Government harassment forces radio chief into hiding
New York, September 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the government of Burundi for a campaign of harassment and intimidation which has forced Alexis Sinduhije, the head of Radio Publique Africaine (RPA) into hiding. Communications Minister Karenga Ramadhani likened RPA to Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, the radio station that incited genocide in…
CPJ urges examination of Kazakhstan’s press freedom record
New York, September 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on U.S. President George W. Bush to raise concerns about Kazakhstan’s deteriorating press freedom record when he meets with his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, at the White House on Friday. White House spokesman Tony Snow called Kazakhstan “an important strategic partner in Central Asia” at…
Uruguayan high court reinstates criminal libel verdict
New York, September 26, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that the Uruguayan Supreme Court of Justice has reinstated the criminal defamation conviction of journalist Carlos Dogliani Staricco for stories describing a local mayor’s handling of a constituent’s property tax debt. The court appeared to disregard a growing number of legal opinions in the…
One Uzbek reporter confined in hospital, another in prison
New York, September 26, 2006–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by news that Uzbek journalist Dzhamshid Karimov, nephew of the president, has been forced into psychiatric hospitalization. CPJ is also gravely concerned by reports that raise disturbing questions about the treatment of jailed reporter Ulugbek Khaidarov. “We’re shocked at the brutal methods used against…
CPJ condemns continued imprisonment of journalists
New York, September 25, 2006—An appeals court in Niger today upheld 18-month jail sentences for two journalists convicted of defamation and spreading false information in an article criticizing Prime Minister Hama Amadou. The court in the capital Niamey rejected a defense motion which challenged the competence of the criminal court that convicted Maman Abou and…
Charges dropped against Voice of the People employees
New York, September 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the decision of a court in Zimbabwe today to dismiss charges of broadcasting without a license against 10 employees of independent news production company Voice of the People (VOP). A court in Harare threw the case out, calling it a “circus,” after the prosecution asked…
CPJ concerned by jail sentence against two U.S. reporters
New York, September 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that a U.S. District Court judge has imposed jail sentences against two San Francisco Chronicle reporters who refused to reveal the source or sources of secret grand jury testimony about alleged steroid use by professional athletes. The judge, ruling on Thursday, stayed the sentence…
China: Olympics organizers must ensure media freedom
New York, September 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on China and the International Olympic Committee to address concerns about press freedom when they brief the international media next week on preparations for the 2008 Beijing games. CPJ is troubled by new policies restricting the flow of information in China and the government’s continued…
Thailand: Junta further undermines press freedom by closing radio stations
New York, September 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces further restrictions on press freedom imposed by the leaders of Thailand’s military coup. The junta issued broadcast media directives Thursday that resulted in the closure of more than 300 community radio stations in the north, the political stronghold of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The…
Vietnam: Internet writer and activist released, sent back to U.S.
New York, September 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Cong Thanh Do, a Vietnamese political activist and pro-democracy advocate who writes on the Internet under the pen name Tran Nam. Cong was detained August 14 while on vacation with his family in Phan Thiet on the central Vietnam coast, 125 miles…