DECEMBER 2, 2006 Posted: December 20, 2006 Joseph Kahn, The New York Times Roger Cohen, International Herald Tribune HARASSED Agents from the local police, Foreign Ministry office and Customs Department detained Kahn, The New York Times Beijing bureau chief, and International Herald Tribune reporter Roger Cohen while they were interviewing a businessman in Zigui, near…
NOVEMBER 30, 2006 Posted December 19, 2006 José Ponce Obispo, Radio Galeón THREATENED Ponce, news director and host of the daily news program “Mi Radioperiódico” on local Radio Galeón, received two death threats after reporting on a feud between two paramilitary groups near the city of Santa Marta, 596 miles (960 kilometers) north of Bogotá.
November 29, 2006 Original Alert: November 28, 2006 Clément Nku, Canal Congo Télévision IMPRISONED Nku, a cameraman of the private station owned by former presidential contender Jean-Pierre Bemba, was released by police after eight days in detention without charge, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and CCTV director Blondel Bokoko.
UPDATE November 29, 2006Original Alert: November 28, 2006Honoré Kabongo, Radiotélévision Kintuadi (RTK)IMPRISONED Kabongo, the host of a news talk show with the religious TV station, was released without charge after four days in detention, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and RTK administrative director Adelin Mboma. He had been arrested in his…
NOVEMBER 28, 2006 Posted December 19, 2006 Robinson Ruz Ruz, Radio Piragua THREATANED After reporting on links between the local government and right-wing paramilitary leaders, Ruz, director and host of the news program “Noticiero del Medio Día” on local Radio Piragua, received condolence cards for his own death in the city of Sincelejo, 613 miles…
November 27, 2006 Posted December 12, 2006 Kalum Express CENSORED Guinea’s National Communications Council (known by its French acronym CNC) suspended the private weekly, which is based in the capital Conakry, for two months over an editorial critical of the government, according to local journalists and the Media Foundation for West Africa.
November 27, 2006 Posted December 12, 2006 Radio France Internationale CENSORED Authorities stopped FM transmission of French broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI) after a French judge accused President Paul Kagame, the Tutsi former rebel leader, of involvement in the death of his predecessor in 1994, according to international media reports. Kagame denied any involvement, but…
UPDATED: November 27, 2006 Original Case: August 31, 2006 Ching Cheong, The Straits Times LEGAL ACTION The Beijing Higher People’s Court upheld Ching’s espionage conviction in a closed hearing on November 24. Ching, a Hong Kong reporter for The Straits Times, was sentenced to five years in prison in August.
November 27, 2006 Posted December 13, 2006 Bart Mos, De Telegraaf Joost de Haas, De Telegraaf IMPRISONED An investigating judge in The Hague ordered the detention of Mos and de Haas for not revealing the identity of sources for a story they wrote for the Amsterdam-based independent daily De Telegraaf. On January 21, Mos and…