Middle East & North Africa
2005
CPJ urges ‘thorough, credible’ probe into Libyan journalist’s death
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom around the world, is writing to express its shock and grave concern about the apparent murder of Libyan journalist Dayf al-Ghazal al-Shuhaibi, a former journalist for the government-owned daily Azahf al-Akhdar and contributor to the London-based Web sites Libya Alyoum and Libya Jeel.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
JUNE 15, 2005 Posted: June 21, 2005 Bassma al-Jandaly, Gulf News HARASSED Immigration officers detained al-Jandaly at Dubai’s international airport as she prepared to board a flight for Athens, Greece, with other journalists on Wednesday, the journalist told CPJ. Al-Jandaly said she was taken to the airport’s Criminal Investigation Department, where police said her name…
Khartoum Monitor’s license canceled
New York, June 14, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Sunday’s decision by Sudanese justice officials to cancel the license of Sudan’s English-language daily, The Khartoum Monitor. Alfred Taban, the paper’s chairman, said he was notified in a letter from the National Press Council, the government agency that regulates the press. Taban told CPJ that…
French journalist, Iraqi interpreter freed after five months in captivity
New York, June 13, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of a French journalist and her Iraqi interpreter who had been held captive in Iraq for more than five months. Florence Aubenas, a veteran foreign correspondent for the French daily Liberation, and her Iraqi interpreter Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi, were freed on Saturday. Hanoun…
Penn’s video camera briefly seized
New York, June 13, 2005—Iranian authorities briefly seized the video camera of actor-turned-journalist Sean Penn as he was recording a demonstration in Tehran on Sunday, The Washington Post reported. Penn, accredited as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, is providing coverage of the Iranian presidential election for the newspaper. “While this incident was not…
SUDAN
JUNE 12, 2005 Posted: June 21, 2005 The Khartoum Monitor CENSORED Sudanese justice officials canceled the license of Sudan’s English-language daily, The Khartoum Monitor. Alfred Taban, the paper’s chairman, said he was notified in a letter from the National Press Council, the government agency that regulates the press. Taban told CPJ that a criminal court…
Jordanian government harassament, censorship draw concern
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that Jordanian authorities have harassed and censored journalists on several occasions since your government was formed in April. Several journalists interviewed by CPJ in recent weeks said that authorities have pressured printers to delay the publication of newspapers until editors agreed to remove critical articles. Further, editors have received phone calls from security officials instructing them how to cover certain events.
Body of missing journalist found
New York, June 6, 2005—Missing journalist Daif al-Gahzal al-Shuhaibi was discovered dead late last week. Al-Shuhaibi’s body was found on the coast of Benghazi, about 1,000 km (620 miles) east of the capital, Tripoli, according to press reports. An unnamed government official said that al-Shuhaibi, a former reporter for the government-owned Azahf Al-Akhdar, appeared “to…