Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express concern about the reported detention without charge of Sami Muhieddine Muhammad al-Haj, a 33-year-old assistant cameraman for the Qatar-based satellite television network Al-Jazeera.
Bucking a worldwide trend toward democracy in the post-Cold War era, the political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa remained dominated by an assortment of military-backed regimes, police states, autocracies, and oligarchies. A new, younger generation of leaders has emerged in some countries in recent years, inheriting power and bringing hope for political…
Sudan’s independent and opposition newspapers occasionally feature lively coverage of local political affairs, but the government quickly stifles discussion when the press becomes too bold. Coverage of topics such as the 18-year civil war, government corruption or mismanagement, or other official misdeeds has triggered arrests, prosecutions, and censorship, and has led to a rise in…
IN DECEMBER, STRONGMAN OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR WON overwhelmingly in presidential elections that were boycotted by Sudan’s two main opposition parties. Both parties had conditioned their participation on an end to the 17-year civil war and to human-rights abuses, including restrictions on the press. State harassment of journalists and newspapers has been a persistent feature of…
By Joel CampagnaRoyal succession and rubber-stamp elections set the tone for a year in which Middle Eastern and North African governments continued to restrict press freedoms through a combination of censorship, intimidation, and media monopoly. Ballots in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen produced few surprises as longtime rulers stayed in power and maintained formidable obstacles…
The press continued to suffer under the regime of Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who marked his 10th year in power by allowing restricted multiparty politics. Some private newspapers were noticeably more aggressive in their coverage of issues such as official corruption and the country’s 16-year-old civil war. In response, authorities punished outspoken newspapers with…
May 7, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express our grave concern that Muhammad Abdel…
May 7, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express our grave concern that…
April 30, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, TThe Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nongovernmental organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom…