Middle East & North Africa

  

Israeli soldiers attack four journalists in the West Bank

A group of Palestinian journalists were assaulted on January 28, 2010, while reporting on olive tree planting in Burin village, south of Nablus in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), Israeli forces assaulted Rami Swidan, a photographer for Ma’an News Agency; Ashraf Abu Shawish, a cameraman for Palmedia, and Reuters photographers…

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Tunisia blocks journalists from press conferences

New York, March 25, 2010—Tunisian authorities banned journalists from attending two press conferences for the launch of local and international human rights reports this week, and is stepping up harassment of journalists overall, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Muhammad al-Maqaleh released in Yemen

We issued the following statement in response to local and international press reports that Muhammad al-Maqaleh, editor of the Yemeni Socialist Party news Web site Aleshteraki, has been released for what the reports described as “health and humanitarian reasons.” Al-Maqaleh was kidnapped in September 2009 but appeared in government custody in February and alleged that…

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Muaid al-Lami at a Baghdad hospital following an attack that wounded his driver. (Reuters)

Journalist Syndicate chief escapes assassination attempt

New York, March 25, 2010—Iraqi authorities must urgently investigate an assassination attempt Sunday against Muaid al-Lami, head of the Iraqi Journalists’ Syndicate, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

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CPJ welcomes editor’s release in Yemen

We issued the following statement after learning that Hisham Bashraheel, editor of the daily Al-Ayyam, who has been in custody since January 6, was released today for what colleagues described as “health reasons.” The release comes one week after CPJ called on President Saleh of Yemen to release a number of journalists who are in…

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Tunisia must end harassment of independent journalists

New York, March 22, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to end the persecution and imprisonment of a critical journalist and to overturn a four-year jail sentence of another.

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Turkish court should overturn publisher’s convictions

New York, March 19, 2010—A Turkish appellate court should overturn the unjust convictions of publisher and editor Haci Bogatekin, who faces several years in prison on various “insult” charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Al-Bashir (AP)

Sudanese editors questioned for ‘insulting’ al-Bashir

New York, March 18, 2010—Sudan’s official press regulator, the National Press Council, should drop its investigation of two editors accused of insulting President Omar al-Bashir, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yass Omar al-Imam, editor-in-chief of the pro-opposition daily Rai al-Shaab, and Fayez al-Silaik, acting editor-in-chief of the independent daily Ajras al-Hurriya, were questioned Monday by officials with the…

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Israeli, reporting on border crossings, detained in Egypt

New York, March 17, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the arrest of an Israeli journalist on assignment in Egypt. Yotam Feldman was arrested Sunday near the Egyptian-Israeli border while reporting on African immigrants illegally crossing into Israel, according to news accounts. 

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CPJ urges President Saleh to free ailing editors

Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the health of imprisoned journalists Hisham Bashraheel and Muhammad al-Maqaleh and calls for their immediate release.

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