New York, December 22, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned about two journalists who were arrested in Pakistan last week: Marc Epstein, a reporter with the French news magazine L’Express, and Jean-Paul Guilloteau, a L’Express photographer. CPJ is also investigating the whereabouts of Khawar Mehdi Rizvi, a local journalist working as their guide…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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,…