Letters

Prezado Sr. Cortez: O Comitê para a Proteção dos Jornalistas (CPJ, por sua sigla em inglês) envia a presente para condenar as recentes ameaças e ataques violentos aos jornalistas guatemaltecos. Considerando que as eleições presidenciais e legislativas estão fixadas para o dia 9 de novembro, nos preocupa que estes incidentes possam se multiplicar e, com isso, aumentar a autocensura no meio jornalístico e evitar que os guatemaltecos participem de um debate político aberto e positivo.

Dear Mr. Cortez: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to condemn a series of recent threats and violent attacks against Guatemalan journalists. With presidential and legislative elections scheduled for November 9, we are concerned that these incidents could multiply, increasing self-censorship among journalists and preventing Guatemalans from engaging in an open and meaningful political debate.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the recent arrests of Sayeed Mirhassan Mahdawi and Ali Payam Sistany, editor-in-chief and deputy editor, respectively, of the weekly newspaper Aftab. On Tuesday, June 17, the two journalists were arrested in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and the newspaper was closed after it published an article that Afghan authorities considered blasphemous.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Mohamad Jamal, a cameraman for the Indonesian government-run television station TVRI. We urge Your Excellency to order a thorough and impartial inquiry into his murder.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns today’s harsh sentencing of writer Pham Hong Son to 13 years in prison plus an additional three years of administrative detention, or house arrest, on charges of espionage.

Your Highness: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its concern about the criminal prosecution recently launched against Muhammad al-Jasem, editor of the daily Al-Watan.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the continuing harassment of independent journalists in Zimbabwe.

Dear Mr. Bremer: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its concern about efforts underway by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to regulate local media.

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the continuing harassment of independent journalists in Zimbabwe.

Dear Mr. Bremer: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its concern about efforts underway by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to regulate local media.