Moroccan court convicts Nichane journalists, shutters publication
New York, January 16, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Moroccan court’s decision on Monday to sentence two independent journalists to suspended jail terms and close their magazine for two months. The Casablanca court handed down three-year suspended sentences to Driss Ksikes, director and editor of the independent weekly Nichane, and reporter Sanaa al-Aji…
Gunmen kill journalist in Mosul
New York, January 12, 2007—Unidentified gunmen killed a journalist today in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Khudr Younis al-Obaidi, a reporter for Al-Diwan newspaper, was shot by several men in a car as he walked along a street, The Associated Press reported. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the circumstances of al-Obaidi’s death.…
Iranian journalist languishes in jail without charge
New York, January 9, 2007-The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by reports that an Iranian journalist has been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison for more than 40 days without charge. Ali Farahbakhsh, a former economics and foreign affairs reporter for the banned reformist dailies Yas-e No and Shargh, was detained by security officers…
CPJ welcomes release of abducted AFP reporter
New York, January 8, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release in Gaza Sunday night of Agence France-Presse photographer Jaime Razuri, who had been held by kidnappers since January 1. Razuri, 50, was dropped off at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ compound in Gaza City by Palestinian security forces, according to AFP. Razuri was unharmed…
CPJ seeks investigation into Israeli border case
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express alarm about the treatment of an award-winning Palestinian journalist who said he was abused by Israeli Shin Bet agents at the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Israel and Jordan late last month.
CPJ renews call for release of abducted AFP photographer
New York, January 3, 2007—Amid growing Palestinian and international condemnation of the kidnapping of Agence France-Presse photographer Jaime Razuri, the Committee to Protect Journalists today renewed its call for his immediate release. Razuri, who was seized by gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Monday, was the 14th journalist to be abducted since 2004, according to…
AFP photographer latest journalist abducted in Gaza
New York, January 2, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Monday’s abduction of an Agence France-Presse photographer in the Gaza Strip. Jaime Razuri, a veteran international journalist, was seized by a group of unmasked, armed men as he was entering the news agency’s bureau in Gaza City, AFP reported. Razuri was returning from an assignment…
Al-Sharqiya ordered closed in Baghdad
JANUARY 1, 2007 Posted: January 12, 2007 Al-Sharqiya CENSORED On January 1, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior ordered the closure of the privately owned Al-Sharqiya TV’s Baghdad office for fomenting sectarian violence and reporting false news. The immediate practical effect appeared nominal because Al-Sharqiya had previously closed the Baghdad office due to security concerns.