Thailand: Thaksin brings criminal libel charges against newspaper
New York, June 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai party to file criminal defamation charges against the newspaper Manager Daily, its editor, a columnist, and two senior executives. The charges filed on Tuesday relate to articles which alleged that Thaksin and…
Qassir’s killers still at large after one year
New York, June 1, 2006—A year after Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir was murdered in a Beirut car bombing those responsible remain at large. The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterates its call to Lebanese authorities and the international community to work urgently to bring to justice those behind Qassir’s murder, and the murder and maiming of…
Journalist arrested for criticizing government
New York, June 1, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of a journalist in Burundi for criticizing the government. Aloys Kabura, a correspondent for the state news agency Agence Burundaise de Presse, was arrested late Wednesday for speaking “defamatory words” in public against state institutions, international media quoted a local prosecutor as saying.…
BBC reporter arrested in widening crackdown
New York, June 1, 2006—Gambian security officers arrested a local journalist working for the BBC on Tuesday, a local source told the Committee to Protect Journalists. A BBC source in London confirmed that Lamin Cham had been detained. His whereabouts are unknown. His arrest comes amid a government crackdown on a critical U.S.-hosted Web site,…
Chilean journalists injured, detained during student strike
New York, May 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Tuesday’s attacks by local police against six Chilean reporters covering clashes between security forces and high school students during a massive strike demanding reforms in Chile’s education laws. Nearly 600,000 high school students protested in Chile’s capital, Santiago, calling for a reduction in public transportation…
TV sports reporter gunned down in Baghdad
New York, May 31, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder of an Iraqi sports journalist by unidentified gunmen in Baghdad today. Ali Jaafar, 24, a well-known sports correspondent and anchor at Iraq’s state television channel Al-Iraqiya, was shot as he opened up his recently deceased brother’s auto shop near his home in Al-Shorta…
Editors given two-month jail sentences for publishing Prophet cartoons
New York, May 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the sentencing Tuesday of two Jordanian editors to two months in prison for publishing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Jihad Momani, former editor-in-chief of the weekly Shihan, and Hashem al-Khalidi, editor-in-chief of the weekly Al-Mehwar, were found guilty by an Amman…
French radio reporter denied accreditation in run-up to election
New York, May 31, 2006—Congolese authorities are refusing to accredit Radio France Internationale’s Ghislaine Dupont to cover July elections, despite the fact that she obtained a visa and has been in the country for five weeks, according to RFI Africa Director Henri Perilhou. Information Minister Henri Mova Sakanyi has pressured RFI to withdraw Dupont, who…
Bangladesh:Party activists attack journalists and printing press
New York, May 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by attacks on journalists and a newspaper in the town of Kushtia in western Bangladesh. Witnesses told local media that about 20 men, whom they recognized as activists from the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP), attacked the offices of Quality Press on Wednesday, damaging…
Reporter jailed in Cuba after covering government evictions
New York, May 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of independent Cuban journalist Armando Betancourt who was arrested a week ago while covering the evictions of dozens of families from their homes in the central city of Camagüey, sources told CPJ. On May 23, authorities forcefully evicted families allegedly occupying homes illegally,…