In Niger, two journalists sentenced to 18 months in jail
New York, September 5, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by 18-month prison sentences and heavy fines handed down against the director and editor of the Niger private weekly Le Républicain on charges of defaming the government and publishing false news. A court in the capital, Niamey, found Director Maman Abou and Editor Oumarou…
Journalist held over article criticizing the army
September 3, 2006 Posted: September 13, 2006 Duke Atangana Etotogo, Afrique Centrale IMPRISONED Etotogo, director of the new private monthly magazine Afrique Centrale, was arrested by the Division of Military Security (SEMIL) of the defense ministry in the capital Yaoundé after publishing an article criticizing the army.
Police holding three suspects in journalist’s murder
New York, September 1, 2006—Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo are holding a former soldier and two civilians in connection with the July 8 murder of freelance journalist Bapuwa Mwamba, according to the local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger and Agence France-Presse. Kinshasa regional police chief Gen. Patrick Sabiti told journalists Thursday that…
CPJ condemns jailing of a third journalist
New York, September 1, 2006—A reporter for the private newspaper l’Enquêteur has been jailed since August 28, making him the third journalist imprisoned in Niger in recent weeks, according to local sources. Salif Dago was tried Thursday on charges of publishing false information and sent back to jail, the newspaper’s director Idrissa Soumana Maïga told…
CPJ urges Sudan to release Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express grave concern about the detention and criminal prosecution of Paul Salopek, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Chicago Tribune, who was charged on Saturday with espionage and two other criminal counts in a Sudanese court.
Journalists freed on bail after more than two months in jail
New York, August 25, 2006—Two journalists imprisoned in Nigeria’s southeastern Ebonyi state since June 14 for an article criticizing the state governor were released on bail today. Imo Eze and Oluwole Elenyinmi, respectively director and editor of the local bimonthly Ebonyi Voice, were freed following local and international pressure on the governor, Eze told CPJ…
CPJ condemns partial closure of private radio station
New York, August 21, 2006—Authorities in Burundi have stopped local broadcasts of the private radio station Radio Publique Africaine (RPA) in the northern province of Ngozi since Friday. The reason authorities gave for the closure was non-payment of broadcast license fees but several local sources told CPJ the move was in retaliation for RPA’s critical…
CPJ condemns continued detention of two journalists
New York, August 14, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by Niger’s continued detention of Le Républicain Director Maman Abou and Editor Oumarou Keita following their trial today on charges of spreading “false news” and defaming the government. The two have been in jail since August 4 in connection with a July opinion…