Venezuela: Weekly that criticized government contracts is charged with criminal defamation
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its concern over the criminal defamation charges being brought against the weekly La Razón for reporting on alleged irregularities in bidding on government contracts and at state auctions. We strongly object to the weekly’s being prohibited from publishing information related to this case. We view this harassment through legal channels as a violation of international law. We urge Your Excellency to use the power of your office to see to it that La Razón’s right to inform the public is respected.
Syria: New president urged to free imprisoned journalists, unshackle press
Your Excellency: On the occasion of your recent confirmation as President, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that your government upholds international press freedom standards and guarantees the rights of journalists to practice their profession freely.
Swaziland: Press Freedom Organizations Issue Joint Letter of Protest
Your Excellency: We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned about the state of freedom of the press in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Over the past nine months, media workers in Swaziland have experienced serious attacks on their right to freely report on matters in the Kingdom, consequently undermining the right of Swazi citizens to receive and impart information as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Cambodia: Independent weekly suspended for thirty days
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by the Information Ministry’s decision to suspend the publication of the Cambodia News Bulletin (Pritbat Pordamean Kampuchea), a bilingual weekly newspaper published in English and Khmer from the capital city, Phnom Penh.
Nagorno-Karabakh: Opposition journalist arrested
Dear Mr. Mirzorian, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly disturbed by the arrest and continued detention of Vahram Aghajanian, a journalist with the newspaper Tasnerord Nahang in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and a contributor to the Yerevan, Armenia-based paper Iravunk.
Peru: TV station fined on eve of presidential election
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to protest the outrageous fine of 290,000 soles (US$84,000) that the National Elections Board recently imposed on the television station Canal N after it inadvertently broadcast results of the most recent election polls. Article 191 of Peru’s Organic Law of Elections prohibits the publication of poll results less than 15 days before the election.
The Gambia: CPJ concerned about recent press freedom violations
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about recent press freedom violations in The Gambia, including the prosecution of one journalist on murder charges. Based on our investigation into the abuses related in this letter, we have come to the unfortunate conclusion that these attacks against journalists are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic campaign to suppress reporting on issues of legitimate public concern.