New York, May 12, 2006—Another Ethiopian journalist has been sentenced to jail under the country’s draconian press law, in a case that dates back at least seven years, the Committee to Protect Journalists has confirmed. Tesehalene Mengesha, a former editor at the defunct Amharic-language weekly Mebruk, was convicted of criminal defamation over a week ago…
New York, May 12, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the trial of Li Yuanlong, a reporter for the daily Bijie Ribao, on charges of “inciting subversion of state authority” for articles he posted online. Li, who has not seen his family since his imprisonment in September 2005, appeared gaunt during Thursday’s five-hour trial, according…
New York, May 11, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Egyptian police and security officers assaulted several journalists covering protests today in support of two judges facing dismissal for criticizing last year’s parliamentary elections. Several journalists detained while covering similar protests last month are still being held. Plainclothes police and security…
New York, May 11, 2006—A local prosecutor in Mozambique has taken a preliminary step toward indicting a son of former President Joaquim Chissano in the 2000 murder of investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso, Mozambique’s official news agency, AIM, reported today. The prosecutor filed what is known as a charge sheet with the Maputo City Court about…
New York, May 11, 2006—With the 2008 Olympic Games just two years away, the Committee to Protect Journalists is greatly concerned about the Chinese government’s continuing crackdown on the media. China’s policies of the past three years show a disturbing trend that seems certain to affect journalists reporting from Beijing in 2008. CPJ calls on…
New York, May 2, 2006—The trial of journalist Yang Xiaoqing has been set for May 10 in the county court of Longhui, in south central China’s Hunan province, the same county where Yang’s reporting exposed alleged graft among local officials, his wife and lawyer told CPJ today. “It is ludicrous to think that Yang Xiaoqing…
New York, May 9, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by attacks on radio stations in the Comoros in the run-up to May 14 federal elections in the Indian Ocean state. Unidentified assailants armed with machetes stormed two radio stations on the island of Grande Comore on May 5, forcing them off the air…
APRIL 27, 2006 Posted: May 8, 2006 Abraham Reta Alemu, Ruh IMPRISONED Alemu, former editor of the now defunct Amharic-language weekly Ruh, was sentenced on April 24 to one year in jail for defamation, and imprisoned the same day. The charge stemmed from an article published in Ruh several years ago, which accused senior government…
May 8, 2006 Rob Jamieson, The Chronicle Arnold Mlelemba, The Chronicle Dickson Kashoti, The Chronicle HARASSED, LEGAL ACTION Three journalists working for the private weekly newspaper The Chronicle were detained and charged with criminal libel in connection with an article alleging that Malawi’s then-attorney general was involved in the theft of a computer. Attorney General…
May 2, 2006 Posted: May 8, 2006 Camelo Luís de Sá, Quiterianópolis FM ATTACKED Sá, a reporter with the community radio station Quiterianópolis FM in the northeastern state of Ceará, was shot twice in the arm at the station’s offices, according to the local news agency Agencia Nordeste. Sá is known for criticizing the local…