Murder, arson, repression thwart Gambian press
Banjul, Gambia, April 12, 2005—A string of unsolved arson attacks, a series of unchecked threats, and the passage of restrictive new laws have created deep mistrust between the Gambia’s government and its small independent press. Suspicions have been compounded by the December 2004 murder of veteran journalist Deyda Hydara and the government’s failure to bring…
Journalist forbidden to report for 10 years
New York, April 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Moroccan court’s decision today banning independent journalist and former newspaper owner Ali Lmrabet from practicing journalism for 10 years. The sentence comes just 10 days before Lmrabet was expected to receive a license to publish a new satirical weekly, Demain Libere. Lmrabet, who is…
King urged to release journalists, lift crackdown
Kathmandu, Nepal, April 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the government of Nepal to end the harassment and imprisonment of journalists and to repeal restrictions imposed on private media in the wake of King Gyanendra’s February 1 emergency proclamation. During a press conference in Kathmandu at the end of a weeklong fact-finding…
Radio broadcaster shot; suspects arrested in columnist’s murder
New York, April 12, 2005 Police are searching for two suspects responsible for the attempted murder of radio broadcaster Alberto Martinez, who was shot in the back while on his way home on the southern island of Mindanao. Police Inspector Alberto Jungaya told local reporters today that unidentified gunmen shot Martinez last Sunday night…
Press freedom group threatened
New York, April 11, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned for the safety of members of Journaliste en Danger (JED), a press freedom organization based in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On April 4, JED Secretary-General Tshivis Tshivuadi received an email containing death threats against him and Donat M’baya…
Newspaper owner killed in Gulf Coast ambush
New York, April 11, 2005—The owner of a Mexican Gulf Coast daily that covered organized crime and drug dealing was killed in weekend ambush just hours after he oversaw the launch of a new edition of his newspaper. The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed alarm at the brazen attack and called on Mexican authorities…
Crackdown continues; journalist arrested
New York, April 11, 2005 – Police in the Tanahu district in western Nepal are holding a local journalist for a three-month detention. The journalist, editor Robin Poudel of Tanahu Aawaj weekly newspaper, was arrested on Friday while covering a demonstration in Damauli that was called to protest the state of emergency established by King…
Arrests in the murder of opposition editor met with suspicion
New York, April 8, 2005—Investigators in the capital, Baku, announced late yesterday that they had detained six suspects in the March 2 murder of Elmar Huseynov, founder and editor of the opposition weekly news magazine Monitor, according to local and international press reports.
Prosecutors reopen case of abducted journalist
New York, April 8, 2005—Prosecutors in capital of Minsk, have reopened the inquiry into the July 2000 abduction of Dmitry Zavadsky, a 29-year-old cameraman for the Russian public network ORT, according to the Minsk-based human rights group Charter 97. Olga Zavadskaya, whose son is presumed dead after disappearing nearly five years ago, received a letter…
Editor in hiding after attack; CPJ urges vigorous investigation
New York, April 8, 2005—A Brazilian newspaper editor who denounced political corruption faces a long recovery and has gone into hiding with his family two weeks after being attacked by gunmen. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Brazilian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. Two unidentified assailants shot Maurício Melato Barth, owner and…