Nigerian publisher charged with sedition over story critical of governor
New York, October 17, 2007— The publisher of a private newspaper in southern Nigeria, arrested last week by men suspected by local journalists to be agents of the State Security Service, was charged with sedition on Tuesday over a story critical of a local state governor, according to news reports. Jerome Imeime of southern Akwa…
Senegalese journalist jailed, another in hiding
New York, October 15, 2007—A story describing purported late-night outings involving President Abdoulaye Wade led authorities in the capital, Dakar, to arrest a journalist last week, according to local journalists and news reports. A reporter involved in the story is wanted by police and has gone into hiding. Papa Moussa Guèye, director of the private…
CPJ urges Ethiopia to disclose information on detained journalists
Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to express our deep concern about the whereabouts, legal status and health of Eritrean journalists Tesfalidet Kidane Tesfazghi and Saleh Idris Gama of Eritrean state broadcaster Eri-TV. Official statements and videotape indicate that your government has been holding them incommunicado after their arrests by Kenyan authorities late last year during fighting in Somalia.
In Niger, newspaper editor jailed without charge
New York, October 11, 2007—The director of a newspaper based in strife-torn northern Niger was arrested late Tuesday in the capital of Niamey on suspicions of links with France-based Radio France Internationale (RFI)—a station targeted by the government in recent months over its coverage of a deadly rebellion of nomadic Tuaregs, according to local journalists…
Government bans two publications in one day
New York, October 10, 2007—Gabon’s governmental media regulatory body suspended two private newspapers Monday. The National Communication Council blocked the Paris-based, pan-African bimonthly Le Gri-Gri from printing and distributing in Gabon, on the grounds that the newspaper has not registered with the authorities as a Gabonese publication. La Nation, a bimonthly as well, has been…
Gunmen pour acid on radio station transmitter
New York, October 9, 2007—A private radio station in southwest Uganda was knocked off the air for several days after armed assailants poured acid on its transmitter last week in an attack believed to have been prompted by a program critical of the local government, according to local journalists and news reports. Life FM, one…
Prominent journalist sent to jail in libel case
ANGOLA: Proeminente jornalista é mandado para a prisão por ação de difamação Nova York, 5 de Outubro de 2007 – O proeminente diretor de um semanário privado de Angola foi mandado para a prisão na quarta-feira depois de ser sentenciado a oito meses de reclusão e multa de 18.7 milhões de kwanzas (US$ 250,000) por…
Nigeria frees two Germans charged over filming in oil-rich river delta
New York, October 5, 2007—Two German independent filmmakers, arrested last month while filming in volatile, oil-rich southern Nigeria, today pleaded not guilty to five counts of endangering state security, according to news reports and local journalists. A Nigerian federal high court in the capital, Abuja, released on bail freelance journalist Florian Alexander Opitz and cinematographer…