three journalists just before Secretary of State John Kerry was set to visit Ethiopia during his extensive visit to Africa from April 29 to May 5. The purpose of his trip is to encourage democratic development, promote respect for human rights, advance peace and security, engage with civil society and young African leaders with partners in Africa, a state department statement said.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the reporters were accused of working with foreign human rights groups using social media to create instability in Ethiopia. The journalists including editor Asmamaw Hailegeorgis, freelancers Tesfalem Waldyes and Edom Kassaye, and bloggers Abel Wabella, Atnaf Berhane, Mahlet Fantahun, Natnail Feleke, Zelalem Kibret, and Befekadu Hailu are being punished for doing the basic act of reporting.

A number of concerned human rights activists are calling for their release including  Samantha Power, the current United States Ambassador to the United Nations who tweeted in support of their cause saying:

On #PressFreedomDay, as we speak, 9 bloggers are detained in Ethiopia. Journalism is not a crime. They must be released.

— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) May 3, 2014

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the crackdown on journalists and netizens saying that acts such as this are “completely unacceptable in a world ever more reliant on global news outlets and the journalists who serve them.”

As the United Nations celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, it should make it a priority to defend attacks on the media globally. Encouragingly, Secretary of State John Kerry asked for the release of the journalists and bloggers during his visit.  A photo showing Kerry and Natnail Feleke greeting each other not long ago makes this moment of attack on press freedom more personal and poignant.

This year marks the 23rd year of the promise made during a UNESCO seminar held to promote independent and pluralistic African Press in Windhoek, Namibia, on 3 May 1991. It is up to all governments, member states of the UN General Assembly to respect this proclamation.