Two journalists assaulted by police in recent weeks; IFJ condemns arrests and harassment of journalists

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ press release:

CPJ protests deteriorating state of press freedom

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 29 September 2003 letter to President Omar Bongo, CPJ expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Gabon. Recently, Gabonese authorities suspended two private newspapers and renewed the suspension of a third.

Journalists face mounting obstacles and threats to their work

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned the 25 September 2003 blast outside a hotel housing the Baghdad bureau of the NBC television network and called for an investigation into the bombing, the first involving a United States (U.S.) news organisation's Iraq headquarters (see IFEX alert of 25 September 2003).

WSIS Media Caucus concerned by risk to fundamental principles on independent, pluralistic media

(ARTICLE 19/WPFC/IFEX) - The following is a 26 September 2003 open letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan from the WSIS Media Caucus/ARTICLE 19, the WPFC and the European Broadcasting Union:

Independent newspaper closed

(WAN/IFEX) - In a 30 September 2003 letter to Belarusian President Alyaksander Lukashenko, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed serious concern over the closure of the independent newspaper "Mestnoye Vremya Press".

Constitutional Court to examine restrictive media and election laws

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 26 September 2003 CPJ press release:

Police detain three journalists, one still held incommunicado

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 29 September 2003 CPJ press release:

Two years after journalist Martin O'Hagan's murder, the investigation is at a standstill; photographer receives death threat

(RSF/IFEX) - On the eve of the second anniversary of the murder of Martin O'Hagan, an investigative journalist from the Irish weekly "Sunday World", RSF voiced deep concern about the lack of progress in the police investigation, which has ground to a complete halt. O'Hagan was killed on 28 September 2001 in Northern Ireland.

Newspaper editor Aboulaye Sey alleges death threat

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert update:

Television relay tower destroyed

(FLIP/IFEX) - Several municipalities in Valle, Cauca and Nariño departments have been without public television service since 23 September 2003, following the destruction of the National Radio and Television Institute's (Instituto Nacional de Radio y Televisión, Inravisión) relay tower. National and regional newspapers have reported that the tower was blown up by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC).

Communications authority suspends 10 radio stations

(RSF/IFEX) - The Higher Council for Communications (Conseil supérieur de la Communication, CSC) has ordered 10 of the country's privately-owned radio stations to suspend their programming as of 25 September 2003.

Government seizes entire print-run of Arabic-language newspaper's latest issue

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert:

Politician issues death threats against Kinshasa editor

(JED/IFEX) - On 22 September 2003, Augustin Kikukama, secretary-general of the 17 May Liberation Movement (Mouvement de Libération du 17 mai, M-17), a political party that is closely linked to the government in Kinshasa, issued death threats via telephone against André Ipakala Abeiye Mobiko, editor of the Kinshasa-based daily "La Référence Plus". The M-17 party's members are mostly associates of deceased former president Laurent-Désiré Kabila.

Court says only one person responsible in Kazemi case

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed outrage over the conclusions reached by a judge investigating the murder of Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi. The judge found that no state institution was responsible for the killing and that it was the work of a single Intelligence Ministry agent who was interrogating her. The organisation repeated its call for an independent inquiry with the participation of international experts.

Police charge nine "Daily News" journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ press release:

"El Comercio" columnist appeals sentence

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 22 September 2003, columnist Rodrigo Fierro Benítez, of the Quito-based daily "El Comercio", filed an appeal of the sentence handed down to him by the first instance court for allegedly insulting former president León Febres Cordero.

Newspapers confiscated from Kinshasa street vendors; several vendors arrested

(JED/IFEX) - On 26 September 2003, in a major operation, Congolese National Police (Police nationale congolaise, PNC) officers seized most newspapers and magazines on sale in Kinshasa streets. According to eyewitnesses, at least a dozen newspaper vendors were arrested and taken to various police stations and detention centres in the city, including the Lufungula military base in Kinshasa/Lingwala.

Journalist Ruslan Sharipov loses appeal

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a Human Rights Watch press release:

Journalist assaulted by police officer during protest march

(IPYS/IFEX) - Two journalists from Canal N television station were recently attacked by a National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) officer in the city of La Oroya, Yauli province, in the Junín central mountain region of Peru. Camera operator Renato Fernández, who was accompanying reporter Andy Ortiz, was physically assaulted.

CPJ to present annual International Press Freedom Awards

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 25 September 2003 CPJ press release: