2013
Gunmen attack Libyan TV station, abduct journalists
New York, March 8, 2013–Gunmen stormed the offices of a television station in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Thursday amid a protest outside the station’s studios, according to news reports. The gunmen abducted at least five journalists and media workers, the reports said, although all were released within 24 hours.
Arrests in Torreón press crimes; will it make difference?
Twenty-one people have been arrested for a wave of crimes that included 11 murders (six of which were committed against police officers), the abduction for hours of five employees of El Siglo de Torreón newspaper, the murder of a mayoral candidate, and attempted murder of a current mayor in a large metropolitan area in central…
Brazil officials back OAS human rights system
“Leave me in peace. Wallow in your garbage,” Brazilian Chief Justice Joaquim Barbosa said in a rage when a reporter with one of the leading national newspapers, O Estado de Sao Paulo, tried to ask him a question Tuesday at a meeting of the National Council of Justice in Brasilia, the capital. Stunned by Barbosa’s…
Jail for reporting on women in Mangalore, Mogadishu
Today marks International Women’s Day. Hashtags like #IWD and #InternationalWomensDay have been trending on Twitter. Among the twitterati who voiced their support for women’s rights was Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He tweeted: PM: Let me reiterate in this House the commitment of our govt. to ensuring the dignity, safety and security of every woman…
Iran targets reformist press in the run-up to elections
New York, March 7, 2013–Iranian authorities have banned three reformist news outlets and arrested four journalists in the past two days, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Iranian government’s continuing attempts to stifle the press in the run-up to the presidential elections in June and calls on authorities to immediately…
Gunmen shoot at offices of two news outlets in Mexico
Gunmen shot at the offices of the daily El Diario de Juárez and the television station Channel 44 in Ciudad Juárez early in the morning of March 6, 2013, according to news reports. The attacks resulted in slight material damage to the buildings, but no injuries.
Journalist detained by security agents in Mali
New York, March 6, 2013–State security agents in Mali detained an editor today in connection with his newspaper’s publication of an open letter criticizing a financial package awarded to a former coup leader, according to news reports and local journalists. Six agents of State Security, Mali’s intelligence agency, arrested Boukary Daou, a top editor for…