Alerts
2013
Gunmen attack Libyan TV station, abduct journalists
New York, March 8, 2013–Gunmen stormed the offices of a television station in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Thursday amid a protest outside the station’s studios, according to news reports. The gunmen abducted at least five journalists and media workers, the reports said, although all were released within 24 hours.
Iran targets reformist press in the run-up to elections
New York, March 7, 2013–Iranian authorities have banned three reformist news outlets and arrested four journalists in the past two days, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Iranian government’s continuing attempts to stifle the press in the run-up to the presidential elections in June and calls on authorities to immediately…
Journalist detained by security agents in Mali
New York, March 6, 2013–State security agents in Mali detained an editor today in connection with his newspaper’s publication of an open letter criticizing a financial package awarded to a former coup leader, according to news reports and local journalists. Six agents of State Security, Mali’s intelligence agency, arrested Boukary Daou, a top editor for…
Burundi journalist Ruvakuki freed from jail
Nairobi, March 6, 2013–Burundian authorities today released Hassan Ruvakuki, a reporter who has been imprisoned for 16 months on charges related to his interview with a rebel leader. The circumstances of the release were not immediately clear, and the Committee to Protect Journalists called on authorities to vacate Ruvakuki’s conviction and prison sentence.
Sri Lanka seeks to ID sources for Channel 4 film
New York, March 5, 2013–The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry says it wants to identify sources who provided information to the UK-based broadcaster Channel 4 for a new documentary alleging that government forces committed war crimes during the country’s long civil conflict, The Divaina, a Sinhala-language daily, reported today. In response, the producer issued a statement…
CPJ condemns attack on pregnant Indonesian reporter
New York, March 5, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an attack on Saturday against a pregnant journalist covering a land dispute in East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. CPJ calls on authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation that leads to the apprehension of all those who participated in the brutal assault, which the journalist said…