RFE/RL reporter dies in prison
New York, September 14, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the death in prison of a reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Turkmenistan. CPJ called for an inquiry into the death of Ogulsapar Muradova of RFE/RL’s Turkmen service whose body was released to her family today.
Armenian opposition editor sentenced to four years in prison
New York, September 11, 2006—A district court judge in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, sentenced Arman Babadzhanian, editor of the opposition newspaper Zhamanak Yerevan, to four years in prison on Friday for dodging military service in 2002 by presenting false documents to avoid the obligatory two-year draft, according to local press reports.
Interior Ministry searches television station, arrests employee
New York, September 11, 2006—Interior Ministry officials arrested an employee and searched the premises of an independent television station in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, while investigating accusations of bribe-soliciting last week, according to press reports and CPJ interviews. Ghenadie Braghis, sales director at the Chisinau branch of the Romanian television station Pro-TV, was arrested on Thursday…
Lithuanian security agents seize all copies of newspaper
New York, September 8, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores Lithuanian security agents’ seizure of all 15,000 copies of the semimonthly Laisvas Laikrastis (Free Newspaper), which was due out today with a story about alleged political corruption. Government agents, who said the story contained classified information, also briefly detained Editor Aurimas Drizius on Thursday. About…
ARMENIA: Editor attacked outside home
September 6, 2006 Posted: October 13, 2006 Ovannes Galagzhyan, Iravunk ATTACKED Two unidentified men attacked Galagzhyan, editor-in-chief of Armenia’s top-selling opposition weekly Iravunk, in the courtyard of his apartment building on Komitas Street in the capital city of Yerevan. The two men, both with shaved heads, strong builds, and about 40 years of age, threw…
Update Journalist faces lesser charge of insubordination
August 28, 2006 Original Alert: May 2, 2006 Viktor Shmakov, Provintsialnye Vesti LEGAL ACTION The regional prosecutor in the republic of Bashkortostan charged Shmakov, 63, founder and editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Provintsialnye Vesti (Provincial News), with the lesser charge of “calling for insubordination to legal authorities.”
CYPRUS: TV crew arrested at Nicosia crossing
August 25, 2006 Posted: September 25, 2006 Adonis Pallikarides, Sigma TV Nikitas Dalitis, Sigma TV IMPRISONED Police in northern Cyprus arrested reporter Pallikarides and cameraman Dalitis of the private television network, Sigma TV, who were interviewing Turkish Cypriot shopkeepers on Ledra Street in the capital Nicosia, local and international press reported.
RFE/RL reporter sentenced to six years jail in secret trial
New York, August 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by the six-year prison sentence handed down today to a radio reporter in Turkmenistan after a closed-door trial that lasted only a few minutes. Ogulsapar Muradova, a correspondent in the capital Ashgabat for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was tried without legal representation and…