New York, July 18, 2002—Ahead of a mission scheduled to arrive in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, July 22, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today protested the sentencing of Tewodros Kassa, former editor-in-chief of the Amharic-language weekly Ethiop, to two years’ imprisonment. On July 10, Kassa was sentenced for violating Ethiopia’s restrictive Press…
New York, July 17, 2002—Zimbabwe’s High Court has suspended government orders to deport Andrew Meldrum, a U.S. citizen and the Zimbabwe correspondent for the British Guardian newspaper, and referred the case to the Supreme Court. Meldrum was served with two deportation orders on July 15, just minutes after being acquitted of “publishing false information” and…
New York, July 15, 2002—Andrew Meldrum, the Zimbabwe correspondent for the British Guardian newspaper, was today acquitted of “publishing false information” and “abusing journalistic privileges.” However, Meldrum, the first journalist to be tried under Zimbabwe’s repressive new media laws, was ordered to leave the country within 24 hours. Meldrum, a U.S. citizen who has been…
Zimbabwean journalists arrested and charged since Mugabe’s re-election on March 15 Name Date of arrest Charges Action Article or issue leading to charges Peta Thornycroft Mail and Guardian (South Africa); Daily Telegraph (UK) March 27 Public Order and Security Act (POSA) Released without charge, March 31 Investigating reports that supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party…
New York, July 11, 2002–Tomorrow, Andrew Meldrum, a U.S. citizen and the Zimbabwe correspondent for the London-based Guardian newspaper, will go to trial on charges of “abusing journalistic privileges” and “publishing false information.” On July 22, his colleagues at Zimbabwe’s independent Daily News, reporter Lloyd Mudiwa, editor-in-chief Geoff Nyarota, and staff writer Collin Chiwanza, will…
July 3, 2002 President Charles G. Taylor President of the Republic of Liberia Monrovia, Liberia Via facsimile: 231-225-217 Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to request urgent information about the status of Hassan Bility, editor-in-chief of The Analyst newspaper based in Monrovia, who is missing and is feared dead. Bility, together with…
New York, June 27, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is disturbed by the recent arrests of João de Barros, publisher and editor of the independent daily Correio de Bissau, and Nilson Mendonca, editor at the state-run Rádio Difusão Nacional (RDN). Both journalists have been released. De Barros was arrested in Bissau, the capital of…
New York, June 20, 2002—Police in Niger have again arrested Abdoulaye Tiemogo, publisher and editor-in-chief of the satirical weekly Canard Dechaine, on charges of defaming Niger Prime Minister Hama Amadou. This is the third time in eight months that Tiemogo has been arrested for his work. According to local journalists contacted by the Committee to…
New York, June 19, 2002—The Zimbabwean government has announced restrictive new licensing fees for journalists and media organizations. The announcement comes after the March passage of the contentious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, under which Andrew Meldrum, a U.S. citizen and the Zimbabwe correspondent for the London-based Guardian, is currently being tried…