Three media workers murdered in Mexican state of Oaxaca
New York, October 9, 2007—Three media workers for the Oaxaca-based daily El Imparcial del Istmo were shot and killed on Monday afternoon while driving in the southern state of Oaxaca in a vehicle bearing the paper’s logo. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack today and called on Mexican authorities to conduct a prompt…
Gunmen pour acid on radio station transmitter
New York, October 9, 2007—A private radio station in southwest Uganda was knocked off the air for several days after armed assailants poured acid on its transmitter last week in an attack believed to have been prompted by a program critical of the local government, according to local journalists and news reports. Life FM, one…
Pakistan TV camera operator dies in helicopter crash
New York, October 9, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of Pakistan TV camera operator Mohammed Farooq, who died Monday when the helicopter in which he was riding crashed near Mujhoi village, 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Muzaffarabad. Farooq was riding in a convoy of three helicopters taking Musharraf to a ceremony…
Philippine radio commentator shot, in critical condition
New York, October 9, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Philippine government to act quickly to apprehend the gunmen who shot and seriously wounded radio commentator Jose Pantoja on Monday in the city of Iligan, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Manila. Pantoja was a “block time” broadcaster—an independent commentator who leased…
Prominent journalist sent to jail in libel case
ANGOLA: Proeminente jornalista é mandado para a prisão por ação de difamação Nova York, 5 de Outubro de 2007 – O proeminente diretor de um semanário privado de Angola foi mandado para a prisão na quarta-feira depois de ser sentenciado a oito meses de reclusão e multa de 18.7 milhões de kwanzas (US$ 250,000) por…
Nigeria frees two Germans charged over filming in oil-rich river delta
New York, October 5, 2007—Two German independent filmmakers, arrested last month while filming in volatile, oil-rich southern Nigeria, today pleaded not guilty to five counts of endangering state security, according to news reports and local journalists. A Nigerian federal high court in the capital, Abuja, released on bail freelance journalist Florian Alexander Opitz and cinematographer…
Former BBC captive voices support for detained Al-Jazeera cameraman
New York, October 4, 2007—A BBC reporter kidnapped and held captive in the Gaza Strip for nearly four months this year is expressing his support for Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj, who has been held for more than five years without charge at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In Burma, concerns mount over missing journalists
New York, October 4, 2007— The Committee to Protect Journalists is increasingly concerned about the welfare of at least three Burmese reporters who went missing during the government’s crackdown on street protesters last week. A fourth reporter, Tokyo Shimbun’s Min Zin, was released from government custody on Wednesday. CPJ calls on the Burmese authorities to…
In Colombia, Uribe’s accusations raise alarm
New York, October 3, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about comments made Tuesday by President Álvaro Uribe Vélez that could endanger Colombian journalist Gonzalo Guillén. Uribe called national Caracol Radio and RCN Radio to deny recent allegations that he had close to ties to the deceased drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. The accusations were…