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Communiqué Vol 18, No 25

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International

Nearly 400 journalists exiled since 2001, says CPJ

Sri Lankan journalist Upali Tennakoon paid a heavy price for producing critical coverage of the government offensive against Tamil rebels this year. In January, he was driving to his office when four men on motorcycles smashed his car windows and beat him and his wife with metal bars. Fearing for their safety, the couple has since fled to the U.S. Back at home, no progress has been made in his case. "Without information about who did this and why, I don't think it is safe to go back," he said in a recent interview with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Iran

Media repression continues into second week

As daily street demonstrations gripped the nation following Iran's disputed presidential elections, Iran's crackdown on the media continued into its second week, report IFEX members. An unknown number of journalists have been arrested, expelled or confined to their offices, while newspapers are being censored and communications disrupted.

Qatar

Ménard calls it quits at Doha Centre

Former head of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Robert Ménard and his team have left the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, a relatively new international press freedom organisation based in Qatar, reports RSF.

Afghanistan / Pakistan

U.S. and Afghan journalists escape Taliban captors

IFEX members Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed relief after a "New York Times" reporter and Afghan journalist escaped from their Taliban captors on 19 June, following more than seven months in captivity.

Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)

Court issues landmark ruling on protection of journalists' sources

A Belfast journalist in Northern Ireland last week won the right to withhold material relating to the Real IRA from the state, in a landmark ruling on press freedom, say the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and ARTICLE 19.

Europe and Central Asia

Twelve countries sign world's first treaty on access to information

Twelve European countries have signed the world's first treaty on access to information, report ARTICLE 19 and Access Info Europe.

The Gambia

Journalists charged with sedition freed on bail

Seven Gambian journalists charged with sedition last week for criticising the President have been freed on bail, while two other detainees were released without charge, report the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Meanwhile, a journalist covering the sedition trial has been detained without charge.

Europe and Central Asia / Zimbabwe

Say no to EU visa discrimination after Zimbabwean band forced to cancel tour

In the lead up to their European tour this summer, the band Mokoomba was billed "The Next Generation of Zimbabwean Hope" in recognition of their story of diversity and perseverance: they come from one of Zimbabwe's smallest rural villages and sing in Tonga, a language foreign to even the majority of Zimbabweans.

Russia

More than 300 journalists killed in Russia since 1993, says joint report

The murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006 shocked the world. "Yet for every Anna, there have been many less widely known journalists killed for their work across Russia," says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in a groundbreaking report on the 313 Russian journalists killed since 1993.