2006
CPJ condemns imprisonment of two radio journalists
New York, November 22, 2006–Two journalists for the prominent independent radio station Radio Publique Africaine (RPA) were arrested today in Burundi over a story about an alleged coup plot, according to several local sources. Editor Serge Nibizi and journalist Domitile Kiramvu were summoned for questioning, served with an arrest warrant, and imprisoned on charges which…
Journalist González is freed after 16 months in jail
New York, November 21, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Cuban journalist Oscar Mario González, who had been jailed for 16 months without charge. González was freed unexpectedly on Monday without explanation, his daughter Elena González, who lives in Sweden, told CPJ. She said her father was in good spirits…
Pakistan: Amid public outcry, abducted journalist released
New York, November 21, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s release of BBC reporter Dilawar Khan Wazir, who had been seized from a taxi outside Islamabad by unidentified men a day before. Khan, who was not seriously injured, turned up at the BBC’s Islamabad office this evening, the network reported. The BBC reported that…
In Colombia, Telesur correspondent detained on terror charges
New York, November 21, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention on Sunday night of Fredy Muñoz Altamiranda, Colombian correspondent for the regional television network Telesur. Agents of the Colombian national intelligence service, the Administrative Department of Security (DAS), detained Muñoz at 9 p.m. at Eldorado International Airport in Bogotá as he…
CPJ urges Pakistani authorities to probe journalist’s disappearance
New York, November 20, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Pakistani authorities to immediately investigate the apparent disappearance of BBC Urdu-language reporter Dilawar Khan Wazir, who has not been heard from since leaving the capital, Islamabad, for his hometown of Dera Ismail Khan this morning, according to the BBC. Khan, who reports from the…
Two journalists held for defaming the Prophet Muhammad
New York, November 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest of two independent journalists in Azerbaijan over an article that authorities claim insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Samir Sadagatoglu, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Senet, and reporter Rafiq Tagi, were detained after publishing an article on November 1 titled “Europe and Us.” Tagi, the…
Former director of Mexico City daily found murdered
New York, November 17, 2006—José Manuel Nava Sánchez, former director of the Mexico City-based daily Excélsior and columnist for the national daily El Sol de México, was found murdered yesterday in his apartment. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating whether the killing is connected to his work. According to the Mexican press, Nava’s body…
Vietnam: APEC leaders must press for release of journalist Nguyen Vu Binh
New York, November 16, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Asia Pacific leaders ahead of their meeting in Hanoi to encourage Vietnam to release its last remaining jailed journalist. Freelancer Nguyen Vu Binh is serving a seven-year sentence on espionage charges for criticizing a border agreement between Vietnam and China. Binh, who was…
At International Olympic Committee headquarters, CPJ raises concerns about press freedom in China
Lausanne, Switzerland, November 15, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the International Olympic Committee today to address the erosion of press freedom in China during the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008. A CPJ delegation voiced its concerns that Chinese journalists, in particular, will bear the brunt of official retribution…
Iraqi TV journalist gunned down in Mosul
New York, November 13, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the brutal murder of an Iraqi journalist in Mosul today. Unidentified gunmen shot Muhammad al-Ban, 58, a reporter and cameraman for the privately owned Al-Sharqiya TV, as he was leaving his home in Mosul’s al-Nour neighborhood at around 8 a.m., according to CPJ sources.