Ivory Coast’s suspension of France 24 is politicized
New York, February 24, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about politically motivated censorship in Ivory Coast after authorities banned international French broadcaster France 24 on Monday on bogus allegations of unprofessionalism over coverage of political unrest in the West African nation.
Attacks on the Press 2009: Argentina
Top Developments• New broadcast law sparks contentious debate, raises concerns.• In major victory, criminal defamation laws are repealed. Key Statistic 200: Tax agents who raided Clarín in apparent reprisal for the newspaper’s coverage. Press freedom advocates won two important victories as congress decriminalized defamation, and a federal court issued a ruling that, while still under appeal, could…
Attacks on the Press 2009: China
Top Developments• More access for foreign reporters, tighter rules for local assistants.• As online use grows, government censors sites, jails critics. Key Statistic 24: Journalists jailed as of December 1, 2009. While China’s ruling communist party celebrated 60 years in power in 2009, its critics commemorated antigovernment movements in Tibet in 1949 and Tiananmen Square…
Attacks on the Press 2009: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Top Developments • RFI removed from FM frequencies; other stations censored.• Hundreds march in nine provinces to protest ongoing threats, violence. Key Statistic 3: Female journalists threatened with “a bullet to the head” after focusing their work on women’s issues. Authorities censored coverage of armed conflict and human rights violations in the mineral-rich eastern Kivu…
Attacks on the Press 2009: Georgia
Top Developments • TV news politicized due to government manipulation. • Opposition-aligned broadcaster obstructed. Key Statistic 7: Percent of Internet penetration nationwide. While no journalists were killed or imprisoned in Georgia in 2009, press freedom in this small South Caucasus nation stagnated due to persistent state manipulation of news media, particularly television broadcasting. In a…
Attacks on the Press 2009: Iraq
Top Developments• Fatalities and abductions plummet as security situation improves.• Prime minister, others file lawsuits to harass media. Kurdish courts jail six journalists. Key Statistic 4: Journalists killed in connection to their work, the lowest tally since the war began in 2003. Four Iraqi journalists were killed because of their work as the press continued to face…
Attacks on the Press 2009: Morocco
Top Developments• Authorities censor, jail journalists to silence coverage of the royal family. • Politicized courts issue heavy defamation awards. Key Statistic 100,000: Copies of two weeklies destroyed by authorities because they carried a poll about the king. As King Mohammed VI marked his first decade on the Alawite throne, his government moved aggressively to censor coverage…
Attacks on the Press 2009: Nepal
Top Developments• Government fails to investigate press freedom abuses. • Reporter slain after covering Maoist land seizures. Key Statistic 8th: Ranking on CPJ Impunity Index, making it one of world’s worst for press. Nepal’s news media entered 2009 in a state of crisis. Attacks on the press had escalated in late 2008 amid a climate…