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Bangladesh – Newspaper editor freed after three months, immediately re-arrested
Reporters Without Borders is appalled to learn that Mohammad Ekramul Haque, the owner and editor of the Sheershanews.com news website and the weekly Sheersha Kagoj, was re-arrested on 1 November immediately after being released on bail by order of the Dacca high court. “We are outraged by Haque’s new arrest on the very day of his release after three months in prison on trumped-up charges,” Reporters Without Borders said. “How could the judicial authorities allow a journalist to be held for 90 (…)
Syria \ The arab revolt \ Une - Moyen Orient - 1
Syria – More arbitrary arrests and disappearances of journalists and bloggers
Reporters Without Borders reiterates its concern about the fate of journalists and bloggers who have disappeared or who have been kidnapped of the course of the past nine months of protests against Bashar Al-Assad’s government. The list keeps getting longer. Lina Ibrahim, a reporter for the pro-government newspaper Tishreen, has been missing for the past eight days. A relative said she left her home in the Damascus suburb of Harasta on the morning of 25 October and never returned. Little (…)
internet \ Syria \ The arab revolt \ Une - Internet - 1 \ Une - Moyen Orient - 1
Syria – More arbitrary arrests and disappearances of journalists and bloggers
Reporters Without Borders reiterates its concern about the fate of journalists and bloggers who have disappeared or who have been kidnapped of the course of the past nine months of protests against Bashar Al-Assad’s government. The list keeps getting longer. Lina Ibrahim, a reporter for the pro-government newspaper Tishreen, has been missing for the past eight days. A relative said she left her home in the Damascus suburb of Harasta on the morning of 25 October and never returned. Little (…)
France – Reporters Without Borders profoundly shocked by arson attack on satirical weekly
Reporters Without Borders is deeply shocked by the firebomb attack that devastated the premises of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris in the early hours of yesterday. “It is extremely worrying to note that in France there are individuals who are prepared to lash out in such a violent manner against a newspaper for making use of its freedom of expression. Reacting in this way only serves to increase tension and ignorance of all kinds,” said Jean-François Julliard, (…)
The arab revolt \ Une - Moyen Orient - 2 \ Yemen
Yemen – Media workers caught in clashes between loyalist troops and opposition forces
Reporters Without Borders is greatly concerned by the growing violence that is directly and indirectly affecting media workers in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and in the south of the country. The headquarters of the independent television station Haditha Al-Madina in the city of Taiz, 270 km south of Sanaa, were severely damaged yesterday by the explosion of a shell fired nearby. Despite serious damage, there were no injuries. In addition, the head office of the station Al-Saida in the Sufa (…)
Ethiopia \ Une - Afrique - 1 \ Une - Générale - 1
Ethiopia – Court drops one of three charges against Swedish journalists
Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that an Addis Ababa court today dropped a charge of participating in terrorist activity against Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye of the Kontinent news agency, who nonetheless continue to be tried on charges of supporting a terrorist group and entering Ethiopia illegally. At the end of today’s hearing, the trial was adjourned until 6 December. The two journalists will meanwhile remain in detention. “We hope that the court (…)
Ethiopia \ Une - Afrique - 1 \ Une - Générale - 1
Ethiopia – Court drops one of three charges against Swedish journalists
Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that an Addis Ababa court today dropped a charge of participating in terrorist activity against Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye of the Kontinent news agency, who nonetheless continue to be tried on charges of supporting a terrorist group and entering Ethiopia illegally. At the end of today’s hearing, the trial was adjourned until 6 December. The two journalists will meanwhile remain in detention. “We hope that the court (…)
Argentina \ Une - Amériques - 1
Argentina – Judicial abuse: filmmaker threatened with censorship, journalist sent back to prison
Osvaldo Bayer, a journalist and documentary maker, has been prosecuted since early September by the grandchildren of José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, who served as economy minister during the dictatorship of Jorge Videla from 1976 to 1981, over the documentary Awka Liwen. He faces a prison sentence unless he pays 1 million pesos (236,000 dollars) in damages and injury to the family. Reporters Without Borders expresses its support for Bayer, whose film, co-produced with Mariano Aiello and (…)
Turkey – Judge says publishing freedom pioneer must remain in detention
Reporters Without Borders condemns an Istanbul judge’s decision on 1 November to keep columnist and publisher Ragip Zarakolu in detention until a prosecutor has drawn up an indictment, which in Turkey could take months or even years. Arrested along with dozens of other activists under Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws on 28 October (see below), Zarakolu was immediately transferred from police custody to Istanbul’s Metris prison. “It seems the Turkish judicial system has decided to make Zarakolu pay (…)
Honduras – Leading suspect cleared of killing journalist, “clean-up” of police announced
Reporters Without Borders is astonished to learn that Marco Joel Álvarez Barahona, also known as El Unicornio” (The Unicorn), was acquitted by a court in the northern city of La Ceiba on 31 October of being the main perpetrator of last year’s murder of radio journalist David Meza Montesinos. Meza was gunned down in La Ceiba on 11 March 2010 after receiving threats in connection with his coverage of drug-trafficking on Honduras’ Atlantic coast. He was also a critic of police collusion with (…)
Thailand – Court refuses to free editor held for six months on lèse-majesté charge
Reporters Without Borders condemns yesterday’s refusal by a Bangkok court to free Somyos Prueksakasemsuk on bail although he has been held for six months on a lèse-majesté charge in connection with his former position as editor of Voice of Thaksin, a magazine closed in 2010. “The new government continues to violate the principles it proclaimed,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We are sceptical about its intention to carry out the prime minister’s pledge not to abuse the lèse-majesté laws. We (…)
Accueil - Focus - 2 \ internet \ Une - Amériques - 2 \ Une - Internet - 1 \ United States
United States – Domestic reality does not match bold words on Internet freedom of expression
The US government has reiterated its commitment to online free speech several times since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in particular, affirmed US support for freedom of expression and opinion very clearly in a speech in Washington on January 21st, 2010. Urging American companies to take a “principled stand” against online censorship, Clinton said defense of the Internet should be one of the cornerstones of US diplomacy. As the (…)
Sri Lanka \ Une - Asie - 1 \ Une - Générale - 2
Sri Lanka – Death threats against newspaper editor
Reporters Without Borders has written an open letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa urging him to take whatever measures are necessary to protect Frederica Jansz, the editor of The Sunday Leader, and to ensure that those responsible for last week’s death threats against her are arrested. The threatening letter Jansz received on 27 October was prompted by her 2009 interview with Gen. Sarath Fonseka, a former army commander and presidential candidate in 2010, in which Fonseka accused defence (…)
eritrea \ Une - Afrique - 1 \ Une - Générale - 3
Eritrea – Reporters Without Borders’ position on reports that Swedish-Eritrean journalist may have died in detention
Note to editors Unconfirmed reports that Dawit Isaac, a journalist with dual Swedish and Eritrean nationality, has died in detention have been circulating since 27 October, his 47th birthday. On the basis of the information available, Reporters Without Borders does not think he has died, but it does not know where the Eritrean authorities are holding him. He has been detained for the past 10 years. Although the reports continue to be unconfirmed, Reporters Without Borders intends to take (…)
