Journalist granted provisional release; three others remain jailed
New York, September 8, 2005—Ngaradoumbé Samory, one of four Chadian journalists jailed since July in connection with their work, was granted a provisional release from prison today pending a decision on his appeal. As editor of the private weekly L’Observateur, Samory was sentenced to three months in prison on July 18 for allegedly defaming the…
Yahoo gave e-mail account data used to imprison journalist
New York, September 7, 2005 The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by news that information provided by Internet giant Yahoo Inc. to the Chinese authorities was used to help convict and jail journalist Shi Tao who wrote an e-mail about media restrictions. Shi was sentenced in April to 10 years in prison for…
CPJ condemns journalist’s arrest
New York, September 6, 2005—Afghan journalists today protested the detention of reporter and editor Ezatullah Zawab, who was arrested on September 2 in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, after crticising local government officials. Zawab is a staff correspondent for the independent news service Pajhwok Afghan News and editor of the monthly Meena magazine. Local…
Imprisoned Internet journalist on hunger strike
New York, September 6, 2005 The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the health of journalist Zhang Lin, who has been hospitalized since beginning a hunger strike last week to protest his imprisonment, local sources said. Zhang’s lawyer Mo Shaoping told CPJ that he would visit Zhang this week in Bengbu, in…
CPJ condemns attacks on Tamil media
New York, September 6, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a spate of attacks on the Tamil-language newspaper Sudar Oli, including the killing of a printing press security guard and assaults on reporters. “We call on the authorities to investigate these vicious attacks and bring those responsible to justice,” said CPJ Executive Director…
CPJ calls for investigation into disappearance of Indonesian journalist
New York, September 2, 2005—A journalist on the island of Nias off the western coast of Sumatra is missing 16 days after he left home to report on a murder. The Committee to Protect Journalists is probing the disappearance of Elyuddin Telaumbanua, a reporter for the daily Berita Sore, and called today for a thorough…
CPJ speaks with jailed journalist
New York, September 1, 2005—Journalist Michaël Didama, speaking from his prison cell in the Chadian capital N’Djamena, today denounced his detention as illegal and called on local and international journalists to keep up pressure for the release of all four reporters jailed by the government since July. “This is a crackdown on the press. There…
Radio Liberty reporter barred from Beslan anniversary
New York, September 1, 2005— The Committee to Protect Journalists voiced outrage at the unrelenting harassment of reporter Yuri Bagrov who was prevented by Russian police today from covering the first anniversary of the Beslan school hostage tragedy. Bagrov, a North Caucasus correspondent for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, told CPJ he was…
Reuters cameraman freed but U.S. still holds other journalists
New York, August 31, 2005—The U.S. military in Iraq today released a Reuters cameraman held for three days without charge, but it continued to hold another Reuters freelancer and at least four other journalists on unspecified charges. Reuters said Haidar Kadhem was freed in Baghdad where he was detained on Sunday after coming under fire,…
Zimbabwean journalist acquitted in important test case
New York, August 31, 2005—A magistrate in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, acquitted a journalist today on criminal charges of working without accreditation for the now-banned Daily News, according to his lawyer. Observers say the ruling in favor of Kelvin Jakachira could set an important precedent for several other former Daily News journalists facing the same charge.…