United States: CPJ urges probe of NYC police attack on reporter Errol Maitland
Dear Mayor Giuliani, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by reports that journalist Errol Maitland of the radio station WBAI was attacked by members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) while covering the March 25 funeral of Patrick Dorismond, a Haitian-American who was fatally shot by an NYPD officer on March 16.
NYC POLICE ATTACK REPORTER AT FUNERAL
Click here to read CPJ’s letter to Mayor Giuliani New York, March 28, 2000 — Journalist Errol Maitland of the radio station WBAI was attacked by members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) while covering the March 25 funeral of Patrick Dorismond, a Haitian-American who was fatally shot by an NYPD officer on March…
Attacks on the Press 1999: 1999 Death Toll: Listed by Country
[Click here for full list of documented cases] At its most fundamental level, the job of a journalist is to bear witness. In 1999, journalists in Sierra Leone witnessed rebels’ atrocities against civilians in the streets of Freetown. In the Balkans, journalists watched ethnic Albanians fleeing the deadly menace of Serbian police and paramilitaries. In…
Attacks on the Press 1999: The Trauma of Sierra Leone
Introduction On January 6, 1999, rebel forces entered Freetown and launched a campaign of terror. Revolutionary United Front (RUF) fighters systematically murdered, mutilated, and raped thousands of civilians. During the three weeks that it took for Nigerian-led West African peacekeeping troops to expel the rebels from Freetown, Sierra Leone officially became the most dangerous country…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia continues to maintain a hostile attitude toward journalists and journalism. There are no independent local media, because of the Taliban’s famous intolerance and because resources are scarce in this war-ravaged country. Although several news agencies–including the BBC, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse–maintain bureaus in Kabul, visas to foreign correspondents are…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Angola
In late 1998, the breakdown of the 1994 Lusaka peace accords led to the resumption of a brutal civil war that has killed more than half a million Angolans and devastated the country’s economy. Since then there has been a marked increase in the frequency and seriousness of reported press freedom violations in Angola. At…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Argentina
During his decade in office, former president Carlos Menem used a flurry of lawsuits to stifle independent reporting in Argentina. His best efforts failed. When Menem stepped down on December 10, he left behind a vital and independent Argentine press. Journalists, particularly those in the provinces, continue to worry about their physical safety. The May…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Armenia
The October murders of Armenian prime minister Vazgen Sarkissian and parliamentary speaker Karen Demirchian, by heavily armed gunmen who raided the Parliament building, shocked the nation and divided local media. While the assassins’ motives remained inscrutable at year’s end, some journalists jumped to the swift and as yet unsubstantiated conclusion that the killings represented an…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Bangladesh
Journalists in Bangladesh were frequently subjected to physical assault, harassment, and intimidation as the country was wracked by political and criminal violence. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, intensified its campaign to oust the current government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, frequently calling countrywide strikes during…