Government raids several newspaper offices
New York, July 20, 2005—Police in Karachi cracked down on Islamic fundamentalist publications in the past week, raiding the offices of several newspapers, arresting four journalists and several newspaper vendors, and confiscating copies of the publications. On Saturday, police raided and shut down the offices of the fundamentalist Urdu-language weekly Zarb-i-Islam, arresting editor Nasir Ali…
CPJ condemns threats to media freedom in Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand, July 19, 2005—Thailand’s cabinet today imposed emergency rule empowering the prime minister to censor the media in the country’s three Muslim-dominated, insurgency-hit southern provinces. The measure also gives the government power to detain suspects without trial, tap telephones, monitor e-mail exchanges, and confiscate suspects’ property in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces.
International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission to Nepal
July 2005 From 10 to 16 July 2005, twelve international organisations, including UN agencies, global media associations, freedom of expression advocates and media development organisations, undertook a mission to Nepal concerning freedom of expression and press freedom. These twelve organisations met with persons and institutions with a broad spectrum of opinion on the current media…
Violent attacks on the press continue
New York, July 14, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by a recent series of violent attacks on journalists in Bangladesh, including a gang assault on a reporter inside a local press club. Rafiqul Islam, a correspondent for daily Amar Desh in the northwestern town of Rajshahi, was assaulted on July 6 by…
BANGLADESH
JULY 7, 2005 Posted: July 18, 2005 Enamul Kabir, Janakantha Several other photographers ATTACKED At least nine photojournalists from national publications were injured, some of them seriously, in the capital, Dhaka, while protesting the alleged mistreatment of their colleagues at the hands of National Security Intelligence (NSI) personnel earlier in the day.
CPJ welcomes the release of two radio reporters
New York, July 11, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes yesterday’s release of two radio journalists from Afghan government custody in Kabul. Intelligence officers did not clarify the reasons behind the detention for more than a week of Rohullah Anwari and Shershah Hamdard, both reporters for the U.S.-government funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Intelligence…
Journalist freed two months after abduction by Maoists
New York, July 11, 2005—Maoist rebels on Saturday released Som Sharma, a reporter in eastern Nepal’s Ilam district who was abducted from his home nearly two months ago. Maoist leaders also called off the house arrest of Ilam-based reporter Umesh Gurung, calling their actions against him a “mistake,” according to local news reports Sharma, a…
CPJ alarmed by two detentions, seeks release
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned by the detention in Kabul of journalists Rohullah Anwari and Shershah Hamdard, who were arrested while reporting on events in eastern Afghanistan’s Konar Province for the news agency Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The two reporters have been held for roughly one week; authorities have not disclosed charges against them or produced evidence of wrongdoing.
Two imprisoned journalists released; five remain behind bars
New York, July 6, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of two imprisoned Burmese journalists, documentary filmmaker Aung Pwint and freelance journalist Sein Hla Oo. Burma’s military government released more than 240 prisoners today, including several prominent political prisoners, according to a spokesman from the opposition National League for Democracy party (NLD).…