2003
U.S. Embassy issues warning to American journalists
New York, November 10, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is monitoring reports that U.S. journalists and foreigners working for U.S. media in Afghanistan may be targeted for kidnapping in exchange for Taliban members in U.S. custody. At a State Department daily briefing on Friday, November 7, spokesman Richard Boucher said that the U.S. Embassy…
Journalist imprisoned on criminal defamation charges
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the imprisonment of Maman Abou, director of the private weekly newspaper Le Républicain. At a closed, secret trial on November 7, Abou was sentenced to six months in prison for criminal defamation. Neither Abou nor his lawyers were present at the trial, according to Abou’s colleagues, who are in constant contact with him. Abou is currently being held at the Central Prison in the capital, Niamey.
CPJ condemns arrest of photojournalist
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the November 1 arrest of Selim Jahangir, a photojournalist for the national Bengali-language daily Janakantha, in Rajshahi, a city in northwestern Bangladesh. We call for his immediate release from jail. Jahangir’s arrest is a blatant example of the abuse of power by local government officials, who must not be allowed to deny journalists their right to report on public events.
Government annouces new press accreditation requirements
New York, November 6, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by the Israeli Government Press Office’s (GPO) new administrative guidelines for press accreditation, which were announced on Sunday, November 2. The guidelines, set to take effect on January 1, 2004, include a provision requiring the country’s internal security service, or Shin Bet,…
Journalist imprisoned
New York, November 5, 2003–Police officers in Equatorial Guinea arrested journalist Rodrigo Angue Nguema at his home in the capital, Malabo, on November 3. Angue Nguema works as a correspondent for the wire service Agence France-Presse (AFP), as well as several other foreign news organizations, and is one of the only independent journalists in the…
CPJ concerned about jailing of three journalists
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is disturbed by the continued imprisonment of three journalists working for privately owned Sido radio station. According to local sources, police in Ségou, a city in southern Mali, arrested program host Chériff Haïdara; radio director Mamoutou Traoré; and reporter and program host Gata Ba on October 20, 24, and 26, respectively.
CPJ condemns arrest of Internet essayistDetention is part of continuing crackdown on online speech
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the recent arrest of Internet essayist Du Daobin and is gravely concerned that his arrest could mark an escalation in the continuing crackdown on online speech in China.
Iranian journalists released after four months
New York, November 3, 2003—Coalition forces in Iraq have released two Iranian journalists who had been held for four months on suspicion of spying. Said Abu Taleb and Soheil Kareemi, two journalists with Iranian State Television, were released today and returned to Iran. According to their colleagues, the journalists were in Iraq working on a…