Burmese authorities move to restrict news coverage of protests
New York, August 29, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the Burmese government’s restriction of news coverage of recent nationwide protests over an August 15 government decision to end fuel price subsidies. According to the Burma Media Association (BMA), plainclothes police and pro-government groups brandishing crude weapons have threatened, harassed, and physically…
In Russia, four formally charged in Politkovskaya murder as new suspect emerges
New York, August 29, 2007—Four of the 10 suspects detained in the 2006 murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya have been formally charged, a defense lawyer told the independent radio station Ekho Moskvy. A warrant has been issued for the detention of an 11th suspect in the case, a spokeswoman for the Moscow City Court told…
Cameroonian publisher sentenced to jail in absentia
New York, August 28 2007— A court in Cameroon’s northwestern town of Kumbo sentenced in absentia, on August 13, the publisher of a small English-language newspaper to a year in prison, according to the national secretary of the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union. The sentence was related to alleged press offenses by the newspaper, which published…
Yemeni editor abducted, severely beaten
New York, August 27, 2007–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the abduction and brutal beating of a Yemeni editor by gunmen in Sana’a today. The local journalists CPJ spoke with suspected the gunmen are part of the government’s security forces. A silver Toyota SUV carrying six gunmen wearing civilian clothing descended upon Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani,…
Yahoo, MSN affiliates agree to blogging controls in China
New York, August 27, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the decision of blog hosting services in China, including Yahoo China and MSN China, to sign a pledge that “encourages” real-name registration for bloggers and commits companies to deleting “illegal or inappropriate information.” “The Chinese government depends on the complicity of private…
In Russia, suspects arrested in Politkovskaya murder
New York, August 27, 2007—Ten suspects have been arrested in the October 2006 assassination in Moscow of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika told a news conference today. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the development but urged Russian authorities to publicly disclose details of the probe, including evidence of the suspects’…
In Somalia, reporter killed in vehicle ambush
New York, August 24, 2007—A young reporter returning from a journalism training workshop in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was shot dead today in southwestern Somalia when clan militiamen ambushed his vehicle, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists. Abdulkadir Mahad Moallim Kaskey, a correspondent of the private, Mogadishu-based station Radio Banadir, was the…
Supreme Court upholds Azerbaijani editor’s prison sentence
New York, August 24, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the continued imprisonment of Eynulla Fatullayev, editor of the now-shuttered Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and the Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld Fatullayev’s 30-month prison sentence on charges of defaming Azerbaijanis in an article. Fatullayev has been held in…
Radio journalist gunned down in southeastern Paraguay
New York, August 23, 2007—Radio reporter Tito Alberto Palma was shot to death Wednesday night at a friend’s house in Paraguay’s southeastern city of Mayor Otaño. The Committee to Protect Journalists called today on Paraguayan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring all those responsible to justice. Palma, a reporter for the local radio…
In Kenya, president dismisses bill compelling disclosure of sources
New York, August 23, 2007— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes President Mwai Kibaki’s rejection Wednesday of a bill that would have forced editors to name their sources if their stories led to court cases. Kibaki declined to sign Kenya’s Media Bill after calling an amendment within it “a great inhibition of press freedom” that…