Ethiopian journalist sent to jail for not identifying source
New York, August 8, 2005—Ethiopia’s Supreme Court has sentenced a newspaper editor to one month in jail on a contempt charge after the editor refused to identify an unnamed source who criticized an earlier court ruling. The editor of a second paper was fined in a related case. Tamrat Serbesa, editor-in-chief of the private Amharic-language…
Court convicts Internews staffers, rejects office closure
New York, August 5, 2005—A judge in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, convicted two staffers of Internews Network, a U.S.-based media training and advocacy organization, on Thursday of producing television programming without a license and publishing information illegally. Former Internews director Khalida Anarbayeva and accountant Olga Narmuradova will not have to serve the prescribed six-month jail…
Government threatens to shutter radio station for airing news
New York, August 4, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned by the Nepalese government’s threat to pull the license of independent radio station Nepal FM 91.8 for defying an official ban on broadcasting news. “The independent broadcasting of FM radio news is protected by Nepal’s constitution and is vital for the free flow…
CPJ condemns threats against journalists in the Philippines
New York, August 4, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about recent threats against Glenda M. Gloria, managing editor of Newsbreak, and Mei Magsino-Lubis, Batangas correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A funeral wreath was delivered to the residence of Gloria’s mother on Tuesday night, according to a statement released by the Manila-based…
American journalist murdered in Basra
New York, August 3, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is shocked and alarmed by the murder of U.S. freelance journalist and author Steven Vincent, whose bullet-riddled body was found today in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Vincent, who had written for a number of U.S. publications and was working on a book, was abducted…
Radio journalist arrested in Jowhar
New York, August 3, 2005—A journalist for the Mogadishu-based independent radio station HornAfrik was arrested in Jowhar last night following a critical report about transitional federal authorities, according to the Somali Journalists Network (SOJON) and other local sources. Abdullahi Kulmiye Adow was still in police detention late today, they said. It was not clear whether…
CPJ alarmed by Sri Lankan president’s comments against senior journalist
New York, August 3, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by intimidating remarks made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga against senior defense correspondent Iqbal Athas last week. Speaking to a closed meeting of 1,000 top military and police officials in Colombo on July 26, the president accused Athas of publishing sensitive information harmful to Sri…
Internet essayist Zhang Lin sentenced to five years in prison
New York, August 2, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the five-year prison sentence, followed by four years of deprivation of political rights, handed to freelance Internet journalist Zhang Lin on charges of inciting subversion. Zhang Lin’s family and lawyer Mo Shaoping received notice this morning that the Intermediate People’s Court of Bengbu in central…
Kremlin moves to bar ABC from reporting in Russia
New York, August 2, 2005—The Kremlin escalated its campaign of intimidation against foreign news media covering the war in Chechnya as authorities began moving today to bar the U.S. television network ABC from reporting in Russia. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounced the decision and called for its reversal.
Prosecutor says Gongadze probe moves to new phase
New York, August 2, 2005—The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office announced last night that it has completed the first part of its investigation into the 2000 murder of Georgy Gongadze, editor of the independent news Web site Ukrainska Pravda (Ukrainian Truth). Yuri Boychenko, a spokesman for the prosecutor, said yesterday that authorities have identified the suspects who…