Middle East & North Africa
2008
Iraq: U.S. military releases APTN cameraman
New York, August 25, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed Saturday’s release of an Associated Press Television News cameraman who had been held by U.S. forces in Iraq for nearly three months without charge, but it expressed alarm over the U.S. military’s continuing practice of detaining journalists without charge in Iraq. Ahmed Nouri Raziak,…
Iraq:Reuters cameraman freed after three weeks in detention
Iraq: New York, August 21, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of a Reuters cameraman held by U.S. forces in Iraq for three weeks without charge, and it calls on the military to charge or release an Associated Press journalist who has been held since June. Ali al-Mashhadani, 39, was freed today, Reuters…
Ramattan soundman held without charge after West Bank raid
Israel: New York, August 20, 2008—Israeli authorities should disclose charges against a Palestinian soundman detained since July 15 or release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ibrahim Hamad, a soundman with the Gaza-based Ramattan news agency was arrested during a 4 a.m. raid by Israel Defense Forces at his home in the Kalandia…
CPJ delegation urges Israel to release findings in death of Reuters cameraman
Editor’s note: The original text of this alert has been altered to correct the number of journalists killed in the West Bank and Gaza since 2001, and the number killed by Israeli Defense Forces. Washington, June 11, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Israeli authorities today to release the findings of an army investigation…
Cameraman shot dead while filming Israeli tank
Editor’s note: The original text of this alert has been altered to correct the number of journalists killed in the West Bank and Gaza since 2001, and the number killed by Israeli Defense Forces. New York, April 16, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death today of a Reuters cameraman who was killed in…
Turkish journalists fired on in South Ossetia
Journalists came under fire in their car on August 10 near Tskhinvali. According to the Turkish Daily News, Turkish journalist Recep Öztürk was wounded. It is not clear who was shooting at them–the lines have been fluid as the Georgians and Russians battle in South Ossetia. At least three journalists have been killed and 10…
Israeli army decision endangers journalists in Gaza
In the Gaza Strip, anyone with a camera is fair game. That’s the inescapable conclusion from the Israeli army’s investigation into why one of its tank crews fired at least two shells at a Reuters television journalist openly filming them from a mile away. The cameraman, Fadel Shana, 24, filmed the muzzle flash of the…
Finding light in a dark prison
On July 21, CPJ welcomed the release of Tunisian Internet journalist Slim Boukhdhir from prison. A contributor to Tunisian and Arab news Web sites, Boukhdhir was serving a one-year term in Sfax Prison because he had written articles critical of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the country’s first family. CPJ sent a mission…