Journalist abducted and TV tower attacked
New York, May 18, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the safety of reporter Som Sharma, who was abducted from his residence in the eastern district of Ilam late last week. The abduction is one of several serious attacks on the press in recent days by both Maoist rebels and the government.…
Imprisoned journalist Jiang Weiping in ill health
New York, May 17, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by the recent deterioration in the health care and prison conditions provided to Jiang Weiping, an investigative journalist now serving his fifth year in jail. Prison authorities have barred Jiang from making phone calls during recent months and have denied him permission to read…
U.S. photographer released after two weeks in custody
New York, May 11, 2005—A U.S. photographer was released from custody yesterday after being detained by Sudanese authorities in Darfur two weeks ago, the U.S. daily The Hartford Courant reported today. Sudanese security forces detained Brad Clift on April 26 while he was taking photographs at an internally displaced persons camp outside Nyala, capital of…
Information Ministry orders closure of opposition weekly
New York, May 10, 2005 – CPJ condemns the closure of the leading opposition weekly Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye (Republic Business Review) by The Kazakh Culture, Information, and Sports Ministry. Last Thursday in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s financial capital, Galina Dyrdina, the weekly’s deputy editor told a press conference that editorial staff will not publish the paper’s next…
One hundred days after coup, CPJ urges Nepal’s king to restore free press
Your Majesty: Nearly 100 days after Your Majesty dismissed the government and curtailed civil liberties, press freedom has not been restored. Your Majesty has not lifted a ban on reporting that goes “against the letter and spirit” of your February 1 proclamation. A ban on FM radio news broadcasting remains in place, depriving rural citizens of their only source of independent news. And your government continues to harass and intimidate journalists.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
MAY 8, 2005 Posted: June 10, 2005 Zéphirin Kaya, Radio Ndeke Luka Patrick Akibata, Radio Ndeke Luka Maka Gbossokotto, Le Citoyen THREATENED Kaya, Akibata and Gbossokotto received death threats following critical coverage of the second round of presidential and parliamentary elections on May 8. Reinhard Moser, head of independent station Radio Ndeke Luka, and Le…
CPJ condemns use of criminal defamation law
New York, May 6, 2005—Using antiquated criminal laws dating back to Indonesia’s colonial era, a district court in the city of Lampung on the island of Sumatra found two journalists guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced them to nine months in prison on Wednesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the ruling and the…