Journalists released
January 19, 2006 Original alert: December 23, 2005 Klem Ofuokwu, Rhythm 93.7 FM Cleopatra Taiwo, Rhythm 93.7 FM IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION On January 3, two radio journalists were released from prison after paying bail in the southern city of Port Harcourt. Ofuokwu and Taiwo, both of whom work for the private radio station Rhythm 93.7…
In Ivory Coast, youth militia seize state broadcaster
New York, January 18, 2006—Hundreds of members of the radical pro-government Young Patriots militia seized control of the state television and radio broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI) today, broadcasting calls for protests against the French and U.N. presence in the country, according to local sources. They were also said to ransack a community radio station…
NIGERIA
DECEMBER 23, 2005 Updated: January 19, 2006 Klem Ofuokwu, Rhythm 93.7 FM Cleopatra Taiwo, Rhythm 93.7 FM IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION On January 3, two radio journalists were released from prison after paying bail in the southern city of Port Harcourt. Ofuokwu and Taiwo, both of whom work for the private radio station Rhythm 93.7 FM,…
New York Times researcher Zhao Yan charged with leaking state secrets
New York, December 23, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the indictment of New York Times researcher Zhao Yan on charges of leaking state secrets. Prosecutors notified Zhao’s lawyers today of the charges, which could 10 years or more in prison, according to international news reports. Zhao’s lawyers have not seen the indictment and do…
Two journalists jailed for airing “false information”
New York, December 23, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the indictment of two Nigerian radio journalists for airing an erroneous report of a bridge collapse, which their station retracted. Klem Ofuokwu and Cleopatra Taiwo, journalists for the private radio station Rhythm 93.7 FM in the southeastern city of Port Harcourt, were remanded…
Two more journalists jailed on old charges
New York, December 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged that two more journalists have been jailed on criminal charges that have been revived since a crackdown on the press in November. The convictions last week relating to articles published up to seven years ago bring the number of journalists now behind bars in…
Authorities seize independent publisher’s passport
New York, December 9, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the seizure of the passport of Trevor Ncube, owner and director of Zimbabwe’s two remaining independent newspapers and of South Africa’s Mail and Guardian. Ncube was ordered to hand over his passport on Thursday when he landed in Zimbabwe at Bulawayo airport from South Africa…
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
DECEMBER 2, 2005 Posted December 8, 2005 Patrice Booto, Le Journal and Pool Malebo IMPRISONED Security forces arrested Patrice Booto, publisher of the thrice-weekly Le Journal and its sister publication, Pool Malebo. Booto was detained at a police station in the capital, Kinshasa, according to local press freedom organization Journaliste en danger (JED). On November…