2005
Three Romanian journalists abducted in Baghdad
New York, March 29, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the reported abduction of three Romanian journalists in Baghdad Monday night, bringing to at least 30 the number of reporters, camera operators and photographers kidnapped in Iraq in the past year.
IRAQ
MARCH 28 , 2005 Posted: April 7, 2005 Wael Issam, Al-Arabiya HARASSED, IMPRISONED Iraqi forces detained Issam, a Palestinian cameraman working for the satellite news channel Al-Arabiya, at Baghdad International Airport, the station said. Issam was en route to the station’s headquarters in Dubai.
IRAQ
MARCH 28, 2005 Posted: March 30, 2005 Marie Jeanne Ion, Prima TV Sorin Dumitru Miscoci, Prima TV Ovidiu Ohanesian, Romania Libera ABDUCTED The three Romanian journalists were abducted in Baghdad about 8:30 p.m., according to international press reports. Petre Mihai Bacanu, managing editor of Romania Libera, told The Associated Press that the journalists went missing…
Two shooting incidents reported at La Nación in less than a month
New York, March 28, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called for a prompt and thorough investigation into two gunfire attacks this month against the facilities of the daily newspaper La Nación in Costa Rica’s capital, San José. Three unidentified assailants fired several shots at the newspaper building from a moving vehicle about 4 a.m.…
olumnist gunned down
New York, March 28, 2005—In a brazen attack last Thursday, a gunman walked into columnist Marlene Garcia-Esperat’s house in the city of Tacurong, and shot her in front of her family. Garcia-Esperat died instantly from the single bullet wound to her head, police told reporters. The gunman and his accomplice escaped from the scene on…
President flees amid unrest, fraud, censorship
New York, March 25, 2005—At least one Kyrgyz journalist was hospitalized with injuries and another arrested as police tried to break up the escalating unrest that prompted President Askar Akayev to flee the country this week. The demonstrations, which toppled yet another authoritarian regime in Central Asia, came amid widespread anger over fraud-marred parliamentary elections—and…
Foreign Ministry accuses Swedish media of fomenting violence
New York, March 24, 2005—The Russian Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized Swedish authorities and media for independent news reporting on the conflict in Chechnya, claiming the information was fomenting violence, according to local and international press reports. The Russian embassy in Stockholm criticized the independent Swedish news agency TT on Wednesday for publishing an interview…
NIGER
MARCH 24, 2005 Posted: April 1, 2005 All Journalists CENSORED As part of a wide attempt by authorities in Niger to suppress independent media coverage of protests against a new tax on basic foodstuffs, electricity and water, Interior Minister Mounkaila Modi appeared on state television to warn journalists against covering the activities of a group…
PHILIPPINES
MARCH 24, 2005 Updated December 6, 2005 Marlene Garcia-Esperat, Midland News and DXKR KILLED—CONFIRMED A gunman walked into columnist Marlene Garcia-Esperat’s house in the city of Tacurong, and shot her in front of her family. Garcia-Esperat died instantly from the single bullet wound to her head, police told reporters. The gunman and his accomplice escaped…
CPJ condemns use of broad antistate’ charges
New York, March 24, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged at the Chinese government’s repeated prosecution of Internet essayists on “antistate” charges. Political essayist Zhang Lin was formally arrested on suspicion of inciting subversion for his online writings, his wife told CPJ this week. Chinese state media also reported recently that Internet journalist Zheng…