Bangladeshi editor jailed for seven years for critical writing
New York, January 10, 2014–A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced an editor to seven years in prison in connection with his articles about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh that allegedly showed the country in a critical light.
India’s independent journalism in doubt in election year
With the dawn of the new year, India is looking ahead to a national election in May. Recent developments raise questions about the quality and quantity of independent news coverage of the polls as local media come under greater political influence.
Press stuck in crosshairs of Thai protests
Bangkok, December 9, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on both Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government and opposition groups to respect the role of the press in the lead-up to elections scheduled for February 2. Both sides have failed to uphold basic press freedoms as anti-government protests have intensified in recent weeks, CPJ said today.
A chill over British press
A prime minister says a newspaper has damaged national security and calls for its editor to be brought before Parliament; his government tells the same paper there has been “enough” debate on an issue and sends its security officials into the paper’s offices to smash discs containing journalistic material; lawmakers call for the editor’s prosecution…
Inter-American court ruling seen as a serious setback
For more than a decade, courts and legislatures throughout Latin America have found that civil remedies provide adequate redress in cases of libel and slander. Over this period, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights — an autonomous judicial institution, which is part of the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States (OAS)…