Cameroonian publisher sentenced to jail in absentia
New York, August 28 2007— A court in Cameroon’s northwestern town of Kumbo sentenced in absentia, on August 13, the publisher of a small English-language newspaper to a year in prison, according to the national secretary of the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union. The sentence was related to alleged press offenses by the newspaper, which published…
IVORY COAST: Students raid newspaper
AUGUST 27, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 L’Intelligent HARASSED About 40 militants of pro-government student group FESCI invaded the offices of private daily L’Intelligent in the capital, Abdijan, sequestering journalists for two hours, seizing newsroom equipment and knocking down the door of editor Laurent Okoué, according to news reports and local journalists.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Intelligence agents question four TV journalists over interview
AUGUST 26, 2007 Posted September 5, 2005 Stéphane Kitutu O’Leontwa, Canal Congo Télévision Thierry Musenepo, Business Radio Télévision Christian Ali, Business Radio TélévisionTutu Kazadi, Business Radio TélévisionHARASSED
In Somalia, reporter killed in vehicle ambush
New York, August 24, 2007—A young reporter returning from a journalism training workshop in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was shot dead today in southwestern Somalia when clan militiamen ambushed his vehicle, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists. Abdulkadir Mahad Moallim Kaskey, a correspondent of the private, Mogadishu-based station Radio Banadir, was the…
In Kenya, president dismisses bill compelling disclosure of sources
New York, August 23, 2007— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes President Mwai Kibaki’s rejection Wednesday of a bill that would have forced editors to name their sources if their stories led to court cases. Kibaki declined to sign Kenya’s Media Bill after calling an amendment within it “a great inhibition of press freedom” that…
In Ethiopia, four journalists released from prison
New York, August 20, 2007—Four imprisoned Ethiopian journalists of now-defunct Amharic-language weeklies were released on conditional pardon on Saturday along with 27 opposition activists, according to news reports and local journalists. The four journalists had been given heavy prison sentences earlier this month in connection with their coverage of deadly post-election unrest in 2005.
SOMALIA: In central Hiran province, governor detains three journalist
AUGUST 18, 2007 Posted September 7, 2007 Abdi Moalim Aden, Radio Hiraan Voice HARASSED Elmi Mohammed Waare, Radio Hiraan Voice Sawda Hussein, Radio Hiraan Voice IMPRISONED Authorities in the central Hiraan province capital of Beledweyne detained two reporters and an executive of private Radio Hiraan Voice over coverage of a press conference of Gov. Yusuf…
In Kenya, journalists protest media bill compelling disclosure of sources
New York, August 16, 2007—Hundreds of journalists marched silently Wednesday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with their mouths gagged to protest a bill that would restrict press freedom. The law, which would force editors to name their sources if a story led to a court cases, was sent to President Mwai Kibaki last week for review.