Letters

  

Colombia: Mysterious hate pamphlet includes three journalists on enemies list

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to urge you to investigate the provenance of a pamphlet containing threats against journalists and other intellectuals that started circulating in the streets of Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín earlier this month. The pamphlet, signed “Colombian Rebel Army (ERC),” accuses 21 intellectuals, among them three journalists, of being enemies of Colombia’s peace process. The pamphlet reads: “These sinister figures feed the war between Colombians, foment hatred and class struggle, live off the war … They will pay for the destruction of the peace process.”

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Kenya: Accused of corruption, high court judges react harshly against journalist

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) deeply regrets the six-month jail sentence handed down to Tony Gachoka, publisher of The Post on Sundaymagazine, for contempt of court, and the exorbitant fine imposed on his publishing firm. Not only is the penalty disproportionate to the alleged offense, but the fairness of Gachoka’s trial is also in question.

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American journalist barred from covering East Timor

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by the recent deportation of American journalist Amy Goodman, who was stopped at Bali’s Ngurah Rai international airport while en route to East Timor to cover the territory’s August 30 vote on independence. Goodman’s expulsion directly contradicts your administration’s pledges to lift restrictions on foreign journalists, and to ensure that international observers, including media representatives, are allowed free access to East Timor during the historic referendum.

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Editor jailed for covering alleged sexual harassment by PM’s son

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-governmental organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, is writing to protest the arrest of Abdel Karim Barghouti, editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Al-Bilad.

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Sierra Leone: Peacekeepers make war on local press

Dear Lt. Col. Olokulade, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-partisan organization committed to the defense of press freedom worldwide, is deeply concerned about a number of attacks on the press in Freetown in recent days. An ECOMOG officer was directly involved in one attack. In another case, an ECOMOG officer stood by and did nothing to intervene.

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Egypt: Three journalists jailed for libel

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-governmental organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, is writing to protest the libel convictions handed down last week against Magdy Hussein, editor in chief of the biweekly Al-Sha’b,Saleh Bedeiwi, a reporter for the newspaper, and staff cartoonist Essam Eddine Hanafi.

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Sri Lanka: Tamil rebels attack newspaper office in Jaffna

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed over Saturday’s attack on the Tamil-language newspaper Uthayan,the only daily publishing in the northern city of Jaffna.

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Government cracks down on feisty independent newspaper

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonpartisan organization dedicated to the defense of press freedom worldwide, is writing to protest in the strongest terms against the recent arrest of three journalists from The Independent newspaper.

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Government replies to CPJ protest about minister’s intimidation of Thai Post staff

Dear Ms. Cooper, I wish to refer to your letter dated July 15 1999, concerning the unexpected act of intimidation against the Thai Post newspaper by Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankiri’s private secretary during the night of Tuesday 13 July 1999. We have brought your concerns to the attentions of HE Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and I have subsequently been asked to make the following clarification regarding the Government’s position:

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Dagestan: Journalists face censorship, abduction

Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by official Russian, Dagestani, and Chechen efforts to restrict media coverage of the conflict in Dagestan. On August 17, the new Russian Ministry for the Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting, and Media Affairs issued a formal warning to Russia’s national television networks barring them from broadcasting interviews with any of the Islamist rebel leaders now waging a separatist war against Russia in the Caucasus region of Dagestan. The warning was delivered to ORT Russian Public TV, the All Russia State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company, Russian TV, NTV, and TV-6.

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