Prominent online journalist arrested in Bahrain
New York, September 7, 2010–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Bahraini authorities to release Ali Abdel Imam, a leading online journalist who was arrested Saturday on charges of spreading “false information.” The arrest is the latest in the government’s ongoing crackdown on dissent.
Kidnapped Japanese freelancer released in Afghanistan
New York, September 7, 2010–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the weekend release of Japanese freelance journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka, who spent more than five months in captivity in Afghanistan. Tsuneoka’s kidnappers released him to the Japanese Embassy on Saturday night and he returned to Japan on Monday, according to local and international news reports. He…
Al-Iraqiya anchorman gunned down in Iraq
New York, September 7, 2010–Riad al-Saray, an anchorman for Al-Iraqiya television, was killed this morning when a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car in western Baghdad, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Iraqi authorities to thoroughly investigate the murder and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Pakistani union appeals for flood-affected journalists
The Pakistani Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is appealing to the international community, media workers, and human rights organizations to support journalists affected by the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history. PFUJ has compiles a list of some 230 affected journalists, citing at least 213 who have had their homes washed away in the floodwaters, and journalist Asma…
More on RIM
Another piece on RIM by the Guardian, this time reporting that the UAE were after BlackBerry messaging info, because of its use in spreading gossip about high-profile Emiratis. These quotes (translated here) from Dubai’s police chief, Lt.-Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, where he says the ban was also “meant to control false rumors and defamation of…
More on certificate authority proliferation
Cryptographer Bruce Schneier linked to my Slate piece on rogue certificate authorities (CAs), which could allow governments like the UAE to monitor even the supposedly secure communications of journalists and others. The smart comments include a link to this fascinating discussion at Mozilla that shows the procedures that browser-makers use when deciding which certificates to…
New media tools bring Mozambican crisis to the world
This week’s deadly unrest in Mozambique became a global news story in part because reporters and citizen journalists used new media and social networking tools. Clashes between security forces and people protesting rising prices in the capital, Maputo, left at least seven people dead and more than 200 people injured, according to the latest news…
In Colombia, gang threats force reporter to flee
My chance encounter last year with Los Paisas, a criminal gang that operates in northern Colombia, began a nightmare that continues today. I was heading to an assignment in a tourist area south of Montería on July 9, 2009, when Los Paisas gang members blocked my car. The gang was meeting with local landowners nearby–and…
Is the pen still mightier than the sword?
CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney is quoted in an article in MediaGlobal about the dangers faced by journalists when they expose societal ills and injustice. In the article entitled “Is the pen still mightier than the sword? The plight and protection of journalists” Mahoney tells how “Most journalists are targeted. They aren’t caught in a…
After outcry, Jordan rolls back repressive measures
Jordanian journalists succeeded this week in turning back some of the most repressive aspects of a new law on cyber crimes. The initial version of the law, approved by the cabinet of ministers on August 3, included broad restrictions on material deemed by the state to be defamatory or to involve national security. It also…