Photos by Umida Akhmedova, charged in Uzbekistan
Umida Akhmedova, a prominent photojournalist in Uzbekistan, is facing criminal charges of insulting the Uzbek people. The charges stem in part from a 2007 album of photography depicting life in Uzbekistan’s villages. Here is a slide show featuring images from the album. « Previous Image | Next Image »
In meeting, delegation presses for Fatullayev’s freedom
Washington, January 20, 2010—A delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists met today with Azerbaijani Charge d’Affaires Khazar Ibrahim at the Azerbaijani Embassy to deliver a letter carrying the names of more than 500 international journalists petitioning for the immediate release of imprisoned editor Eynulla Fatullayev, a 2009 recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award.…
Petitioners urge Azerbaijan to free Eynulla Fatullayev
President Aliyev: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges you to open a new page in your government’s policies toward the independent and opposition press, one that would demonstrate tolerance for the critical role of media in a democracy. No other action would contribute to this goal as much as the immediate release of Eynulla Fatullayev, editor of the now-closed independent Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and the Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan, who has been imprisoned since April 2007 on charges that range from defamation to terrorism.
Casualties of foreign journalists mount in Afghanistan
New York January 11, 2010—The death of U.K.-based Sunday Mirror reporter Rupert Hamer, who was killed in an explosion outside a village in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, is an indicator of the rising danger for journalists in Afghanistan. The explosion also wounded Hamer’s colleague photographer Philip Coburn and took the life of a U.S. Marine.
Kazakhstan must stop trial of press defenders
We issued the following statement after receiving reports today that a trial of three press freedom activists, who organized a protest on Wednesday against the jailing of journalists in Kazakhstan, has started in Almaty; the three are charged with violating a law on holding rallies…
Chronicler of Bulgarian criminal underworld is slain
New York, January 5, 2010—Bulgarian prosecutors must thoroughly investigate today’s murder in Sofia of Bobi Tsankov, author of a new book and a series of newspaper articles detailing the activities of reputed crime figures, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. At least two gunmen opened fire on Tsankov, 30, and two other men on busy Aleksandur Stamboliiski…
Fatullayev to be tried on new charge in Azerbaijan
New York, January 4, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists demanded today that Azerbaijani authorities scrap a new trumped-up charge against imprisoned editor Eynulla Fatullayev, above, a 2009 recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award. On December 30, Fatullayev was charged with drug possession after prison guards allegedly found heroin in his cell. On New Year’s…