Iraqi AP photojournalist held by U.S. without charge for a year
New York, April 10, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the United States to release Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi photojournalist for The Associated Press, who has been held in a U.S. prison in Iraq for a year without charge. Hussein, a Pulitzer Prize winner, was taken by U.S. forces on April 12 in the…
Nearly 300 journalists urge release of abducted Afghan colleague
New York, April 5, 2007—Nearly 300 journalists have signed an open letter urging the release of abducted Afghan journalist Ajmal Nakshbandi, who has been held captive by the Taliban since March 4. Those signing the letter represent an array of local and international news organizations, including CNN, The Associated Press, Reuters, Time, The New York…
Press for release of Afghan journalist Ajmal Nakshbandi
Dear Colleagues, We are asking you–journalists and news organizations–to help pressure the Afghan government to work for the release of Ajmal Nakshbandi, the freelance Afghan journalist who was seized with La Repubblica reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo and the group’s driver Sayed Agha. As you know, Agha was beheaded a few days after the men were taken on March 5. According to most sources, Ajmal is still being held by the Taliban group that abducted them and is still somewhere in Helmand province.
CPJ: The world calls for the release of Daniele Mastrogiacomo
New York, March 13, 2007—Amid a growing public outcry more than a week after the abduction of La Repubblica journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo and two Afghan assistants, the Committee to Protect Journalists again adds its voice to the global call for their release. Mastrogiacomo, a journalist with 27 years of experience who was on assignment for…
CPJ calls for release of Italian journalist in Afghanistan
New York, March 9, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists joins colleagues in Afghanistan and around the world in calling for the release of La Repubblica correspondent Daniele Mastrogiacomo, missing since Sunday when he was abducted in southern Afghanistan. Mastrogiacomo appears to be held by a Taliban military group, which has told media organizations they are…
CPJ expresses alarm as Italian reporter goes missing in Afghanistan
New York, March 6, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, a veteran reporter for the daily La Repubblica based in Afghanistan, has been out of contact with his newspaper since Sunday. The Taliban today said it had seized a man it alleged was a spy posing as…
Guantanamo Bay: Al-Jazeera cameraman force-fed during hunger strike
New York, March 5, 2007—An Al-Jazeera cameraman detained at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. naval station lost 36 pounds (16.3 Kilograms) while on hunger strike in January, and has since been force-fed, his lawyer confirmed to CPJ. Sami al-Haj, of the Qatar-based satellite news channel, began his hunger strike on January 7 to protest five years…
In U.S., concern about jailed Al-Jazeera cameraman’s health
New York, February 28, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about reports that an Al-Jazeera cameraman detained for nearly five years without charge at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been on hunger strike over the last 48 days and that he may be in failing health.
2006 prison census: 134 journalists jailed
ALGERIA: 2 Djamel Eddine Fahassi, Alger Chaîne III IMPRISONED: May 6, 1995 Fahassi, a reporter for the state-run radio station Alger Chaîne III and a contributor to several Algerian newspapers, including the now-banned weekly of the Islamic Salvation Front, Al-Forqane, was abducted near his home in the al-Harrache suburb of the capital, Algiers, by four…