Thai newspaper menaced by pro-government protestors
Bangkok, March 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harassment and intimidation by pro-government protestors of the Thai-language daily newspaper Kom Chad Luek. As many as 3,000 pro-government protestors staged demonstrations beginning Tuesday in front of the newspaper’s offices, demanding that the newspaper’s editors apologize for an article that made what they considered to…
China: CPJ supports effort to release filmmaker and blogger Wu Hao
New York, March 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists supports calls by Wu Na for the release of her brother Wu Hao, a documentary filmmaker and blogger detained by police in Beijing on February 22. Nina Wu, as she is also known, did not publicize the detention until March 22, when her family became convinced…
Maldives: CPJ urges fair, transparent trial for journalist
New York, March 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about Maldivian authorities’ criminal prosecution of Abdullah Saeed, a reporter with the opposition Minivan Daily newspaper. The journalist, also known as Fahala, was sentenced on Sunday to two months in jail for refusing a urine test when he was arrested last October. Saeed still…
Thai prime minister files defamation cases against four papers
New York, March 27, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s decision to file criminal defamation charges against four Thai newspapers related to their news coverage of recent rallies staged against his government. Thaksin’s personal lawyer filed criminal complaints Thursday against the Manager Daily, Krungthep Tooragit, Post Today, and the…
CPJ urges China to release Times researcher Zhao Yan
New York, March 24, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Chinese authorities to release New York Times researcher Zhao Yan now that the charge of revealing state secrets has been dropped against him. Zhao’s defense lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said prosecutors have not responded to two requests to release him after the charge was dropped…
Charges sought against two officials in Philippine killing
New York, March 23, 2006—One year after Philippine columnist Marlene Garcia-Esperat was gunned down in her home in Tacurong, lawyers for her family are expected to ask a judge to reinstate murder charges against two regional agriculture officials suspected of ordering the killing. The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the court to give utmost consideration…
China: CPJ demands release of filmmaker and blogger Wu Hao
New York, March 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists called today for the release of documentary filmmaker and blogger Wu Hao whose detention has only now been made public. Wu was detained on February 22 in Beijing, apparently without charge, according to his friends in China and the United States. “Wu Hao must be released…
China: CPJ hails dropping of charges against NY Times researcher
New York, March 17, 2006— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes China’s decision today to drop charges of revealing state secrets against jailed New York Times researcher Zhao Yan. The decision by the prosecutor’s office was announced by Zhao’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, in Beijing. Zhao was detained in September 2004 after The New York Times…
China: CPJ condemns latest attempt to charge journalist Li Jianping
New York, March 15, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists rejects Chinese government charges of subverting state power brought against imprisoned Internet journalist Li Jianping. Li has been detained in Zibo, a city in northeastern China’s Shandong Province, since May 27, 2005. The latest charges were brought on March 9, and recently made public by Li’s…
Thailand: Court clears activist, journalists of defamation charges
New York, March 15, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the acquittal of media activist Supinya Klangnarong and four journalists from the Thai-language daily Thai Post on criminal defamation charges brought by telecommunications giant Shin Corp. The Bangkok Criminal Court dismissed the charges on Tuesday in a move widely hailed as a victory for press…