In Klebnikov case, opening hearing held in closed court
New York, January 10, 2006—Three ethnic Chechens charged in connection with the July 2004 murder of Forbes Russia Editor Paul Klebnikov went on trial today in a Moscow court that was closed to the public, according to local and international press reports. Kazbek Dukuzov and Musa Vakhayev are charged with killing Klebnikov, an American journalist…
Military investigating newspaper over CIA prison story
New York, January 10, 2006—Swiss Defense Minister Samuel Schmid has instructed military officials to open a criminal inquiry after a Zurich-based weekly SonntagsBlick published a confidential document about purported CIA prisons in Eastern Europe, according to international press reports. Defense Ministry spokesman Jean-Blaise Defago said on Monday that Schmid “ordered an investigation into how this…
CPJ urges Putin to revive probe into disappearance of journalist Maksim Maksimov
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the lack of progress in the investigation into the June 2004 disappearance of journalist Maksim Maksimov in St. Petersburg. Maksimov, 41, an investigative reporter for the St. Petersburg weekly magazine Gorod, was last seen on June 29, 2004, when he went to meet with a source in the city’s downtown district, the business daily Kommersant reported.
CPJ appeals for release of freelance journalist seized in Iraq
New York, January 9, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the abduction of U.S. reporter Jill Carroll in Baghdad, and the murder of her Iraqi interpreter. Carroll, a freelancer on assignment in Iraq for the Christian Science Monitor, was seized on January 7 by unidentified gunmen in the Adil neighborhood of western Baghdad…
Harassed newspaper director loses criminal defamation appeal
New York, January 6, 2006 The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a decision by the Paraguayan Supreme Court of Justice to uphold the criminal defamation conviction of Aldo Zuccolillo, director of the Paraguayan daily ABC Color. The Court ordered Zuccolillo on December 28, 2005 to pay a fine of 1.3 billion guaraníes…
China: CPJ condemns censorship of blogger
New York, January 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Chinese authorities for censoring well-known blogger Zhao Jing, and is alarmed by Microsoft’s agreement to pull down his site. Zhao, whose online pen name is An Ti, lost his site on the U.S. company’s hosting service MSN Spaces on December 30 after he wrote…
Pakistan: Authorities fail to answer questions about abducted journalist
New York, January 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply alarmed by the failure of the Pakistani authorities to respond to inquiries about the fate of journalist Hayatullah Khan more than a month after he was seized by unidentified gunmen in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Family and colleagues have had no…
Cambodia: Journalist and rights activist Pa Guon Tieng arrested
New York, January 5, 2006 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest on criminal defamation charges of Cambodian journalist and human rights activist Pa Guon Tieng. Border police arrested Pa and two of his associates on January 4 while they were reporting in northeastern Stung Treng province, the Cambodia Center for Human Rights…
China: Investigators hand Ching Cheong’s case to prosecutors
New York, January 5, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the continuing prosecution of Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong, whose case has been handed by investigators to state prosecutors. This increases the likelihood that Ching will be charged with spying for Taiwan, his wife Mary Lau told CPJ. The investigation period for his case ended…