New York, April 13, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns today’s early-morning arson attack on the printing press of the private, Banjul-based biweekly The Independent. According to local sources, at around 3 a.m. this morning, six armed men stormed the building housing The Independent’s printing press in Kanifing, a suburb of the capital, Banjul.…
New York, April 8, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has learned that journalist Gaston Bony, publication director of Le Venin weekly newspaper and a host at the radio station La Voix de l’Agnéby, has been sentenced to six months in prison on criminal defamation charges. On March 24, a court in Agboville, a town…
New York, April 6, 2004-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the recent jailing of an Ethiopian journalist, after he was unable to pay bail in a criminal defamation case. On Friday, April 2, Ethiopian authorities jailed Merid Estifanos, former editor-in-chief of the private, Amharic-language weekly Satanaw. According to local sources, Estifanos…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is disturbed by a series of recent attacks against journalists by security forces during recent mass opposition demonstrations in the Ivory Coast. While more than half a dozen Ivoirian journalists have reported being physically attacked by officials, many more were arrested, intimidated, and harassed while covering the protests.
New York, March 29, 2004—Jean-Denis Lompoto, editor of the satirical biweekly Pili-Pili, was released March 27 from a Kinshasa prison on bail of US$100. Lompoto, who had been held just over a week, was detained on March 19 on charges of defaming Mining Minister Eugène Diomi Ndongala, according to local press organization Journaliste en danger…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Jean-Denis Lompoto, publication director of the twice-weekly satirical newspaper Pili-Pili, after the paper accused one of your ministers of corruption. We are also disturbed about a recent police attack on three television journalists covering police activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.
New York, March 22, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the imprisonment of Jean-Baptiste Hounkonnou, publication director of the independent daily Le Nouvel Essor, which is based in Parakou, a city in the eastern central region of Benin. Honkounnou was arrested and imprisoned following a March 16 court conviction on charges of criminal defamation.…
New York, March 12, 2004—Judes Zossé, publication director of the private daily newspaper L’Hirondelle (The Swallow) in the Central African Republic (CAR), was sentenced today to six months in prison and fined 200,000 CFA francs (US$375). He was charged with “insulting the head of state.” “This harsh sentence belies the CAR government’s stated commitment to…
There were 138 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2003 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is the same as last year. An analysis of the reasons behind this is contained in the introduction on page 10. At the beginning of 2004, CPJ sent letters of inquiry to…
By Ted KoppelThis is not a good day. As I write, pop star Michael Jackson has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor. His residence cum theme park, “Neverland,” has been invaded by police, sheriff’s deputies, and a team of forensic specialists. I am not empathizing with Michael Jackson, although this…