Dear Minister, The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the future of Tamil-language daily Makkal Osai after your office, according to news reports, rejected its publishing permit renewal. We call on you to reconsider your decision, to allow the newspaper to continue to serve the Indian minority community in Malaysia, and to review the licensing regulations that stifle the publication of independent news.
Dear Mr. Bassiouni, The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express its deep concern about your company’s decision to stop carrying the signal of the London-based Al-Hewar Television. Nilesat, an Egyptian government-owned satellite transmission company, stopped carrying the channel on April 1 without warning or explanation, according to international news reports and Egypt-based journalists. The station remains accessible to viewers on the Atlantic Bird satellite system, according to news reports.
Dear Chief Justice Puno, The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about recent maneuvers to delay the ongoing murder trial of journalist Marlene Garcia-Esperat. As you are aware, the assassins in this case, Estanislao Bismanos, Gerry Cabayag, and Randy Grecia, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison on October 6, 2006.
Dear President Rajapaksa, The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by ongoing intimidation of Sri Lanka’s media. Recent events in the state-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation in Colombo and the treatment of Tamil journalists under investigation by the Terrorist Investigation Division both reveal how press workers face increasing threat of restriction under your government.
Your Excellency, As an independent, nonpartisan organization defending press freedom worldwide, the Committee to Protect Journalists would like to draw to your attention your government’s selective use of politically motivated civil libel lawsuits against critics. Intolerant officials punish what remains of Belarus’ independent media with lawsuits that result in exorbitant fines, further debilitating the outlets. Since 1999, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented such targeted attacks against at least five independent and oppositions newspapers.
Dear Mr. President, The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the recent attacks on the Belgrade-based independent broadcaster B92 and its founder, Veran Matic. The attacks started in the wake of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence on February 17–culminating in the siege of the station by angry protesters on February 21–and have continued since.
Dear Mr. President, The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the lack of progress in the investigation into the October assassination of Alisher Saipov, editor of the independent Uzbek-language weekly Siyosat (Politics). Four months after this brazen crime, Kyrgyz officials in charge of the probe announced–amid conflicting press reports–that the investigation was suspended. The Saipov family was not informed of the suspension in time to seek reconsideration.
Dear Prime Minister Samak: The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the installation of your popularly elected government, marking a welcome return to democracy after a period of military rule that often worked at odds with Thailand’s proud tradition of press freedom.