Editor ordered to abstain from journalism in defamation case
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent organization dedicated to the defense of press freedom around the world, strongly protests the recent conviction of Oleg Liachko, editor of the independent Kyiv weekly Svoboda, on defamation charges.
CPJ welcomes journalists’ release, but says sedition charges should be dropped
New York, June 18, 2001 — Three journalists with the Nepali-language daily Kantipur, Yubaraj Ghimire, Kailash Shirohiya, and Binod Raj Gyawali, were released from jail on June 15. They face a trial next month on sedition charges stemming from an opinion piece that suggested a conspiracy behind the assassination of Nepal’s royal family. “We are…
Radio journalist threatened for comments about ruling party
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is profoundly concerned about recent threats against Roosevelt Benjamin, director of information of the radio station Signal FM, based in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Pétion-Ville. We urge Your Excellency to guarantee the safety of our colleague.
CPJ DELEGATION MEETS WITH ERITREAN AMBASSADORExpresses continued concern about whereabouts of 15 journalists
Washington, D.C., June 13, 2001 — A CPJ delegation met with Eritrean ambassador to the U.S. Gima Asmeron to express its deep concern about 15 journalists alleged to have been jailed or forcibly conscripted for military service. CPJ first raised the issue in a June 7 letter to Eritrean Justice Minister Foazia Hashim. In her…
Jailed editor faces multiple charges
New York, June 13, 2001-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls on Ethiopian authorities to halt the unjust prosecution of Tamirate Zuma, former publisher and editor-in-chief of the defunct Amharic weekly Atkurot, on incitement and other charges relating to his work. Zuma is due to appear in court tomorrow on the incitement charge. We urge…
CPJ and Human Rights Watch protest editor’s contempt prosecution
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch are writing jointly to protest the prosecution of Vineet Narain, founding editor of the New Delhi-based investigative journal Kalchakra. Narain faces contempt of court charges in Jammu and Kashmir State, where he says his life would be in serious danger. We urge you to order an immediate inquiry into possible political motivations behind Narain’s prosecution, and to provide him with appropriate protection if he is required to appear in court in Jammu.
ONE YEAR LATER, NO PROGRESS ON MISSING CAMERAMAN INVESTIGATION IN BELARUS
New York, July 6, 2001 On the one-year anniversary of cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky’s disappearance in Minsk, CPJ deplores the fact that Belarusian authorities have made little or no progress investigating the case, despite credible leads that have emerged over the past year. “The absence of concrete progress leads us to suspect that Belarusian authorities…
CPJ calls on President Mugabe to drop defamation charges against newspaper
New York, April 6, 2001 — CPJ is greatly disturbed by criminal defamation charges brought by President Robert Mugabe against three journalists at the Harare Daily News. Daily News editor Geoff Narrate and two of his reporters, Sandra Nyaira and Julius Zava, were charged on Wednesday with criminal defamation of President Robert Mugabe and parliamentary…