New York, June 10, 2004—The private weekly newspaper The Tribune was ordered closed today by the government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC) for violating sections of Zimbabwe’s draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Tafataona Mahoso, the MIC chairman, announced today that the newspaper’s license would be suspended for one year. He…
Kinshasa, June 7, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has learned that Albert Kassa Khamy Mouya, former publication director of the weekly newspaper Le Lauréat, and Rakys Bokela, editor of newspaper Le Collecteur, have been imprisoned in Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, since May 27 and May 21, respectively, on criminal defamation…
Kinshasa, June 3, 2004—Rebel forces that took control of the town of Bukavu, in eastern DRC, on Wednesday have threatened and attacked the town’s three main community radio stations, forcing them off the air, according to the local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and other local sources. Joseph Nkinzo, director of the radio…
For background, read CPJ’s special report, “The Case of Carlos Cardoso” New York, June 3, 2004—Anibal Antonio dos Santos Junior, the convicted murderer of Mozambican journalist Carlos Cardoso was arrested with the help of Interpol officials at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on May 25, according to international press reports.
New York, June 2, 2004—A brother-in-law of Ivory Coast’s first lady has been formally charged as an accessory in the kidnapping, confinement, and murder of Guy-André Kieffer, a missing freelance journalist with both French and Canadian citizenship, according to international news reports. Michel Legré, the accused, has been in detention since May 25 in the…
New York, May 27, 2004 – Lucien-Claude Ngongo, deputy editor of the weekly newspaper Fair Play, has been detained in the DRC capital Kinshasa for a week without charge, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED). Local journalists say Ngongo has been questioned about an article he wrote denouncing corrupt practices by…
New York, May 25, 2004—Three days after contested presidential elections in Malawi, police shuttered the community radio station MIJ 90.3 in the commercial capital of Blantyre, arrested four of its journalists, and accused two of them of inciting violence. On Sunday, May 23, armed police moved into the radio station at around noon after host…
New York, May 21, 2004—Less than 48-hours after being arrested and released, Editor Bornwell Chakaodza and reporter Valentine Maponga, both with the independent weekly The Standard, were re-arrested early this morning. The two journalists were held at a police station until this afternoon, when they were taken to court for arraignment. They were formally charged…
New York, May 20, 2004—Two journalists from Zimbabwe’s independent weekly The Standard were arrested yesterday afternoon and detained for six hours. Editor Bornwell Chakaodza and reporter Valentine Maponga were charged with “publishing false statements prejudicial to the State” under Section 15 of the draconian Public Order and Security Act (POSA). At least six police officers…