Maldives

New York, May 3, 2007—The Maldivian information minister announced today that a criminal charge of “disobedience of an order” against Minivan Daily Deputy Editor Nazim Sattar would be dropped and that charges against Editor Aminath Najeeb would be reduced, Sattar told CPJ.

The two were facing criminal charges related to an August 2005 article quoting an opposition activist. Authorities alleged that activist Ahmed Abbas’ statements incited violence against the police; Abbas has been jailed in connection with the statement.

New York, April 20, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by the Maldivian government’s prosecution of journalists working for Minivan News, a media group affiliated with the opposition Maldivian Democracy Party. Minivan Daily reporter Abdullah Saeed, known as Fahala, was sentenced on Wednesday to life imprisonment on a drug charge, which colleagues believe was fabricated by the government in an effort to silence the newspaper.

New York, March 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about Maldivian authorities’ criminal prosecution of Abdullah Saeed, a reporter with the opposition Minivan Daily newspaper. The journalist, also known as Fahala, was sentenced on Sunday to two months in jail for refusing a urine test when he was arrested last October.

Saeed still faces the more serious charge of possessing more than one gram of an opiate, which could carry a life sentence. Colleagues have insisted that charge was manufactured to silence a critical journalist and that any drugs were planted by police. They say Saeed refused to submit to the urine test because he feared it would be tampered with. Saeed was convicted on a drug charge once before, in 2000, but was pardoned three years later.

New York, February 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release from house arrest of Internet journalist Ahmed Didi, who was pardoned today, four years after receiving a life sentence because of his work. Dissident Naushad Waheed was also pardoned.

"The release of our colleague Ahmed Didi is welcome but long overdue," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "Didi, like other independent voices in the Maldives, has suffered greatly for the right to transmit news and opinion, which is still not fully realized in the country."

Nepal After the Coup

Overview
by Abi Wright

Threats to press freedom spiked throughout Asia in 2004, even as the news media claimed significant accomplishments. Across the region, 2004 was an election year, with citizens casting ballots in nations such as Afghanistan, whose landmark vote was peaceful and orderly, and India, where more than 370 million went to the polls. Informing voters and guarding against abuses, the press was credited with playing key roles in these and other elections.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the recent detention of online publishers Ahmed Didi and Mohamed Zaki, and their secretary Fathimath Nisreen, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release from prison.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the prolonged detention of three people--Ahmed Didi, Fathimath Nisreen, and Mohamed Zaki--affiliated with the online publication Sandhaanu who were arrested in early 2002. A fourth person, Ibrahim Luthfee, was also arrested, but escaped in May 2003.