Africa

New York, July 24, 2003—Dimas Dzikodo, editor-in-chief of the independent weekly L’Evenement, was released from prison this morning after his lawyers paid his 500,000 CFA franc (US$864) fine for “attempting to publish false information,” sources in the capital, Lomé, told CPJ today. Dzikodo was arrested at a cybercafé in Lomé on June 14 while he…

New York, July 23, 2003—French photographer Patrick Robert, who was injured while on assignment in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, for the U.S.-based weekly Time magazine, was flown out of the country this morning. Robert was hit by bullets in his back and arm on July 19 while covering the recent increase in fighting between forces loyal…

New York, July 23, 2003—Two of three journalists who have been imprisoned in Togo for more than a month were released early this morning from custody. Philip Evégnon, publication director of the private weekly L’Evenement, and Jean de Dieu Kpakpabia, journalist at the private weekly Nouvel Echo, were acquitted of “attempting to publish false information…

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is outraged at the five-year sentence given to Donatien Nyembo Kimuni, Lubumbashi correspondent for the Kinshasa-based private weekly La Tribune, on a charge of defamation.

New York, July 15, 2003—Three imprisoned Togolese journalists announced yesterday morning that they would begin a 48-hour hunger strike to protest their continued detention on charges of “publishing false information and disturbing public order.” Dimas Dzikodo and Philip Evégnon, editor-in-chief and publication director, respectively, of the private weekly L’Evenement, and Jean de Dieu Kpakpabia, journalist…

New York, July 14, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the arrest of Eritrean journalist Aklilu Solomon, Asmara-based stringer for the U.S. government­funded Voice of America (VOA) news service. Eritrean security officers arrested Solomon at his home on Tuesday, July 8, and took him to an undisclosed location. Ten days earlier, authorities had stripped…

Your Excellency, On the eve of the Assembly of Heads of State at the African Union (AU) summit in Maputo, Mozambique, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express deep concern over the state of press freedom in Africa.

A partial list of people who have signed a petition to release the Eritrean journalist Fesshaye “Joshua” Yohannes. Go to the petition page and add your name. Or return to Free Joshua page.