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Alerts - 2004 - January-March

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Democratic Republic of Congo

Publication director of satirical newspaper "Pili-Pili" released on bail

(JED/IFEX) - On 27 March 2004, in the early afternoon, Jean-Denis Lompoto, publication director of the Kinshasa-based satirical bi-weekly "Pili-Pili" ("Pepper"), was granted a provisional release after paying US$100 in bail. Upon his release, the journalist thanked all those who supported him, "particularly Congolese and foreign press freedom organisations and media outlets."

Sri Lanka

RSF releases investigative report on Presidential Security Division's unpunished crimes

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 25 March 2004 RSF statement:

Israel

RSF calls for investigation following killing of journalism student

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz to open an investigation into the death of journalism student Mohammad Abu Halimeh, who was killed on 22 March 2004 while covering clashes at the Balata refugee camp in Nablus.

Peru

Yungay mayor arrested for ordering the murder of journalist Antonio De La Torre Echeandía

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 18 March 2004, Amaro León León, mayor of Yungay province, was arrested by the Huaraz police for allegedly masterminding journalist Antonio De La Torre Echeandía's murder.

Togo

Radio France Internationale correspondent receives death threats

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged the authorities to do everything possible to protect Guy Mario Abalo, Radio France Internationale's (RFI) correspondent in Togo, after he received death threats following the broadcast of a report about a corruption and fraud case implicating two former government ministers. The report aired on 25 March 2004.

Côte d'Ivoire

CPJ concerned about attacks on journalists and apparent censorship of media

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 30 March 2004 letter to President Laurent Gbagbo, CPJ expressed its concern about a series of attacks against journalists by security forces during recent mass opposition demonstrations in Côte d'Ivoire. While more than half a dozen Ivoirian journalists have reported being physically attacked by officials, many more were arrested, intimidated, and harassed while covering the protests.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Attacks against journalists and media outlets increase significantly

(JED/IFEX) - On 29 March 2004, at 11:00 a.m. (local time), the head of the National Intelligence Agency's (Agence nationale des renseignements, ANR) Mutshima office issued a broadcast ban against Radio Mutshima, a local radio station. Radio Mutshima director Patient Kolela told JED that the ANR has accused the station of operating illegally. Mutshima is located 120 kilometres from the city of Tshikapa, in West Kasai province, close to the Angolan border.

Liberia

Four newspapers' managers and staff summoned

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Belgium

IFJ welcomes move to adopt law on protection of sources, concerns remain over exceptions

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 27 March 2004 IFJ media release:

Turkey

Police assault nine journalists in Diyarbakir

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the attack by police officers on nine journalists in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, on 28 March 2004. The incident followed local elections in the city that same day. The journalists were covering the suppression of a demonstration against electoral fraud. Three journalists required hospitalisation.

Mexico

Authorities launch investigation into murder of editorial director

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN is deeply disturbed by the murder of journalist Roberto Javier Mora García in the early hours of 19 March 2004 and welcomes the investigation that has since been launched by the judicial authorities.

Tunisia

President Ben Ali suppresses demonstration in support of press freedom

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the recent suppression of a demonstration in support of a free and independent press. On 27 March 2004, police dispersed members of human rights and political opposition groups who had gathered in front of the state broadcaster's headquarters in Tunis.

Zimbabwe

Police raid community radio station, arrest and question employees

(MISA/IFEX) - On 25 and 26 March 2004, police in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, raided the offices of Radio Dialogue, a community radio station, and arrested several staff members.

United Kingdom / Iraq / United States

AP photographer shot and injured during clashes; newspaper shut down

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

Syria

Government blocks access to two Kurdish-language websites

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the Syrian government's blocking of two Kurdish-language websites, http://www.amude.com and http://www.qamislo.com, which carry news, pictures and video clips of demonstrations by the country's Kurdish minority.

Venezuela

Military prosecutor lays charges against journalist

(IPYS/IFEX) - Journalist Patricia Poleo, director of the daily "El Nuevo País", has been charged by Military Prosecutor and National Guard Lieutenant Esaúl Olivares Linares for allegedly "instigating rebellion" and "defaming the national armed forces".

South Korea

Student charged with "disseminating false information" following circulation of images satirising politicians

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced shock over the 23 March 2004 arrest and subsequent charging of a 21-year-old student for circulating images on the Internet that poke fun at opposition politicians. The student, who uses the pseudonym Kwon, was accused of posting more than 70 pictures on 15 websites during the current pre-election period.

