July 26, 1999 His Excellency Ernesto Pérez Balladares President of Panama Presidential Palace Panama City, Panama Fax: 507-227-0073 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its dismay over proposed legislation that, while masquerading as an effort to reform Panama’s onerous “gag laws,” is actually a further assault on press freedom.
Istanbul, Turkey, July 23, 1999–The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a report today documenting Turkey’s continuing use of criminal prosecutions to silence journalists who report on sensitive topics, such as the Kurdish question and the role of Islam in politics. At a press conference in Istanbul, a CPJ delegation expressed its concern…
July 21,1999 His Excellency Joseph Ejercito Estrada President of the Republic of the Philippines Office of the President Malacañang Palace Manila, Philippines Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned over persistent evidence that an ongoing advertising boycott of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the Philippines’ top newspapers, may have been…
July 20,1999 His Excellency Boris Yeltsin President of the Russian Federation Via Fax: 011 7 095 206 5173; 206 6277 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly troubled by today’s conviction of Russian military journalist Grigory Pasko for providing allegedly classified information to Japanese media about the Pacific Fleet’s hazardous handling of…
July 19, 1999 His Excellency Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister Prime Minister’s Secretariat Islamabad, Pakistan Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned by the ongoing persecution of Najam Sethi, founding editor of the English-language weekly newspaper The Friday Times. On July 15, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) summoned Sethi to appear…
Sanaa’, Yemen, July 15, 1999 — In a meeting today with press freedom advocate Terry Anderson, Yemen’s prime minister said harassment and threats against journalists are “abhorrent to our laws and ideals” and should be condemned. He promised to investigate any cases that are reported to him. Anderson, vice chairman of the New York-based Committee…
July 15, 1999 His Excellency Seyed Mohammad Khatami President of the Islamic Republic of Iran The Presidency Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-governmental organization of journalists devoted to upholding press freedom worldwide, is writing to express its deep concern about the ongoing campaign to stifle the…
July 15, 1999 His Excellency Chuan Leekpai Prime Minister Government House Bangkok, Thailand Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned over a recent attempt to intimidate the staff of the Thai Post that was directed by an aide to Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri. We do, however, welcome Your Excellency’s pledge today to…
May 5, 1999 His Excellency Selcuk Oztek Minister of Justice Adalet Bakanligi 06659 Ankara, Turkey Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply dismayed by yesterday’s verdict in the retrial of 11 police officers accused in the January 1996 murder of Metin Goktepe, a journalist with the leftist daily Evrensel. The Afyon court’s decision…
May 7, 1999 His Excellency Mohammad Khatemi President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Palestine Avenue Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its grave concern about the reported arrest of Azeri journalist Qanimat Zahidov in northern Iran. Zahidov, editor in chief for…