In Sudan, two editors accused of sedition
New York, February 14, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the recent detention of two Sudanese editors and the temporary closure of their newspaper after they interviewed religious militants last week. At around midnight on February 7, a Sudanese security officer visited the home of Adil Sid Ahmed, deputy editor-in-chief of the…
CPJ condemns media crackdown under martial law in Guinea
New York, February 14, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports of increasing government crackdowns on the media after President Lansana Conté declared martial law on Monday in response to deadly unrest in the country. 112 people have died since union leaders launched a national strike last month to demand the resignation of…
In Niger, court overturns conviction of journalists in defamation trial
New York, February 13, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Monday’s ruling by an appeals court in the capital Niamey to overturn the conviction of two journalists jailed for nearly four months on criminal defamation charges over an article critical of the prime minister. An appeals court repealed 18-month prison sentences handed down by a…
In Rwanda, a journalist is attacked over critical articles
New York, February 12, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the brutal attack on Friday against the editor of a private bi-monthly after the newspaper published articles critical of the government. Editor Jean Bosco Gasasira of the Kinyarwanda-language Umuvugizi remained in intensive care in a hospital in the capital Kigali late today after…
In Benin, journalists are released after 2 months in prison
New York, February 9, 2007—An appeals court in the capital Cotonou released today two journalists of a private daily newspaper after they publicly retracted a rape story. They were jailed since December 2, 2006 on a six-month criminal libel sentence. Director Clément Adéchian and reporter Cécil Adjévi of L’Informateur were released after agreeing to an…
In Eritrea, a prominent journalist dies in a secret government prison
New York, February 9, 2007— The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the reported death of prominent, award-winning journalist Fesshaye Yohannes, imprisoned without charges in September 2001, along with the majority of Eritrea’s independent press corps. Yohannes, founding editor of the defunct weekly Setit and a recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award in 2002, died…
In Uganda, government shuts down new TV station
New York, February 7, 2007— The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today at the government’s indefinite removal of a new private television station from the air by cutting its use of a state-owned transmitter. Nation Television Uganda (NTV) went off the air Saturday after officials at the Broadcasting Council (BC), an official media regulator,…
Gambian reporter said to be in state custody; CPJ seeks release
Your Excellency, We are deeply concerned about the well-being of our colleague “Chief” Ebrima B. Manneh of the Daily Observer, who has not been seen or heard from since his arrest seven months ago, according to sources in the media and human rights organizations.
2006 prison census: 134 journalists jailed
ALGERIA: 2 Djamel Eddine Fahassi, Alger Chaîne III IMPRISONED: May 6, 1995 Fahassi, a reporter for the state-run radio station Alger Chaîne III and a contributor to several Algerian newspapers, including the now-banned weekly of the Islamic Salvation Front, Al-Forqane, was abducted near his home in the al-Harrache suburb of the capital, Algiers, by four…