Gunmen storm Baghdad radio station, killing one
New York, May 3, 2007—Dozens of heavily armed gunmen stormed an independent radio station in Baghdad’s Al-Jamia district today, killing one employee, destroying equipment, and knocking the station off the air. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s assault on Radio Dijla. Around 2:30 p.m. local time, dozens of masked gunmen attacked Radio Dijla with…
Charge against a journalist dropped, but jail threat looms for another
New York, May 3, 2007—The Maldivian information minister announced today that a criminal charge of “disobedience of an order” against Minivan Daily Deputy Editor Nazim Sattar would be dropped and that charges against Editor Aminath Najeeb would be reduced, Sattar told CPJ. The two were facing criminal charges related to an August 2005 article quoting…
Photographer killed, three other journalists injured in Pakistan attack
New York, May 3, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of freelance photographer Mehboob Khan, who was killed in an April 28 suicide bomb attack aimed at Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao. The minister escaped with minor injuries, but 28 people died in the attack at a political rally in the small town of…
In the Philippines, president’s husband withdraws 46 libel suits
New York, May 3, 2007—Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has withdrawn 46 criminal libel suits he had filed against 11 journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed today’s news but said the suits should never have been brought. Withdrawal of the cases—which came because Arroyo was “grateful for surviving a…
Cairo court sentences Al-Jazeera producer to six months in jail
New York, May 2, 2007—On the same day the Committee to Protect Journalists cited Egypt for its deteriorating press conditions, a judge in Cairo convicted an Al-Jazeera producer on charges of “harming Egypt’s national interest” and “falsely depicting events” for her work on a documentary exposing police abuse. The court sentenced Howayda Taha Matwali, who…
Uzbek journalist sentenced to seven years in prison
New York, May 1, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the seven-year prison sentence handed down today to independent Uzbek journalist Umida Niyazova by a judge in Tashkent after a summary trial that was closed to the press and most of the public. Niyazova was convicted on charges related to her reporting on human rights…
Jordan blocks newspaper edition over story on ’secret’ Palestinian plan
New York, April 30, 2007—Jordanian authorities should lift their ban on today’s edition of an independent paper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Fahd al-Rimawi, editor of the weekly Al-Majd, told CPJ that security agents moved Sunday to prevent printing of the edition because of a front-page story about a “secret plan” to oust the…
Amid civil strife, another Tamil journalist killed in Sri Lanka
New York, April 30, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the slaying on Sunday of Selvarajah Rajeewarnam, a reporter for the Tamil-language daily Uthayan, and calls on the government to investigate and quickly bring his assailants to justice. Rajeewarnam was aboard a bicycle on assignment in Jaffna when he was shot by unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen…
Police in St. Petersburg seize copies of opposition newspaper
New York, April 30, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the seizure on Sunday of thousands of copies of a special edition of Obyedinyonny Grazhdansky Front, the weekly newspaper of the United Civic Front (OGF), a Russian opposition group headed by the Kremlin critic and former chess champion Garry Kasparov. Confiscated by police…
In Uzbekistan, journalist’s trial resumes without notice
New York, April 30, 2007—Authorities in Uzbekistan today resumed without notice the trial of independent journalist Umida Niyazova in Serelisky District Court in the capital, Tashkent. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the failure to give notice to Niyazova’s counsel and family, which reflects an ongoing disregard for justice in the case. Niyazova, who reported…