Prominent Russian defense correspondent dies in mysterious fall
New York, March 5, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death in Moscow of Ivan Safronov, a well-known military correspondent for the independent business daily Kommersant. Safronov fell more than four stories from a staircase window in his apartment building on Friday. Prosecutors consider suicide likely but have not yet completed their investigation, the…
Yemeni editors face criminal prosecution over critical reporting
New York, March 2, 2007–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by criminal defamation prosecutions of three Yemeni editors. Independent weekly Al-Deyar Editor-in-Chief Abed al-Mahthari was charged with defaming Watani Bank for Trade and Investment; Al-Shoura.net Editor Abdelkarim al-Khaiwani was charged with publishing false information about the Defense Ministry and defaming Armed Forces Moral…
Gabonese government bans tabloid for three months
New York, March 2, 2007 —The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that authorities in the capital, Libreville, have suspended a satirical newspaper for three months, apparently after it published commentary critical of President Omar Bongo, according to news reports and local journalists. The official National Communications Council (CNC) suspended the private bimonthly Edzombolo on…
In Togo, journalist banned from broadcast over critical commentary
New York, March 1, 2007—The Togolese government on Wednesday indefinitely banned from broadcast veteran journalist and media activist Daniel Lawson-Drackey over a commentary on private radio Nana FM that was critical of a government minister, according to local journalists. “It’s outrageous that the government is censoring a respected journalist for raising critical questions about an…
CPJ troubled by second arrest at a critical newspaper in Sri Lanka
New York, March 1, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled by the arrest on Saturday of the publisher of the Sunday Standard and Sinhala-language Mawbima newspaper in Sri Lanka. The editors of Mawbima said that Dushyantha Basnayake’s arrest was part of a “campaign of harassment” against the newspaper which began after it published articles…
Azerbaijani journalist’s murderers remain at large on second anniversary
New York, March 1, 2007—Two years after the contract-style assassination of opposition editor Elmar Huseynov, his murderers remain at large. When Huseynov, an editor and founder of the newsweekly Monitor, was gunned down in his Baku apartment building on March 2, 2005, President Ilham Aliyev called the murder a “provocation against the Azerbaijani state” and…
In Croatia, television journalist receives death threats
New York, March 1, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by anonymous death threats against Robert Valdec, anchor of the popular weekly program “Istraga” (Investigation) on Zagreb’s independent Nova TV. The phone and e-mail messages did not specify the coverage that prompted the intimidation, but local journalists and press freedom advocates believe they came…
In U.S., concern about jailed Al-Jazeera cameraman’s health
New York, February 28, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about reports that an Al-Jazeera cameraman detained for nearly five years without charge at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been on hunger strike over the last 48 days and that he may be in failing health.
Tunisian Internet writer still jailed after two years
New York, February 28, 2007—The Committee to Protect to Journalists today called on Tunisia to free an Internet writer jailed two years ago for Web articles that criticized President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and described torture in Tunisian prisons. Secret police in Tunis arrested Mohamed Abbou, a human rights lawyer and contributor to the…
Stories critical of president trigger charges
New York, February 28, 2007—Stories critical of President Laurent Gbagbo led authorities this week to charge four journalists working for two private newspapers in the commercial capital, Abidjan, with offending the head of state, according to news reports and local journalists. “We are concerned by this apparent crackdown on critical reporting,” said CPJ Executive Director…