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IFEX Communiqué Vol 21, No 01

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International / Middle East and North Africa

Recent deaths of Syrian journalists cement Arab world's ranking as deadly region for journalists in 2011, say IFEX members

Between 50 and 106 journalists and media workers were killed in 2011 in connection with their work or while on the job, with the volatile Middle East and North Africa region ranking as one of the world's most dangerous areas for journalists last year, say IFEX members in their year-end reviews. Read the round-up - and why the numbers differ - here.

Egypt

Security forces launch unprecedented raids on human rights organisations

Egyptian security forces last week launched unprecedented armed raids on a series of high profile human rights and pro-democracy organisations, including the Cairo branch of IFEX member Freedom House, report the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), the Arabic Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI) and Freedom House.

China

Dissidents who posted "subversive" articles online get up to 10 years in prison

Officials in China have handed down a 10-year jail sentence to Chen Xi, the second dissident in three days to be convicted of inciting subversion through articles he posted online, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Another democracy campaigner, Chen Wei, was sentenced to nine years on similar charges, report RSF as well as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International. They are some of the heaviest sentences for inciting subversion since the Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo was jailed for 11 years on Christmas Day 2009, say the groups.

Ethiopia / Sweden

Swedish journalists given 11 years on terrorism charges

Ethiopia sentenced two Swedish journalists to 11 years in jail last week on charges of supporting terrorism after the pair illegally entered the country with a Somali rebel group, report IFEX's international members. Photojournalist Johan Persson and reporter Martin Schibbye were arrested by Ethiopian security forces in July during a gunfight between Ethiopian soldiers and rebels in the no-go region of Ogaden, and were put on trial in October.

International / Awards and other opportunities

Front Line seeking nominations for human rights defenders award

Front Line is seeking nominations for the 2012 Front Line Defenders Award, which honours the work of human rights defenders at risk. The deadline for nominations is 30 January 2012.