New York, March 2, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the detention of Abshir Ali Gabre, news editor at the independent Radio Jawhar, who was recently held overnight on the orders of Somali faction leader Mohamed Omar Habeeb, also known as Mohamed Dere. Dere is chairman of the self-appointed Jawhar administration. Gabre was arrested…
New York, March 2, 2004—Unidentified gunmen shot and killed journalist Khalil Al-Zabin today in the early morning hours while he exited his office in Gaza City. According to local sources, Al-Zabin was the editor of the small-circulation magazine Al-Nashra, which published on an irregular schedule. In addition to his responsibilities as editor, Al-Zabin was a…
New York, March 1, 2004—Three journalists were injured over the weekend while covering violent street clashes in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in the wake of a four-day antigovernment protest. The protesters were demanding a referendum to recall President Hugo Chávez Frías. On Friday, February 27, Venezuelan National Guard troops fired rubber bullets and threw tear gas…
New York, February 26, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Judes Zossé, director of the private daily L’Hirondelle (The Swallow) in the Central African Republic (CAR). Yesterday, police officers arrested Zossé, who had turned himself in after police had detained his brother, Didier Zossé. Didier Zossé, who is…
New York, February 26, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Judes Zossé, director of the private daily L’Hirondelle (The Swallow) in the Central African Republic (CAR). Yesterday, police officers arrested Zossé, who had turned himself in after police had detained his brother, Didier Zossé. Didier Zossé, who is…
New York, February 24, 2004—Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday pledged to reform Egypt’s laws, eliminating prison sentences for published material. Galal Aref, head of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, told CPJ today that the Egyptian president called him yesterday and told him that journalists would no longer face the possibility of imprisonment for what they publish.…
New York, February 24, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about an increasing number of violent attacks against journalists and radio stations in Haiti in the wake of a rebellion aimed at ousting President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. On Saturday, February 21, unidentified gunmen shot Pierre Elisem, director and owner of Radio Hispagnola, in…
New York, February 20, 2004—Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmy told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) yesterday that a U.S. journalist who was expelled from Egypt in late January without explanation can return to the country and resume his work. On January 29, at Cairo International Airport, Egyptian security authorities ordered Charles…
New York, February 20, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is alarmed that Sony Bastien, president and general director of the Port-au-Princebased private station Radio Kiskeya, has recently received death threats for his work. The threats against Bastien came after the journalist read an editorial on February 5 criticizing President Jean Bertrand Aristide for accusing…
New York, February 20, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the Wednesday, February 18, suspension of two Iranian reformist-leaning dailies by Tehran’s Press Court. The suspensions came just before Iran’s controversial parliamentary elections, which are being conducted today. According to Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, spokesman for the Iranian Committee for the Defense of Freedom of the…