After advocacy, Tunisian sees end of cruel punishment
The government’s cruel treatment of Tunisian journalist Abdallah Zouari came to an end on August 1, a reminder that even the most autocratic regimes will yield to international pressure for press freedom. Zouari, a former reporter for the now-defunct Islamic weekly Al-Fajr, had been forced to live under a form of house arrest since his…
Robert Mahoney writes about Egyptian bloggers in CJR
A piece in the Columbia Journalism Review raised questions about CPJ’s support of several bloggers in Egypt. The article draws a distinction between journalists who report facts and bloggers who deal in opinion and the promotion of causes. In a companion piece, CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney argues that in a country like Egypt, where…
In Tunisia, government allies oust syndicate board
New York, August 17, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ousting of the board of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (NSTJ) on Saturday. The syndicate was the only independent organization of its kind in Tunisia for critical journalists, providing them with syndication services among other benefits.
Lawyers protest lack of access in Iran
New York, August 14, 2009–In a letter addressed to the head of the Iranian judiciary, four defense lawyers protested that they were not allowed to attend the latest hearing, on August 8, in a mass trial in which more than 100 defendants, including journalists, stand accused of anti-state activities.
An Iraqi journalist in America: The other side of the war
It’s been more than three months since I realized one of my most important dreams by coming to the United States. Still, I never thought that I would come here as a refugee, maybe because my Iraqi dignity and pride simply wouldn’t accept such an idea.
Moroccan newsweeklies confiscated over royal poll
A bizarre case of press censorship arose recently in Morocco when authorities seized 100,000 copies of the country’s two leading newsweeklies–TelQuel and its Arabic-language sister publication, Nichane–after they published the results of a poll in which Moroccans were asked to assess their king. The odd part? Ninety-one percent of Moroccans said they found the rule…
Helping the Hikers
The notion that three American hikers could innocently wander across the border from Iraqi Kurdistan into Iran has elicited some understandable skepticism. But a statement from their friend who stayed behind in his hotel because he was ill helps explain how the situation unfolded.