Prominent editor charged with defaming the president
New York, November 9, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today voiced outrage at the criminal defamation charge brought against award-winning journalist Fred M’membe for criticizing Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. M’membe, editor of Zambia’s leading daily The Post, was charged and released on bail after six hours in policy custody. He is due in court tomorrow,…
CPJ protests government’s wanted list of journalist
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to protest your government’s targeting of the private press following clashes last week between protesters and security forces, in which at least 40 people were killed, according to international news reports.
One journalist freed, another still in jail without charge
New York, November 8, 2005—A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo today freed journalist Jean-Marie Kanku on bail after 12 days of detention, press freedom group Journaliste en danger (JED) said. But journalist Patrice Booto, who was detained last week without charge, remains behind bars, JED said. Local journalists raised the detention of both…
Two journalists held as anti-government protests spread
New York, November 4, 2005—Ethiopian authorities have jailed at least two journalists and increased censorship of media coverage of anti-government protests, which today spread north of the capital Addis Ababa. Local sources told the Committee to Protect Journalists that police arrested two editors and a reporter from the independent Amharic-language weekly Hadar on Wednesday. Many…
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
NOVEMBER 3, 2005 Posted: November 8, 2005 Franck Kangundu, La Référence Plus KILLED—UNCONFIRMED Kangundu, a veteran political affairs journalist at the independent daily La Référence Plus, was shot dead shortly after midnight by unidentified assassins who accosted him at his home in the capital, Kinshasa. The attackers also killed Kangundu’s wife, Hélène Mpaka.
Press conditions worsen nationwide
New York, November 3, 2005—Franck Kangundu, a veteran political affairs journalist at the independent daily La Référence Plus, was shot dead shortly after midnight by unidentified assassins who accosted him at his home in the capital, Kinshasa. The attackers also killed Kangundu’s wife, Hélène Mpaka. The Kinshasa-based press freedom organization Journaliste en Danger (JED) reported…
CPJ condemns government threats against independent media
New York, November 2, 2005—Ethiopian authorities have threatened to arrest journalists and made statements that could endanger independent reporters in the capital Addis Ababa, where opposition protesters and police have clashed for the past two days. The government also appears to be using state media to smear foreign and independent media. The government threatened to…
Editor abducted after publishing corruption allegations
New York, October 31, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a report that editor Jean-Marie Kanku has been abducted and held for three days by the national intelligence agency (ANR) in Kinshasa. Kanku’s disappearance follows articles in his newspaper L’Alerte that accused ANR boss Lando Lurhakumbirwa of corruption, Journaliste en Danger (JED),…
Murder story may have sparked interrogation
New York, October 27, 2005—The editor of The Independent newspaper was detained today and interrogated for several hours by Gambian state intelligence agents, who instructed him to return for more questioning on Friday. Local journalists said they believe Musa Saidykhan is being harassed in connection with a recent article on the unsolved December 2004 murder…
NIGERIA
OCTOBER 24, 2005 Posted: December 8, 2005 African Independent Television RayPower FM CENSORED Nigerian authorities ordered the country’s leading independent broadcast network off the air, in part because the network’s reports on the October 22 Bellview Airlines crash included details that had not been officially released. Daar Communications group’s African Independent Television (AIT) and its…