Government ban on Web sites draws concern
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists is troubled by the government’s recent order to ban certain Web sites, an action that has resulted in blocked access to domains hosting many thousands of Web logs. We urge you to lift the ban, which has disrupted the flow of news, information, and commentary in a medium of growing importance in India. We are concerned as well that the order was imposed with no official explanation and without judicial or independent review.
Malaysia: Government cracks down on popular radio program
New York, July 19, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Malaysian government’s interference with Ai FM’s radio program “The Mic is On, With Love, Without Obstacles” for freely airing listeners’ views about a controversial government order that affected Chinese-language schools. The Ministry of Information on June 24 ordered the Chinese-language program to restructure its…
CPJ concerned about jailed journalist’s deteriorating health
New York, July 19, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the worsening heath of journalist Sakit Zakhidov, who is being held on drug possession charges that local press freedom activists and independent journalists say are fabricated. Sakit Zakhidov, a prominent reporter and satirist for the Baku-based daily opposition newspaper Azadliq has been in…
Death threats against journalist after drug trafficking report
New York, July 18, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in Paraguay to investigate death threats against a journalist covering drug trafficking in an area where another journalist disappeared more than five months ago. Luis Alcides Ruiz Díaz of the weekly Hechos received an anonymous text message Saturday warning him about his reporting, the…
Philippines: Radio broadcaster killed in Mindanao
New York, July 18, 2006—Two unidentified gunmen killed broadcaster Armando Pace as he returned home today after hosting his radio program in the city of Digos on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating to determine whether he was killed in relation to his work. Pace, 51, was shot…
Al-Jazeera reporters detained in northern Israel
New York, July 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention of Al-Jazeera television crews covering Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel amid allegations that they were “assisting the enemy.” Walid al-Omary, Jerusalem-based bureau chief for the Arab satellite TV station, told CPJ that he had been detained by Israeli police three…
CPJ confirms treason charge filed against another journalist
New York, July 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists has confirmed that Solomon Aregawi, owner of the defunct Amharic-language newspaper Hadar, has been charged with antistate crimes in connection with his journalistic work. This raises the number of journalists jailed for their work in Ethiopia to 18 from 17, according to CPJ research. Three are…
Two more journalists said to be arrested as crackdown continues
New York, July 17, 2006—Two more journalists were arrested on Friday in a government crackdown on critical voices in the run-up to September presidential elections, according to a CPJ source. Sam Obi, a Banjul-based Nigerian who recently founded an independent newspaper called the Daily Express, is being held by the National Intelligence Agency, two local…
Ukrainian TV reporter jailed covering anti-G8 rally
New York, July 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the jailing of a Ukrainian television reporter who attempted to cover a demonstration against the Group of Eight (G8) meeting of industrialized nations in St. Petersburg. Maksym Butkevych of the Kyiv-based television channel 1+1, was arrested yesterday while filming police breaking up a…