U.S. journalist held at Tehran’s Evin prison
New York, March 3, 2009–A spokesman for Iran’s judiciary said at a press conference today that freelance U.S. journalist Roxana Saberi is being held at Tehran’s Evin prison, where political prisoners are routinely detained, according to international news reports. Saberi is an American citizen as well as an Iranian national.
A glimpse of the hidden war in Sri Lanka
“The government has barred independent journalists from travelling to the war zone”–the description of the Sri Lankan conflict has been among the most often-repeated for almost two years. News outlets want the latest pictures of the war in Sri Lanka and its civilian refugees. But displaced civilians who do manage to leave the war zone…
CPJ urges Zimbabwe to improve media climate
Dear Prime Minister: The decision to form a unified government in Zimbabwe has created a welcome opportunity to address oppressive government decrees and media laws that have long stifled press freedom. Your party, the Movement for Democratic Change, has long made freedom of the press a central policy and you have repeatedly stated your aspirations to privatize the state-controlled media.
Reporters crowd Zeta during Tijuana ‘Attacks’ launch
The border city of Tijuana, where drug-related violence left almost a thousand people dead in 2008, has had a strong military presence since the government of President Felipe Calderón deployed the Mexican army to fight powerful drug cartels. It can be felt in the streets. While we were driving to the Zeta offices, where we…
Attacks on the Press 2008: Writing Credits
AFRICA The country summaries in this chapter were written by Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes and Research Associate Mohamed Keita. AMERICAS Country summaries in this chapter were written by Senior Program Coordinator Carlos Lauría, Senior Research Associate María Salazar, Washington Representative Frank Smyth, and program consultants Monica Campbell and Marcelo Soares. ASIA Country summaries in…
Attacks on the Press in 2008: Introduction
By Joel Simon In 2008, the numbers of journalists killed and jailed both dropped for the first time since the war on terror was launched in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. This is welcome news, but it is tempered by harsh realities. The war on terror had a devastating effect on journalists, and…
Attacks on the Press in 2008: Afghanistan
The security situation deteriorated as reporters came under increasing threats, both political and criminal in nature. At least three foreign correspondents and two local reporters were kidnapped across the country, not only in the provincial areas that became exceedingly dangerous after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, but in the area surrounding the capital, Kabul, that…