Russian journalists released from jail after being arrested at rally
New York, May 2, 2005—A Belarusian court granted early release Saturday to two Russian journalists arrested last week while covering an opposition demonstration in the capital, Minsk, that marked the anniversary of the April 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The journalists were freed along with 12 Russians who participated in the rally, according to local and…
Journalist ordered not to receive UNESCO press freedom award
New York, May 2, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned Chinese authorities’ refusal to allow journalist Cheng Yizhong to receive a United Nations press freedom award on Tuesday. Cheng, who was imprisoned for five months in 2004 after his aggressive investigative journalism angered local officials, was ordered not to attend a ceremony honoring him…
CPJ condemns 10-year sentence of journalist
New York, May 2, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists today denounced the unfair trial and harsh sentencing of journalist Shi Tao, who was convicted of “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners” in a closed trial in the Intermediate People’s Court of Changsha in central China’s Hunan Province. Shi was sentenced on Saturday to 10 years…
Baghdad shooting highlights checkpoint shortcomings
New York, May 2, 2005—A March 4 shooting in Baghdad in which U.S. forces killed Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari and wounded Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena and agent Andrea Carpani might have been avoided if the military had used basic warning measures such as signs and speed bumps to alert civilians to the presence of…
IRAQ
MAY 2005 Posted October 18, 2005 Samir Mohammed Noor, Reuters IMPRISONED Reuters reported that its freelance television cameraman Noor was arrested by Iraqi troops at his home in the northern town of Tal Afar in May 2005 and was ordered detained indefinitely by the CRRB, which oversees detentions in Iraq.
CHINA
APRIL 30, 2005 Posted: May 4, 2005 Shi Tao, Dangdai Shang Bao LEGAL ACTION, IMPRISONED Shi was sentenced to 10 years in prison on April 30 after being convicted in March of “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners” in a closed trial in the Intermediate People’s Court of Changsha in central China’s Hunan Province.
CPJ condemns murder of veteran Tamil journalist
New York, April 29, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the brutal killing of leading Tamil journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, who was abducted yesterday and found dead this morning near the capital, Colombo, from gunshot wounds to the head. Four unidentified men forced Sivaram into a jeep at 10:30 last night as he left a restaurant…