Journalist jailed for more than a week for “insulting” an official
New York, February 7, 2006—Jean-Louis Ngalamulume, publisher of the private newspaper L’Eclaireur, has been jailed since January 27 in the capital, Kinshasa, on charges of publishing “public insults” against a government official, according to the press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and the secretary-general of the Congolese press union. Police questioned Ngalamulume about a…
Prosecutor won’t pursue manslaughter charge in journalist’s death
New York, February 7, 2006—Sierra Leone’s attorney general confirmed today that he will not pursue charges of manslaughter against a member of parliament and two others accused of assaulting journalist Harry Yansaneh in May 2005. At the time, Yansaneh was acting editor of the private newspaper For Di People. A judicial inquest found that the…
Columnist arrested and accused of contempt
New York, February 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by the imprisonment of a Mexican reporter. Angel Mario Ksheratto columnist for the daily Cuarto Poder in the southern state of Chiapas, was detained on Saturday and accused of contempt after missing a court date in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against…
Turkish court to hear criminal charges against five journalists
Istanbul, Turkey, February 6, 2006—Five prominent Turkish journalists are due to appear in court on Tuesday on charges of insulting the judiciary for criticizing a court decision to ban an academic conference on the killing of Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. The case has embarrassed Turkey, which is in negotiations to…
A censorship order in South Africa; attacks reported in Beirut Jailing of Jordanian editors for prophet cartoons draws alarm
New York, February 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the arrest of two Jordanian editors in Amman for publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The journalists, charged twice in three days, face criminal counts that include incitement to violence and blasphemy. The action comes as violence against journalists was reported in…
Journalist sentenced to prison for defamation
New York, February 6, 2006—The publication director of a private weekly newspaper was sentenced today to two months in prison for allegedly defaming a local businessman, according to two local journalist organizations. Ibrahim Manzo, director of L’Autre Observateur, was arrested and placed in “preventive detention” on Thursday; his trial lasted a single day. He is…
Rebuffed by Chinese Embassy, Cpj Publicizes Appeals Seeking Journalist’s Release Read Cpj’s Letter to the Chinese AmbassadorRebuffed by Chinese embassy, CPJ publicizes appeals seeking journalist’s release
New York, February 6, 2006—Officials at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., have refused to accept delivery of 443 signed appeals calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Shi Tao, a journalist unjustly imprisoned for “leaking state secrets.” The Committee to Protect Journalists, which organized the appeal campaign, today posted on its Web site…
China: Newspaper editor dies after police beating
New York, February 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of colleague Wu Xianghu, deputy editor of Taizhou Wanbao. Wu died on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries in October 2005 when traffic police in the eastern coastal city of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, attacked him for an expose that embarrassed them, according to international…
In Guatemala, a welcome decision to strike down ‘disrespect’ laws
New York, February 3, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists praises a decision by Guatemala’s highest court to strike down laws that criminalized expressions deemed offensive to public officials. The court ruled that desacato, or disrespect, provisions were unconstitutional and constituted “an attack on freedom of expression and the right to be informed.” In a ruling…
Chechen comments lead to editor’s conviction for ‘inciting hatred’
New York, February 3, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the criminal conviction of Stanislav Dmitriyevsky, director of the human rights organization Russian-Chechen Friendship Society and editor of its newspaper Pravo-Zashchita. Today’s verdict is based on the newspaper’s publication of comments from Chechen rebel leaders calling for peace talks.