Ethiopian law criminalizes independent telecom use
Nairobi, June 15, 2012–A new law in Ethiopia imposes prison sentences for offenses related to the independent use of telecommunications tools and services, according to local journalists and news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by broad and vaguely worded provisions of the law, under which journalists could be prosecuted for the methods…
Foreign broadcasters shut down for Cambodian elections
How far has democracy advanced in Cambodia? Not very far. Activists from three different political parties died during the 15-day campaign period leading up to the elections, in which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party won a large majority of seats, according to a report issued by the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia…
CPJ welcomes Malawi’s repeal of news censorship law
Nairobi, May 31, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Wednesday’s vote in the Malawi parliament that repealed a sweeping amendment to the country’s penal code which had allowed the government to ban any news “not in the public interest.”
Sina ‘information credit score’ restricts Weibo users
Sina’s Twitter-like microblog service Weibo has released new guidelines to restrict users who share banned content, according to international news reports. It’s the first time such guidelines target users who adopt puns, homonyms, and other veiled references to discuss censored news stories without using keywords on the propaganda department’s blacklist, the reports said.
El Mañana cedes battle to report on Mexican violence
They would tell you that the killers haven’t let them cover real news for several years–if you call news serious information that’s important to the public, like why the police didn’t investigate so many murders or kidnappings or extortions. Or why drugs were sold so openly. Or that three former governors are being investigated for…
No joke: Moves to squelch Pakistani media, again
With general elections approaching, the landscape is again bearing eerie resemblance to the final days of General Pervez Musharraf’s reign. In November 2007 he banned selected TV channels for 88 days to stifle what he saw as “irresponsible journalism.” Now, Pakistani electronic media might be chained again, this time for violating cultural and ethical values…
As Eurovision starts, partnership cites Baku repression
As the Eurovision song contest gets under way in Baku, Azerbaijani authorities continue to suppress freedom of expression, detaining 10 protesters on Monday, Reuters reported. The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, a coalition of free expression organizations that includes the Committee to Protect Journalists, has launched a website, Facebook and Twitter pages to highlight the…
Sudan’s press under siege
Press freedom in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating, with confiscation of newspapers by the security agency becoming a norm. The scope of violations committed against publications and journalists by the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) is widening by the day.