The emergence of outspoken private and party newspapers following the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990 has set the country apart from many of its neighbors in the Persian Gulf, where the press remains tightly controlled. Yemeni papers are notably opinionated and not shy about confronting the government. But the government’s record on…
There were 138 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2003 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is the same as last year. An analysis of the reasons behind this is contained in the introduction on page 10. At the beginning of 2004, CPJ sent letters of inquiry to…
New York, March 9, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned by today’s shooting by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of Palestinian photographer Saif Dahla in the West Bank city of Jenin. Two witnesses—Dahla’s brother, Reuters photographer Said Dahla and Reuters cameraman Ali Samoudi—told CPJ that there were about half a dozen journalists standing together…
New York, March 2, 2004—Unidentified gunmen shot and killed journalist Khalil Al-Zabin today in the early morning hours while he exited his office in Gaza City. According to local sources, Al-Zabin was the editor of the small-circulation magazine Al-Nashra, which published on an irregular schedule. In addition to his responsibilities as editor, Al-Zabin was a…
New York, March 2, 2004—Unidentified gunmen shot and killed journalist Khalil Al-Zabin today in the early morning hours while he exited his office in Gaza City. According to local sources, Al-Zabin was the editor of the small-circulation magazine Al-Nashra, which published on an irregular schedule. In addition to his responsibilities as editor, Al-Zabin was a…
New York, February 24, 2004—Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday pledged to reform Egypt’s laws, eliminating prison sentences for published material. Galal Aref, head of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, told CPJ today that the Egyptian president called him yesterday and told him that journalists would no longer face the possibility of imprisonment for what they publish.…
New York, February 20, 2004—Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmy told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) yesterday that a U.S. journalist who was expelled from Egypt in late January without explanation can return to the country and resume his work. On January 29, at Cairo International Airport, Egyptian security authorities ordered Charles…
New York, February 20, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the Wednesday, February 18, suspension of two Iranian reformist-leaning dailies by Tehran’s Press Court. The suspensions came just before Iran’s controversial parliamentary elections, which are being conducted today. According to Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, spokesman for the Iranian Committee for the Defense of Freedom of the…
Dear President Bush: In advance of your meeting with Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to draw your attention to Tunisia’s dismal press freedom record.
February 12, 2004, New York—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today called on U.S. President George W. Bush to raise the issue of Tunisia’s deplorable press freedom record in his upcoming meeting with Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, scheduled for Tuesday, February 17. In a letter to President Bush, CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper…