Media mogul receives two-year jail sentence for defamation
New York, March 30, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the two year prison term on criminal defamation charges handed down to firebrand and Manager Media Group founder Sondhi Limthongkul, who is appealing the sentence and remains free on bail. A Bangkok criminal court on Thursday sentenced Sondhi in relation to comments he…
In Iraq, 11 media workers jailed for month without charge
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that 10 current employees and one former employee of the independent production company Wasan Media have been held by the Interior Ministry for more than a month without charge.
Thailand’s military government censors satellite TV station
New York, March 20, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the censorship of a new satellite television station by Thai authorities, part of an ongoing ban against the broadcaster since the military seized power in a coup last September. Over the weekend, government agencies blocked news programs carried by PTV, or People’s Television, which was…
In Chad, journalist convicted of defamation
New York, March 16, 2007— A court in the capital N’Djamena sentenced on Tuesday a journalist to a six-month suspended prison term and damages on criminal defamation charges over a May 2006 story alleging corruption by a Catholic priest, according to press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED) and news reports. Director Adji Moussa of…
Local authorities close critical newspaper
New York, March 14, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the closure of independent weekly Dzerzhinets in the central Ukrainian city of Dneprodzerzhynsk and the harassment of its editor-in-chief. Dzerzhinets was closed on January 30, after the Zavodskoi civil district court convicted the paper of defamation and incitement of religious and national hatred.…
In Bangladesh, editor of outspoken daily arrested in military raid
New York, March 8, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled by the arrest of Atiqullah Khan Masud, editor and publisher of the popular Bengali-language daily Janakantha, in a military raid on the Dhaka newspaper’s office Wednesday night. Bangladeshi police today accused Masud of corruption, criminal activities, and “tarnishing the country’s image abroad” through his…
Thai government seizes last independent broadcaster
New York, March 6, 2007 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the Thai government’s decision today to take control of iTV, Thailand’s only privately owned and managed television news station. The takeover was expected after the government announced last week it would terminate iTV’s license on Tuesday – the deadline for paying…
Independent editor jailed in Russia
New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the fate of Vladimir Chugunov, founder and editor of the independent weekly Chugunka, who has been imprisoned since January 21, according to his family and the independent Moscow daily Novaya Gazeta. Chugunov was summoned to police headquarters in Solnechnogorsk, 40 miles (64…
Another paper raided over ‘pirated’ software
New York, February 8, 2008—For the second time in a week, Russian police have raided an independent newspaper and seized its computers, accusing it of using pirated Microsoft software. The latest incident was on Wednesday, when police in St. Petersburg raided the offices of the weekly Minuty Veka and its publishing house, seizing its computers.…