Journalist freed after nine months in jail
New York, August 4, 2006—Patrice Booto, publisher of two Congolese newspapers, was freed on Thursday evening after spending nine months in prison for running stories that said the government had directed millions of dollars to neighboring Tanzania, the local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger reported. “This egregious case highlights the urgent need for the…
Journalists’ driver killed in ambush
New York, August 4, 2006—Unidentified gunmen today ambushed leaders of the National Union of Somali Journalists on the road from Baidoa to Mogadishu, fatally shooting their driver, Madey Garas, according to NUSOJ Secretary-General Omar Faruk Osman. Another NUSOJ official who was in the car, Fahad Mohammed Abukar, was injured in the attack. “Our hearts go…
Reporters denied entry to Cuba
New York, August 3, 2006—Cuban authorities on Wednesday turned back at least three foreign journalists seeking to enter the country to cover President Fidel Castro’s illness and handover of power. The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled that the reporters were denied entry at Havana’s international airport.
In Tajikistan, government rejects BBC bid for FM license
New York, August 3, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the Tajik government’s July 26 refusal to grant a license to the BBC for FM radio broadcasts in the capital, Dushanbe, and the northern city of Khudzhand. The broadcaster was taken off the air in January, allegedly for failure to comply with Tajikistan’s…
Judge jails freelancer over videotape
New York, August 2, 2006—A U.S. judge in San Francisco ordered a video blogger to jail after holding him in contempt for refusing to turn over to a federal grand jury a videotape of a 2005 protest. Ruling on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup ordered Joshua Wolf held without bail and denied a…
In Iraq, two journalists slain
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murders of two Iraqi journalists who were killed in separate weekend attacks by masked assailants. Seventy-five journalists and 27 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since the war began on March 20, 2003, making it the deadliest conflict in CPJ’s 25-year history.…
China: CPJ condemns closure of popular Web sites
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by Beijing authorities’ recent order to shut two popular online forums that featured commentary on social and political issues. The Century China Web sites have been closed since last week, according to international and local news reports. The Communications Administration in Beijing ordered…
Government continues harassment of independent journalist
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the continued harassment of Nosir Zokirov, a former correspondent for the Uzbek service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) who has already served six months in prison on a specious charge of insulting a security officer. President Islam Karimov’s regime has continued persecuting Zokirov and…
Rwandan journalist freed after 11 months in jail
New York, July 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the provisional release of journalist Jean-Léonard Rugambage, who had been jailed for nearly 11 months by a traditional court trying suspects in the 1994 genocide. Rugambage was freed on Friday on the orders of the national committee overseeing traditional or “gacaca” courts following an investigation…
Philippines: Tabloid photojournalist shot dead
New York, July 31, 2006—Three gunmen killed a photographer for the tabloid Tanod, outside his Manila home early this morning, according to local and international news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating to determine whether Vic Melendrez was killed in relation to his work. The unidentified assailants shot Melendrez multiple times as he…