Palestinian leaders confirm BBC correspondent is alive
New York, April 25, 2007—Despite encouraging statements from Palestinian leaders, the Committee to Protect Journalists remains deeply concerned about the safety of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, abducted in Gaza six weeks ago. Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Azzam al-Ahmad said in a statement that Johnston was alive and “in good health,” the BBC reported Tuesday. “The…
Prominent Internet writer detained in Vietnam
New York, April 25, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists journalist is gravely concerned about the recent arrest of Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, an award-winning journalist and writer. Thuy was taken into custody Saturday at her residence, where she was already being held under house arrest, according to news reports. She was charged with violating Article…
In Mexico, a missing reporter is found dead
New York, April 24, 2007—Saúl Noé Martínez Ortega, a Mexican crime reporter who had been abducted a week ago, was found dead yesterday morning in the northern state of Chihuahua. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating possible links between Martínez’s murder and his professional work.
China issues decree on government transparencyNew rules contain significant limitations and do not ease state’s control of the press
New York, April 24, 2007—China’s State Council today publicized a decree signed by Premier Wen Jiabao to boost the transparency of government offices. But the new rules make broad exceptions for information deemed by authorities to threaten national security, social stability, public safety, and economic security.
Editor brutally beaten after colleague’s trial
New York, April 24, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the brutal attack on Uzeyir Jafarov, an editor and reporter for the Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan, in the capital, Baku. Two unidentified men beat Jafarov as he was leaving the newspaper’s office Friday night, according to the journalist and international press reports. Earlier that day,…
In Jordan, security agents seize interview with former crown prince
New York, April 23, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists protests the Jordanian government’s seizure of a taped Al-Jazeera interview with former crown prince Hassan bin Talal last week. Ghassan Benjeddou, Al-Jazeera’s bureau chief in Beirut, told CPJ that Jordanian intelligence officers stopped his producer at Amman’s Queen Alia Airport on Wednesday, shortly after the interview.…
In Somalia, shelling destroys broadcast stations, injures journalists
New York, April 23, 2007—Two private broadcast stations were destroyed and several journalists were injured last week as Ethiopian troops backing Somalia’s transitional government attacked suspected strongholds of Islamist fighters and militiamen from the Hawiye clan, according to news reports and local journalists. HornAfrik television and radio—the first independent broadcaster in Somalia’s history— has been…
Successor of Internews Russia suspends activity after police search
New York, April 23, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is very concerned about the effective closure of the Educated Media Foundation in Moscow last week. The foundation, the successor to Internews Russia, has been shut down since last Wednesday, when economic police searched its premises for 11 hours, seized all financial records, and shut down…
In Senegal, ruling party official said to threaten radio staff
New York, April 20, 2007—Critical comments made during a radio call-in program Wednesday led a ruling party politician and his supporters to threaten staffers at a private radio station in the town of Mbacké, 105 miles (168 kilometers) east of the capital Dakar, according to local journalists and media reports. The politician denied making any…
In Sri Lanka, editor of Tamil magazine is killed in his home
New York, April 20, 2007—Subash Chandraboas, editor of the Tamil-language monthly magazine Nilam, was shot and killed in his home near Vavuniya on Monday. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating whether the killing was related to his work. The Free Media Movement (FMM), a media-rights organization that first reported the death, said it was…