Mob damages press in Bahrain; Saudis oust reporter
New York, March 15, 2011–Armed assailants stormed the Manama printing facility of the Bahraini independent daily Al-Wasat early this morning, damaging the press and hindering production of today’s edition. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack, which comes just as military contingents from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been enlisted to…
As unrest bubbles, Bahrain and Yemen obstruct press
New York, March 14, 2011–Authorities in Yemen and Bahrain are continuing to obstruct news coverage of ongoing political unrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today as it called on the two government to allow journalists to work without reprisal. In Yemen, at least six international journalists were expelled since Saturday, according to news reports…
Two Comoros journalists charged over presidential coverage
New York, March 14, 2011–Two Comorian journalists charged today with “publishing false news” in their coverage of the formal handover of power between President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi and President-elect Ikililou Dhoinine could face up to six months in prison if convicted, according to local journalists and news reports.
Gbagbo forces block pro-Ouattara papers in Ivory Coast
New York, March 14, 2011–Security forces loyal to Ivorian ruler Laurent Gbagbo blocked distribution on Friday of pro-opposition newspapers reporting on the African Union’s decision to confirm its recognition of rival Alassane Ouattara as president. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the obstruction and calls on authorities to halt further censorship.
Fearing Egypt-style revolt, Cameroon bars Twitter service
“For security reasons, the government of Cameroon requests the suspension of the Twitter sms integration on the network,” announced a March 8 tweet by Bouba Kaélé, marketing manager of the Cameroon unit of South Africa-based telecommunications provider MTN. The announcement has since disappeared from Kaélé’s Twitter feed, but was memorialized by a handful of Twitter…
For Zimbabwean journalist Saize, the absurd is routine
For 37-year-old Zimbabwean freelance journalist Sydney Saize, left, enduring arrest and assault has become absurdly routine–and the circumstances routinely absurd. Take his most recent detention, in February. Saize was reporting on a mundane criminal case in Mutare, capital of the diamond-rich Manicaland province, when the story suddenly turned dramatic.
In Libya, Al-Jazeera journalist killed and another wounded
New York, March 13, 2011–Unidentified gunmen killed an Al-Jazeera cameraman and wounded his colleague near the eastern rebel-held city of Benghazi in an ambush on Saturday, according to the Qatar-based satellite station. This is the first confirmed journalist death reported in the Libyan conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Otunbayeva must put words into action in Askarov case
World leaders like to invoke terms such as press freedom, human rights, and the rule of law in their speeches, especially to international audience. But in post-Soviet Eurasia, such high-minded words are rarely accompanied by genuine action. A recent commentary in The Washington Post by Roza Otunbayeva, president of Kyrgyzstan, is a testament to this…
Mexican court rules critical documentary can be shown
When a federal judge issued an order last week to suspend screenings of documentary that investigates incompetence in the Mexican judicial system, it looked like the film might be falling victim to the very system it criticizes. The film, “Presumed Guilty” (“Presunto Culpable” in Spanish), exposes flaws in the Mexican judicial system as it charts…
Libya must free Guardian reporter; obstruction continues
New York, March 11, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate release of Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, left, a correspondent for London’s Guardian newspaper whom Libyan officials now acknowledge holding in detention. CPJ also demands that authorities halt ongoing obstruction and intimidation of journalists. A number of foreign journalists invited to cover events in the…