Addis Ababa, July 25, 2002—After a five-day fact-finding mission to Ethiopia, a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has found that the Ethiopian government is planning alarming changes to the country’s 10-year-old press laws that would severely restrict the rights of Ethiopia’s already beleaguered private press corps. Although Information Minister Simon Bereket told…
New York, July 25, 2002—Zimbabwe’s Daily News editor-in-chief Geoff Nyarota and reporter Lloyd Mudiwa, who are charged with “abusing journalistic privilege” and “publishing false information,” have successfully petitioned a magistrate’s court in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, to have their case referred to the country’s Supreme Court. . Magistrate Sandra Nhau granted a motion from defense lawyers…
Eritrea: FESSHAYE YOHANNES Languishing in prison since the fall of 2001, prominent Eritrean journalist Fesshaye Yohannes staged a hunger strike in May with nine other colleagues in hopes of spurring their release. Instead, government officials transferred the journalists to an undisclosed location–and no one has heard from them since. Fesshaye (who is also known as…
New York, July 22, 2002—The attorney representing three journalists from Zimbabwe’s Daily News who went on trial today for violating the country’s harsh press laws asked that the case be referred to the Supreme Court, claiming that the section of the law under which the journalists have been charged is unconstitutional. A ruling is expected…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the recent sentencing of Tewodros Kassa, former editor-in-chief of the Amharic-language weekly Ethiop, to two years’ imprisonment. Kassa is the second journalist to be convicted and jailed in Ethiopia during the last four months.
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…