Authorities harass, intimidate leaders of local journalists’ association
New York, October 13, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned police harassment of the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association (EFJA), which criticized a government crackdown on the press after the opposition disputed the outcome of this year’s elections. Four EFJA leaders reported this week to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in the capital, Addis…
Publisher jailed over money laundering story
New York, October 13, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the arrest of a newspaper publisher by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS). Owei Kobina Sikpi, publisher of the tabloid Weekly Star in the southern city of Port Harcourt, has been held without charge since Tuesday, the paper’s editor, Obinna Ahiaidu told CPJ. He…
Prime minister muzzles popular radio broadcaster
New York, October 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the arrest of the head of Cambodia’s only independent radio station on charges of criminal libel filed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Police detained Mam Sonando, owner and manager of Beehive radio (Sombok Khmum), yesterday at his home outside the capital Phnom Penh. The…
Two foreign journalists briefly abducted in Gaza
New York, October 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the abduction of a U.S. journalist and a British colleague who were held for several hours and released unharmed on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip. The abductions are part of an alarming spate of kidnappings of foreign journalists in Gaza, CPJ research shows. Dion Nissenbaum,…
Journalist released from prison after court ruling
Editor’s note: The original text of this alert has been corrected to accurately characterize Minbar i Halq. New York, October 12, 2005—The Supreme Court on Tuesday partially overturned the July 28 conviction of independent journalist Jumaboy Tolibov and ordered his immediate release, according to local press reports. Tolibov’s six-month imprisonment was seen as retaliation for…
Journalist convicted on charge of insulting Turkish identity’
New York, October 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the conviction of a Turkish-Armenian journalist on a charge of “insulting and weakening Turkish identity through the media” An Istanbul court on Friday sentenced Hrant Dink, 52, editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, to a six-month suspended term. Dink and his lawyer, Fethiye Cetin,…
Editor goes on trial for blasphemy
New York, October 11, 2005—The editor of a monthly magazine about women’s rights went on trial today in Kabul’s provincial court on blasphemy charges for publishing articles purported to offend Islam. The prosecutor asked the court to “severely punish” Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, editor of the monthly Haqooq-i-Zan (Women’s Rights), as “a lesson for him and…
Reporters attacked while covering political dispute in Chinese village
New York, October 11, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a series of violent attacks on journalists trying to cover the ongoing tensions between local authorities and residents in the village of Taishi in the southern Guangdong province. On Friday, two journalists, South China Morning Post reporter Leu Siew Ying and Radio France…
CPJ condemns Nepal’s repressive media law
New York, October 11, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the restrictive media law implemented on October 9 by Nepal’s King Gyanendra. Local journalists report that the ordinance codifies severe restrictions on the press that were announced when the king sacked the multi-party government and claimed absolute authority on February 1. “These extremely repressive amendments…
In Thailand, media activist testifies about climate of fear’
Bangkok, Thailand, October 11, 2005—In her closing testimony today, media activist Supinya Klangnarong said a criminal defamation case brought against her by the telecommunications giant Shin Corp. has given rise to a “climate of fear” among journalists and activists in Thailand. But the presiding judge refused to include that portion of her testimony in the…