Alerts
2005
CPJ protests government restrictions on media content
New York, January 21, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled that the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed restrictions on the content of private broadcasters. A memo issued by DRC Information Minister Henri Mova Sakanyi on January 18 states that “religious and thematic” broadcasters should refrain from airing all news and…
CPJ disturbed that journalist’s appeal denied
New York, January 21, 2005—The Supreme Court of the southern Russian republic of North Ossetia upheld on Wednesday, January 19, the conviction of Yuri Bagrov on criminal charges of using forged documents to obtain Russian citizenship. The court also fined him 15,000 rubles (US$530). “We are very concerned that the harassment and prosecution of Bagrov…
CPJ condemns prison sentence for journalist in hiding
New York, January 18, 2005—A reporter with the independent Congolese daily La Référence Plus was sentenced in absentia to four months in jail for criminal defamation on January 5, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and sources at the newspaper. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling and called on…
Reporter who investigated drug company is indicted
New York, January 18, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the indictment of Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, a staff reporter for the Vietnamese daily Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, on a charge of “appropriating state secrets.” The January 5 announcement of legal actions against Lan Anh followed her series of investigative articles about manipulations of the…
CPJ condemns restrictions on journalists in Aceh
New York, January 13 , 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by Indonesian government restrictions on reporting in the province of Aceh, which was devastated in the December tsunami. CPJ called on the government today to lift the limitations immediately so independent journalists can fully document the massive international humanitarian effort.
Radio news host shot and killed
New York, January 11, 2005—Gunmen shot and killed a veteran Colombian radio news host early this morning in the city of Cúcuta, in the unstable northeastern region near the Venezuelan border. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the murder to determine whether it was related to his journalism. Two armed motorcyclists shot Julio Hernando…
Journalist remains missing in Iraq
New York, January 10, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the disappearance in Iraq of French journalist Florence Aubenas, who was last seen in Baghdad on January 5 with her Iraqi translator, Hussein al-Saad. According to press reports, Aubenas, who was in Iraq working for the French daily Libération, has not been heard…
In Zimbabwe, Mugabe signs repressive new media law
New York, January 10, 2005 —Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has signed into law a measure that sets prison terms of up to two years for any journalist found working without accreditation from the government-controlled Media and Information Commission. The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Mugabe and his government to turn away from such measures, including…
Assets of opposition newspaper frozen
New York, January 7, 2005—The independent Azerbaijani opposition newspaper Yeni Musavat ceased publication indefinitely on December 31, 2004, because a court froze the paperís assets and bank account after ordering it to pay hefty libel damages to several government officials. The damages, which total nearly 800 million manats (US$160,000), stem from seven different defamation lawsuits…
Al-Arabiya correspondent arrested after news report
New York, January 6, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly protests the arrest of a correspondent for news channel Al-Arabiya in Kuwait yesterday, shortly after the station aired a disputed report of clashes between Kuwaiti government forces and militants. Correspondent Adil Aidan remained in custody today after his arrest by Kuwaiti authorities, according to Al-Arabiya…