France jails Ivoirian army officer over disappeared journalist
New York, February 1, 2006—French authorities have jailed an Ivoirian army officer in connection with the 2004 disappearance in Ivory Coast of journalist Guy-André Kieffer, according to Kieffer’s wife and Agence France-Presse. Osange Silou-Kieffer told CPJ today that Capt. Jean-Tony Oulaï was arrested on January 11 in Paris and is being questioned by a French…
Police break up media protests on first anniversary of Nepal royal coup
New York, February 1, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the beating and arrest of journalists Wednesday in demonstrations to mark one year since King Gyanendra seized absolute power and restricted media freedoms in Nepal. Local journalists told CPJ police used water cannon and batons to break up a protest in the capital Kathmandu. At…
Police confiscate copies of opposition newspaper
New York, February 1, 2006—Police in the southern Belarusian town of Zhlobin confiscated several hundred copies of Tovarishch (Comrade), the official newspaper of the Belarusian Communist Party, on Tuesday, the independent news agency Belapan reported. Vladimir Katsora, a Tovarishch distributor, was transporting copies to the city of Gomel. The seized issue contained coverage of the…
Danish newspaper receives bomb threat for cartoons of Muhammad
Editor’s note: The original text of this alert has been changed to locate the headquarters of the daily Jyllands-Posten in Viby instead of Copenhagen New York, February 1, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by a bomb threat against the Viby-based Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in retaliation for publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. International…
Rebels force radio station off the air
New York, January 31, 2006—Rebel soldiers have forced a radio station in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo off the air by looting equipment and terrorizing journalists, local press freedom organizations and United Nations radio said. Radiotélévision La Colombe (RTC), the only radio station in the town of Rutshuru, closed on Sunday.…
Nepal pursues media crackdown one year after royal coup
New York, January 31, 2006— The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ongoing harassment of journalists and assault on freedom of expression in Nepal one year after King Gyanendra seized absolute power. “In the past 12 months the authorities in Nepal have detained more than 275 journalists and stripped the independent press of many of…
Journalists wounded in Iraq blast flown to Germany
New York, January 30, 2006—A U.S. news anchor and a cameraman wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq were flown to Germany today where doctors described their injuries as very serious. ABC World News Tonight co-anchor Bob Woodruff, 44, and ABC cameraman Doug Vogt, 46, were evacuated to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany…
Internet reporter held without charge in Ethiopia
New York, January 30, 2006—Ethiopian security forces have detained a correspondent for the U.S.-based Web site Ethiopian Review, its publisher Elias Kifle said today. Journalist Frezer Negash has been held without charge in Addis Ababa since Friday, Kifle told the Committee to Protect Journalists. “We are disturbed that Frezer Negash has joined at least 16…
China: Dissident Internet writer formally arrested
New York. January 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the January 20 arrest of Internet writer Yang Tongyan (known by his pen name Yang Tianshui) on suspicion of “subversion of state authority.” Relatives received formal notice of the arrest from the Zhenjiang city public security bureau last week, according to CPJ sources. Authorities have…
Belarusian police seize ‘antistate’ video from Ukrainian TV crew
New York, January 30, 2006—Belarusian police stopped a Ukrainian television crew at a border checkpoint on Friday and seized video footage they described as “antistate,” according to local and international press reports. A crew with the independent Inter network was returning to Kyiv from assignment in the Gomel region of Belarus when a border patrol…