TEMPLATE Nueva York, 4 de enero del 2006–El Comité para la Protección de Periodistas (CPJ, por sus siglas en inglés) está preocupado por una acusación de censura gubernamental de un prominente periodista argentino cuyo programa de radio fue abruptamente sacado del aire. José “Pepe” Eliaschev señaló al CPJ que la emisora estatal Radio Nacional le…
New York, January 3, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of journalist Jiang Weiping, who has been jailed for five years for writing about corruption in his home province of Liaoning. CPJ honored Jiang in 2001 with an International Press Freedom Award. “In the four years since we honored Jiang Weiping for…
New York, January 3, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that the Belarusian prosecutor’s office has suspended an investigation of the murder of journalist Veronika Cherkasova. Local and international press reports said the authorities shelved the case on December 28 for lack of suspects. The authorities did not examine whether Cherkasova was stabbed…
DECEMBER 29, 2005 Posted: January 17, 2006 Tieng Noi Dan Chu CENSORED, HARASSED Hackers shut down the Tieng Noi Dan Chu (Democratic Voices) Web site 19 days after it launched on International Human Rights Day, the U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. Tieng Noi Dan Chu was founded by dissident writer Tran Khue and…
DECEMBER 28, 2005 Posted January 4, 2006 Yang Bin, Beijing NewsSun Xuedong, Beijing News Li Duoyu, Beijing News HARASSED The Propaganda Department removed Yang from his post as chief editor after the daily Beijing News reported aggressively on rural protests and other sensitive topics, according to international news reports. The newspaper broke the story of…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a bill before you that seeks to dramatically expand state control over nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including those dedicated to promoting press freedom and supporting independent media. The bill emerges at a politically sensitive time, as the Kremlin prepares for the 2007 parliamentary election and the 2008 presidential election. The proposed restrictions appear to attack political pluralism and public dissent in Russia.
New York, December 28, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Thursday’s court decision upholding the conviction of Internet writer Zheng Yichun on charges of “inciting subversion” for his articles criticizing the government. The Liaoning Supreme People’s Court rejected Zheng’s appeal, making it more likely that he will serve a prison term of seven years. “Zheng…
New York, December 28, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed that a criminal case against veteran Hong Kong reporter Ching Cheong could be handed over to prosecutors in mainland China by the end of next week. Ching, a correspondent for the Singapore-based daily The Straits Times, was detained in the mainland on April 22…
DECEMBER 26, 2005 Posted: January 20, 2006 Phil Sands, freelancer ABDUCTED British freelance journalist Sands, 28, was freed on January 1, 2006 by U.S. soldiers who happened upon him by chance during a routine hunt for insurgents. Sands, who contributed to the San Francisco Chronicle and The Scotsman, was abducted by gunmen while on his…