In Iraq, two journalists slain
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murders of two Iraqi journalists who were killed in separate weekend attacks by masked assailants. Seventy-five journalists and 27 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since the war began on March 20, 2003, making it the deadliest conflict in CPJ’s 25-year history.…
China: CPJ condemns closure of popular Web sites
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by Beijing authorities’ recent order to shut two popular online forums that featured commentary on social and political issues. The Century China Web sites have been closed since last week, according to international and local news reports. The Communications Administration in Beijing ordered…
Government continues harassment of independent journalist
New York, August 2, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the continued harassment of Nosir Zokirov, a former correspondent for the Uzbek service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) who has already served six months in prison on a specious charge of insulting a security officer. President Islam Karimov’s regime has continued persecuting Zokirov and…
Defamation suit filed against weekly opposition newspaper
July 31, 2006 Posted: August 25, 2006 Fakt i Kompromat HARASSED, LEGAL ACTION Seven federal prison guards filed a civil defamation suit against the weekly opposition newspaper Fakt i Kompromat in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan. The paper recently published two articles titled, “Who manages the prisons and jails of Astrakhan?” and “The truth…
Photographer assaulted in court room
July 31, 2006 Posted: August 25, 2006 Ivan Kudryavtsev, Listok ATTACKED Kudryavtsev was attacked by Sergei Grechushnikov, head of the Ust-Koksinsky municipality, in Altai Republic, southern Siberia. Kudryavtsev, a photojournalist for the independent weekly newspaper Listok, started to photograph Grechushnikov as he entered the local courthouse, where Grechushnikov was to appear as the plaintiff in…
Rwandan journalist freed after 11 months in jail
New York, July 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the provisional release of journalist Jean-Léonard Rugambage, who had been jailed for nearly 11 months by a traditional court trying suspects in the 1994 genocide. Rugambage was freed on Friday on the orders of the national committee overseeing traditional or “gacaca” courts following an investigation…
Philippines: Tabloid photojournalist shot dead
New York, July 31, 2006—Three gunmen killed a photographer for the tabloid Tanod, outside his Manila home early this morning, according to local and international news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating to determine whether Vic Melendrez was killed in relation to his work. The unidentified assailants shot Melendrez multiple times as he…
Sri Lanka: Tamil newspapers curtail distribution after threats
New York, July 31, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by threats to distributors of two Tamil-language dailies, Sudar Oli and Thinakkural, in Batticaloa and Amparai districts of eastern Sri Lanka. Both newspapers stopped distributing in the area last week after they received threatening phone calls, their managing editors told CPJ. On July…
Unnamed suspect arrested in slaying; police say robbery was motive
New York, July 31, 2006—Authorities in the southern city of Saratov arrested a 39-year-old homeless man on Sunday in the slaying of Yevgeny Gerasimenko, a correspondent for the independent weekly Saratovsky Rasklad whose body was found strangled in his apartment on July 26, local press reports said. The Department of Internal Affairs (GUVD), which is…