Nazarbayev urged to curb politically motivated lawsuits
Dear President Nazarbayev: CPJ would like to draw your attention to your government’s selective and politically motivated use of civil libel lawsuits against critical journalists and their publications. In a trend that fosters self-censorship, intolerant public officials target critical news outlets with defamation lawsuits that result in crippling damages.
A legal victory for press freedom in Bility case
Testifying at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Liberian journalist Hassan Bility described a harrowing 1997 reporting trip to Sierra Leone in which he documented Liberian government support for the brutal RUF rebels. His testimony was undoubtedly damaging to defendant Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president on trial for war crimes and…
Colombian court issues arrest warrant for Daniel Coronell
New York, March 25, 2009–A court in Colombia has issued an arrest warrant for prominent journalist Daniel Coronell for contempt of court after he failed to correct for a second time a story linking a local businessman to drug trafficking, the Committee to Protect Journalists learned today. CPJ calls on the judge to withdraw the…
Ivorian editor abruptly jailed in libel case
New York, March 20, 2009–Ivorian authorities on Thursday abruptly jailed a journalist who was scheduled to appear in court next week on libel charges related to a column critical of the government, according to local journalists and press reports. The imprisonment appeared to violate the 2004 Ivorian press law, which decriminalized press offenses and banned pretrial…
Iraqi paper, former editor fined for defaming president
New York, March 16, 2009–The court of appeals in Iraqi Kurdistan should overturn yesterday’s decision to fine an independent newspaper and its former editor-in-chief for defaming Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The defamatory article was a translation of one written in 2008 by a U.S. scholar.
Egypt must halt campaign against bloggers
Dear Mr. President: CPJ is writing to protest the relentless campaign of persecution against Internet journalists and bloggers by Egypt’s various security services. Regrettably, the routine harassment and detention of bloggers, according to CPJ research, is only one element of an overall decline in press freedom in Egypt in recent years.
Swazi columnist criticizes king, gets fined … in cows
About two weeks ago, traditional authorities in the mountain kingdom of Swaziland slapped the nation’s most outspoken political columnist, Mfomfo Nkambule, with a fine–to be paid in cows–for criticism of the administration of King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute ruler.
Algerian journalist provisionally released, facing jail term
New York, March 9, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the provisional release on medical grounds of an Algerian journalist known for his denunciation of corruption under President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but is concerned that he will need to return to jail to serve a six-month sentence.
CPJ concerned about UAE draft media law
Your Highness: We are writing to express our concern about a draft of the United Arab Emirates’ media law, recently approved by the Federal National Council. We urge you to reject the law in its current form, which if passed would negatively impact the state of press freedom in the UAE.