Pakistan: CPJ writes to Bush and Musharraf for word of abducted Pakistani journalist
New York, April 26, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the leaders of the United States and Pakistan today to investigate the disappearance of Pakistani journalist Hayatullah Khan, who was seized by unidentified gunman along the Pakistan-Afghan border on December 5. The Khan family say they have been told by Pakistani government sources that Hayatullah…
Authorities deny entry to Polish television journalists
New York, April 26, 2006—Belarusian authorities in the capital, Minsk, and at the Poland-Belarus border crossing Kuznica Bialostocka-Bruzgi denied entry to two crews from the Polish public television channel Telewizja Polska on Tuesday, the broadcaster reported. Both crews were headed to Minsk to cover opposition rallies marking the 20th anniversary of the April 1986 nuclear…
Opposition journalist beaten for second time
New York, April 26, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the vicious beating by 10 unidentified assailants of a journalist from a suspended opposition newspaper in Kazakhstan. Kenzhegali Aitbakiyev of Aina Plyus was beaten unconscious as he was walking in the financial capital, Almaty, late Sunday, local and international press reported. Aitbakiyev, who…
Journalist jailed on defamation charges
New York, April 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the arrest on criminal defamation charges of a journalist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kazadi Kwambi Kasumpata, of the small private weekly Lubilanji Expansion, was arrested after the Protestant University of Congo lodged a complaint with police over an article he wrote…
Two more journalists sentenced to jail on old charges
New York, April 25, 2006—Two more journalists have been sentenced to jail on revived charges under Ethiopia’s 1992 press law, according to CPJ sources. Wosonseged Gebrekidan, who is already jailed on antistate charges, was sentenced to 16 months for defamation on April 18. Freelance writer Abraham Reta was sentenced yesterday to one year and jailed…
Police prevent Independent staff from reopening the paper
New York, April 25, 2006— Two vanloads of police officers prevented The Independent from reopening today and briefly detained an employee who came to unlock the offices of the Gambian private newspaper. The police action came despite statements from National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and other government officials that the paper would be allowed to publish…
Protestors attack radio station over one-sided coverage
New York, April 24, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an attack by 700 protesters on a radio station in southern Peru. The crowd stormed the offices of Radio Sudamericana in the city of Juliaca on Friday, angered by what they called the station’s one-sided coverage of a scandal surrounding a local mayor. A small…
The Independent allowed to reopen; reporter still held
New York, April 24, 2006—Officials at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) today told staff of the private newspaper The Independent that authorities were lifting a month-long occupation of the newspaper’s offices in the capital, Banjul. General Manager Madi Ceesay, who is also secretary-general of the Gambia Press Union, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that…
Nepal: Journalists must be free to report on their country’s turmoil
New York, April 21, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on King Gyanendra, all political parties, and other groups to respect press freedom and ensure the safety of Nepalese journalists, more than 20 of whom remain in detention. “While Nepal is in political turmoil, we must remember the important role that journalists play at such…
In Mexico, two bills would protect journalists
New York, April 20, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists lauds the Mexican Chamber of Deputies’ passage on Tuesday of a bill that would eliminate criminal defamation, libel, and slander laws from federal statute books. CPJ also welcomes the chamber’s approval of a second measure that allows journalists to withhold from authorities information about sources.