Journalist jailed on defamation charges
New York, April 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the arrest on criminal defamation charges of a journalist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kazadi Kwambi Kasumpata, of the small private weekly Lubilanji Expansion, was arrested after the Protestant University of Congo lodged a complaint with police over an article he wrote…
Two more journalists sentenced to jail on old charges
New York, April 25, 2006—Two more journalists have been sentenced to jail on revived charges under Ethiopia’s 1992 press law, according to CPJ sources. Wosonseged Gebrekidan, who is already jailed on antistate charges, was sentenced to 16 months for defamation on April 18. Freelance writer Abraham Reta was sentenced yesterday to one year and jailed…
Police prevent Independent staff from reopening the paper
New York, April 25, 2006— Two vanloads of police officers prevented The Independent from reopening today and briefly detained an employee who came to unlock the offices of the Gambian private newspaper. The police action came despite statements from National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and other government officials that the paper would be allowed to publish…
Journalist released after more than two months in jail
JULY 10, 2006 Last Alert: June 23, 2006 Kazadi Kwambi Kasumpata, Lubilanji Expansion IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION Kasumpata, a journalist working for the small private weekly Lubilanji Expansion in the capital, Kinshasa, was provisionally released on July 5 after spending more than two months in prison on defamation charges. He was freed on orders from the…
The Independent allowed to reopen; reporter still held
New York, April 24, 2006—Officials at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) today told staff of the private newspaper The Independent that authorities were lifting a month-long occupation of the newspaper’s offices in the capital, Banjul. General Manager Madi Ceesay, who is also secretary-general of the Gambia Press Union, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that…
Journalist detained, harrassed by security forces
APRIL 20, 2006 Antoine Bationo, Le Pays Boureïma Jeremie Sigue, Le Pays HARASSED Security forces detained and questioned Antoine Bationo, a sports journalist for the private daily Le Pays, after he interviewed former soldiers accused of mounting a coup attempt, local sources told CPJ.
Another journalist faces antistate charge
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the imprisonment of Goshu Moges, a veteran journalist arrested in February in what police described as a crackdown on terrorists linked to opposition parties. We are seeking further information about the evidence against him.
Two Gambian journalists released; third still in custody
New York, April 20, 2006—Two senior journalists from a leading Gambian newspaper were released without charge today after three weeks in the custody of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Editor Musa Saidykhan and General Manager Madi Ceesay of the Banjul-based Independent were told to report to the NIA Friday morning, Ceesay told CPJ. A third…
Journalist detained for three days
APRIL 18, 2006 Posted: April 21, 2006 Arthur Tshimanga Kaputu, Lubilanji Expansion IMPRISONED Kaputu, director of the small private newspaper Lubilanji Expansion was detained for three days without charge by the public prosecutor in the capital, Kinshasa. According to the Kinshasa-based press freedom organization, Journaliste en Danger (JED), which sent a representative to meet with…