Alerts
2005
Top Brazilian journalist held hostage by punitive lawsuitsAward winner cannot attend presentation; CPJ seeks changes
Belém, Brazil, November 15, 2005—A leading Brazilian journalist being honored by the Committee to Protect Journalists with a prestigious International Press Freedom Award cannot attend the presentation this month because a series of punitive criminal lawsuits has made him a virtual hostage in his Amazonian hometown. “It’s crucial for me to stay in Belém to…
Government threatens to close independent daily
New York, November 15, 2005—The government has threatened to close Uganda’s leading independent daily The Monitor over a story about President Yoweri Museveni’s first choice for army chief. Conrad Nkutu, managing director of The Monitor, told the Committee to Protect Journalists today that the authorities demanded that the paper retract the story and apologize. Nkutu…
Australian freelancer released from police custody
New York, November 14, 2005—Australian freelance journalist Andrew Mueller was released on Sunday after two days in police custody in southwestern Cameroon. Mueller was arrested in the town of Kumbo on Friday after interviewing members of the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC), which claims a separate state for Anglophone Cameroonians. He was later transferred to…
Two more Ethiopian journalists detained in growing crackdown
New York, November 14, 2005—Ethiopian authorities have detained another two editors, bringing the number of journalists arrested since political unrest erupted two weeks ago to eight. Sources told CPJ that security forces arrested Andualem Ayle of the private, Amharic-language weekly Ethiop, and Nardos Meaza of the private, Amharic-language weekly Satanaw, sometime last week.
French journalist stabbed
New York, November 14, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists voiced outrage today at the assault on a French reporter in Tunis and the failure of police nearby to intervene. Reporter Christophe Boltanski of the French daily Libération was beaten and stabbed by four men late Friday near his hotel in the capital’s diplomatic quarter, which…
Australian journalist detained by police
New York, November 11, 2005—Police in southwestern Cameroon detained an Australian freelance journalist today as he was researching secessionist movements in the region. Cameroonian Communications Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo told the Committee to Protect Journalists that authorities are investigating Andrew Mueller’s activities. Speaking by phone from detention, Mueller told CPJ that he was traveling to…
CPJ disturbed by court’s failure to check repression of the media
New York, November 11, 2005 —Nepal’s Supreme Court today rejected media petitions for the suspension of a draconian new law that bans FM radio news broadcasts and curbs critical newspaper coverage. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a final ruling on the constitutionality of the law, which the government issued in October, in the…
Journalists could face treason charge
New York, November 10, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists unequivocally condemns plans by the Ethiopian government to charge journalists detained during a wave of anti-government protests with treason. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Wednesday treason charges would be brought against opposition leaders and journalists arrested in connection with clashes last week between protesters and security…
CPJ condemns attack on independent journalist
New York, November 10, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the assault of journalist Aleksei Volosevich, one of the few independent reporters still working in Uzbekistan who witnessed the Andijan massacre. Volosevich, correspondent for the Moscow-based Central Asia news Web site Ferghana.ru, was attacked by five unidentified men near his apartment in the capital…
CPJ condemns press abuses during Azerbaijani election
New York, November 9, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a series of abuses against the press before and during Sunday’s fraud-marred parliamentary election in Azerbaijan. Government officials blocked at least three foreign news agencies from deploying satellite equipment that would have enabled live coverage, while harassing several local journalists who were trying to cover…