In the Philippines, Newsbreak editors arrested on libel charges
New York, March 7, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces Wednesday’s arrest of Gemma Bagauaya, editor of the online newsmagazine Newsbreak in a 100 million peso (US$2 million) libel case filed by Ilocos Sur provincial governor Luis Singson. Newsbreak Managing Editor Glenda Gloria and Editor-in-chief Marites Vitug were also charged by Singson. “The authorities in…
CPJ expresses alarm as Italian reporter goes missing in Afghanistan
New York, March 6, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, a veteran reporter for the daily La Repubblica based in Afghanistan, has been out of contact with his newspaper since Sunday. The Taliban today said it had seized a man it alleged was a spy posing as…
Thai government seizes last independent broadcaster
New York, March 6, 2007 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the Thai government’s decision today to take control of iTV, Thailand’s only privately owned and managed television news station. The takeover was expected after the government announced last week it would terminate iTV’s license on Tuesday – the deadline for paying…
Government crackdown targets press freedom advocates in Vietnam
New York, March 6, 2007—Police arrested press freedom and democracy advocate Nguyen Van Dai and another human rights lawyer at their homes in Hanoi today for investigation under a criminal law that bans “propaganda against the government,” according to international news reports. The arrests of Dai and his law partner Le Thi Cong Nhan are…
In Afghanistan, U.S. troops confiscate pictures after attack
New York, March 5, 2007 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by reports that U.S. soldiers deleted reporters’ photos and television footage of the aftermath of a suicide bomb attack on Sunday, in which several Afghan civilians were killed by U.S. fire. Soldiers deleted photos and videos taken by Associated Press freelance photographer…
CPJ troubled by second arrest at a critical newspaper in Sri Lanka
New York, March 1, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled by the arrest on Saturday of the publisher of the Sunday Standard and Sinhala-language Mawbima newspaper in Sri Lanka. The editors of Mawbima said that Dushyantha Basnayake’s arrest was part of a “campaign of harassment” against the newspaper which began after it published articles…
Two Bangladeshi TV stations off-air after fatal fire
New York, February 26, 2007—At least three people were killed and more than 100 people were injured today as a fire tore through a Dhaka office building housing private television stations NTV and RTV and Bengali-language newspaper Amar Desh. The cause of the fire was unclear. The two news channels were off the air this…
CPJ relieved that missing Pakistani journalist was released
New York, February 21, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is relieved to learn that Daily Express Peshawar Editor Suhail Qalander, who had been missing along with a friend since January 2, has been returned to safety. The Daily Express is Pakistan’s second largest Urdu-language newspaper. Qalander and Niaz Mohammad, a local businessman, had last been…
Newspaper editor murdered in the Philippines
New York, February 20, 2007—Hernani Pastolero, 64, editor-in-chief of the community newspaper Lightning Courier Weekly, was shot dead in front of his home Monday morning in Sultan Kudarat township, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Pastolero was shot twice in the head by an unidentified assassin who escaped on foot, according to local media…