Journalist sentenced to death
New York, December 4, 2003—Zaw Thet Htway, editor of the Burmese sports magazine First Eleven, has been sentenced to death for high treason. Although death sentences are rarely carried out in Burma, exiled Burmese journalists call the sentence “disturbing.” According to international press reports, Zaw Thet Htway and eight other individuals, including a lawyer and…
Journalist detained
New York, December 3, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the detention of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of the tabloid weekly Blitz, who was arrested by security personnel at Zia International Airport in the capital, Dhaka. According to local news reports, Choudhury was on his way to Israel on November 29 to participate…
Radio journalist killed
New York, December 3, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns yesterday’s killing of journalist Nelson Nadura, a commentator for Radio DYME in the Philippine’s central Masbate City. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind his death. At about 8:30 a.m. on December 2, two unidentified gunmen shot Nadura on his motorcycle when he left the…
Internet writer freedCrackdown on online speech continues
New York, December 1, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes the release of Internet writer Liu Di but is gravely concerned that another Internet essayist, Du Daobin, has been charged with “subversion” and remains in jail. On November 28, Internet writer Liu Di, 23, was released from prison on bail. Liu, a psychology student…
Journalist released on bail
New York, November 12, 2003—Selim Jahangir, a photojournalist for the national Bengali-language daily Janakantha, was released from the Rajshahi Central Jail in northwestern Bangladesh on November 10 after being held 10 days and denied bail. According to local journalists, Jahangir is still charged with obstructing an official from his duty and threatening an official’s life.…
JOURNALISTS ATTACKED
New York, November 12, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is investigating the motives behind a bomb attack on five journalists in Feni in southeastern Bangladesh on November 10. Police suspect that the assailants targeted one of the journalists, Bakhtiar Islam Munna, the local Feni correspondent for the daily Ittefaq and for the wire service…
Writer sentenced to 10-month prison term
New York, November 12, 2003—The Hanoi People’s Court sentenced writer Tran Dung Tien to 10 months in prison in a two and a half hour trial today. The sentence is retroactive and so Tien, who was arrested on January 22, 2003, is slated for release on November 22. “CPJ welcomes Tran Dung Tien’s imminent release,…
Writer to be tried tomorrow
New York, November 11, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the prolonged detention of writer Tran Dung Tien and calls for his immediate release. Tien, 74, is scheduled to go on trial tomorrow at Hanoi People’s Court. A foreign ministry official announced today that Tien will be tried on charges of “abusing democratic rights…
U.S. Embassy issues warning to American journalists
New York, November 10, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is monitoring reports that U.S. journalists and foreigners working for U.S. media in Afghanistan may be targeted for kidnapping in exchange for Taliban members in U.S. custody. At a State Department daily briefing on Friday, November 7, spokesman Richard Boucher said that the U.S. Embassy…
CPJ condemns arrest of photojournalist
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the November 1 arrest of Selim Jahangir, a photojournalist for the national Bengali-language daily Janakantha, in Rajshahi, a city in northwestern Bangladesh. We call for his immediate release from jail. Jahangir’s arrest is a blatant example of the abuse of power by local government officials, who must not be allowed to deny journalists their right to report on public events.