Africa
2013
Rwandan editor, jailed for opinion piece, fails in appeal
Nairobi, March 26, 2013–An appellate court judge in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Monday upheld the criminal conviction of an editor who is serving a one-year prison sentence in connection with an opinion column, according to local journalists.
Zimbabwe frees prominent lawyer Mtetwa on bail
Beatrice Mtetwa, a tenacious lawyer who has won accolades for stubbornly defending journalists and others persecuted by Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe, regained her freedom today after a hellish week that began on March 17 when she was arrested and charged with the criminal offense of “defeating or obstructing the course of justice.”
Visiting Somali journalist shot dead in Mogadishu
EDITOR’S NOTE: Subsequent to the publication of this report, questions were raised about the veracity of the account given by the primary sources. CPJ has published two follow-up reports detailing those questions, which raise doubts as to whether a killing took place as described. CPJ continues to monitor the case.Nairobi, March 25, 2013–Somali authorities must…
Jubilation, then tragedy, for Mogadishu press this week
“He’s free! He’s free!” a friend of mine from Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, shouted down the phone line on Sunday. For a fleeting second I did not know whom he referred to, given the high number of journalists imprisoned in the Horn region of Africa–but then it dawned on me: Abdiaziz Abdinuur had finally found justice.…
Zimbabwe must heed rule of law in Beatrice Mtetwa case
Dear Minister: We are writing to express our concern about the arrest on Sunday of award-winning human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and her subsequent detention by police in defiance of an order issued by a high court judge. We believe this invalidates the criminal proceedings instituted against her on Wednesday and constitutes an affront to the constitution and legal system of your country.
In Togo, court rejects repressive press law amendments
Lagos, Nigeria, March 21, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Wednesday’s ruling by Togo’s Constitutional Court to reject repressive amendments to a media law that granted the state-run media regulator sweeping powers of censorship.
New challenges for local and foreign press in Kenya
Kenya has passed peacefully through its election period, but questions still hang over the legitimacy of presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory–as well as over the future of the country’s media coverage. During polling, challenges arose for both local and international media, and they have not subsided. For the foreign press, it is now unclear how…
Portuguese media chilled by Angolan involvement
Portuguese journalists are increasingly concerned by Angola’s growing investment and influence in their country. Buoyed by petrodollars and diamonds, powerful Angolan interests have been indulging in a buying spree in their former colonial power. Angolan capital invested in Portugal increased 35 times in the past decade, according to news reports. In a process often acidly…
Mali charges editor jailed for publishing critical story
Lagos, Nigeria, March 19, 2013–A journalist in Mali was charged on Monday with incitement to mutiny and publishing false information in connection with his publication of an article that was critical of a former coup leader, according to news reports.Boukary Daou, a top editor for the daily Le Républicain, has been in custody since March 6,…