In Russia, legislation on ‘extremism’ poses new press freedom threat
New York, July 11, 2007—The upper house of the Russian parliament today approved a package of amendments that would expand the definition of extremism to include public discussion of such activity, and give law enforcement officials broad authority to suspend media outlets that do not comply with the new restrictions. The package, proposed by deputies…
In bid to flee homeland, an Eritrean broadcaster dies
New York, July 10, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the loss of respected Eritrean broadcaster Paulos Kidane who, CPJ sources said, died after attempting to join the dozens of journalists fleeing the government’s absolute control of the country’s media since a massive crackdown on the now-defunct private press.
Troops raid prominent Somali broadcaster four times
New York, July 9, 2007—A prominent broadcaster covering public reaction to a large-scale government security crackdown in the commercial district of the capital, Mogadishu, was raided four times over the weekend by Somali government troops, according to news reports and the National Union of Somali Journalists. In four separate raids since Friday, troops searched the…
Appellate court ratifies prison sentence of Senet journalists
New York, July 9, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Friday’s decision by an Azerbaijani appellate court in Baku to uphold the convictions of two independent journalists on charges of insulting Islam in a November commentary. On May 4, Judge Yusif Kerimov of Sabail District Court in Baku convicted Editor-in-Chief Samir Sadagatoglu and writer Rafiq…
Pakistani journalist killed in mosque clashes; three others wounded
New York, July 7, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of Javed Khan, a photographer for the Islamabad-based daily Markaz and a cameraman for U.K.-based DM Digital TV. Khan was shot in the chest and neck on Tuesday while caught in crossfire between government forces and the students of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque)…
Independent journalist, held for more than a year, is sentenced
New York, July 6, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the 15-month prison sentence given Tuesday to independent Cuban journalist Armando Betancourt Reina on charges of public disorder. Betancourt Reina had been held without charge in a prison in the central city of Camagüey since May 2006.
Cameraman shot by Israeli forces while covering Gaza clashes
New York, July 6, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by Thursday’s shooting of a Palestinian cameraman by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Imad Ghanem, a cameraman for the Hamas-affiliated satellite channel Al-Aqsa, was filming paramedics transferring victims of an Israeli tank shell in the eastern part of Bureij refugee camp in central…
Prosecutors say no foul play in Ivan Safronov’s death
New York, July 6, 2007—The independent business daily Kommersant reported that Moscow prosecutors have ruled out foul play in the March death of its reporter, Ivan Safronov. Prosecutors have not found any link between the military correspondent’s recent work and his fall from a window in his apartment building, the newspaper said. Investigators continue to…
CPJ troubled by terror charges against outspoken Yemeni editor
New York, July 5, 2007–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by vague terrorism charges brought on Wednesday against the editor of an opposition news Web site. A state security court charged Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani, former editor of the online newspaper Al-Shoura, which is affiliated with the Popular Forces Union Party, with conspiring with…
In Gambia, harassment forces a reporter into hiding
New York, July 5, 2007—A freelance Gambian reporter went into hiding last week after being harassed by several individuals, including an executive of the pro-government daily and suspected security agents, about his alleged links to the regional press freedom group Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA), according to the group and CPJ sources. Ghana-based MFWA…