May 13,, 1999 — CPJ Update: Journalists Caught in the Crossfire The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonpartisan organization dedicated to safeguarding press freedom around the world, has documented further maltreatment of journalists by Yugoslav authorities, as well as new casualties of NATO’s bombing campaign. Ashes of Three Killed Journalists Returned to China
“When the bombs began falling in Yugoslavia on March 24, the seven Serb journalists who happened to be visiting our offices in New York during a tour of the United States all ran for the phones. They were worried about the families they had left behind, but they also feared for the survival of Serbia’s…
On May 3, in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, CPJ announced its annual identification of the top 10 Enemies of the Press worldwide. Those who made the list this year, as in the past, earned the dubious distinction by exhibiting particular zeal for the ruthless suppression of journalists. Gen. Sani Abacha of Nigeria was…
“During a visit to CPJ’s New York office on April 19, Kosovar Albanian journalist Aferdita Kelmendi described how Serbian paramilitaries forced her to leave Pristina on March 29 after she had hidden for five days in various places throughout the city. ÒWe knew that, as journalists, we would be a target,Ó said Kelmendi, who served…
“Journalists covering the violent political convulsions that gripped East Timor this spring found themselves the targets of pro-Indonesia militias angered by press coverage of their activities. In the run-up to August’s United Nations-sponsored vote on the territory’s future status, political instability in East Timor escalated, prompting fears of a full-scale civil war. Jakarta’s surprise announcement…
1999 April 28, 1999 Taoufik Ben Brik, La Croix HARASSED Ben Brik, a correspondent for the Paris-based daily La Croix, was prevented by Tunisian authorities from leaving the country for a planned trip to Switzerland after police at Tunis-Carthage Airport confiscated his passport, claiming that the document was missing a page and therefore Ben Brik could…
April 28, 1999 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonpartisan organization dedicated to safeguarding press freedom around the world, has documented recent moves by Yugoslav authorities to stamp out the last vestiges of independent reporting, while upping the stakes for foreign correspondents, who now face the risk of long-term detention. April 26: Military…
April 23, 1999 His Excellency Javier Solana NATO Secretary General Via FAX: 011-322-724-3422 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by NATO’s missile attack against state-run Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) in downtown Belgrade early this morning. The attack destroyed RTS’s main newsroom and studios, knocking it off the air…