Serbia / Montenegro

Bomb placed beneath vehicle belonging to Radio-Television B92

(ANEM/IFEX) - The following is a 28 March 2004 ANEM statement:

Sri Lanka

Grenade attack on home of ABC radio network's managing director; police raid printing press

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

Côte d'Ivoire

RSF concerned about arrests and attacks on journalists in Abidjan

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged President Laurent Gbagbo to bring members of the security forces responsible for policing opposition demonstrations under control after three journalists were arrested and a fourth was beaten by police on 25 March 2004.

Iraq / United States

Freelance cameraman killed

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

Iraq

Translators for "Time" magazine and Voice of America killed

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

Peru

CPJ concerned about possible involvement of municipal authorities in case of murdered journalist

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 25 March 2004 CPJ letter to Attorney General Nelly Calderón Navarro:

Guatemala

Flores mayor attempts to expropriate island on which Radio Petén facilities are located

(PFC/IFEX) - El recién electo alcalde municipal de la ciudad de Flores, departamento de Petén, Emilio Táger Castillo, ha iniciado una pugna para expropiar la isleta de Santa Bárbara, ubicada en su jurisdicción, a sus actuales propietarios, quienes tienen en el inmueble las instalaciones de Radio Petén. Según Yuri Colmenares, gerente de la emisora, la acción de Táger Castillo estaría motivada por los señalamientos en contra del funcionario realizadas a través de Radio Petén, entre las que destaca el hecho de haber contratado maquinaria de su propiedad para la reparación de unas calles.

Sudan

RSF urges Justice Ministry to end suspensions of newspapers

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has welcomed Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin's initiative to limit suspensions of newspapers to 24 hours, but the organisation called for further reforms to completely abolish such bans.

Peru

IPYS calls for lifting of restrictive measures against journalist

(IPYS/IFEX) - IPYS has called for the lifting of restrictive measures against journalist Humberto Ortiz. The measures were imposed by Lima Superior Court Judge Carolina Lizárraga on 27 February 2004.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Court cancels arrest warrant against publisher-editor of "Les Coulisses" newspaper

(JED/IFEX) - On 24 March 2004, a court in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, cancelled the arrest warrant issued on 16 March against Nicaise Kibel-Bel-Oka, publisher-editor of "Les Coulisses" newspaper. Following the decision, the journalist came out of hiding.

Turkmenistan

RFE/RL correspondents released from prison and warned to stop reporting for radio station

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 24 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Italy

New investigation brings hope 10 years after murder of two journalists

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed support for the Italian Parliament's investigation into the murder of Ilaria Alpi, a reporter for the Italian state-run television station RAI 3, and Slovenian cameraman Miran Hrovatin in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 20 March 1994.

Belgium

IPI condemns journalist's detention

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 24 March 2004 IPI letter to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Laurette Onkelinx:

Peru

Radio station's transmission equipment stolen

(IPYS/IFEX) - On the morning of 23 March 2004, intruders entered the Calienta Negros hill area, where the antennas and transmission equipment of several media outlets are located, and broke into Radio Líder radio station's transmission shed. Radio Líder is a leading news broadcaster in Ilo province, on Peru's southern coast.

Pakistan

Media prevented from reporting on army offensive in South Waziristan; at least four journalists arrested

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested Pakistan's concerted efforts to prevent foreign and local journalists from freely covering the army's offensive against armed Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in the Wana region of South Waziristan. At least four journalists have been arrested and a dozen more have been barred from entering the region. The area is located in northwestern Pakistan.

Zimbabwe

Filmmaker arrested and charged

(MISA/IFEX) - On 19 March 2004, Zimbabwean independent filmmaker Simon Bright was arrested on allegations of having participated in the production of a BBC documentary entitled, "Panorama", which focused on Zimbabwe's controversial national youth training service.

China

Cyber-dissident Ouyang Yi sentenced to two years in prison

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the two-year prison sentence given to cyber-dissident Ouyang Yi for "incitement to subversion". The verdict was announced on 16 March 2004 during an in camera hearing by the Intermediate People's Court in Chengdu, southwestern China.

Panama

Journalist forced to submit to questioning in criminal defamation case

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 24 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Poland

Journalist's prison sentence postponed following protests

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 23 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Saudi Arabia

Gay websites censored

(RSF/IFEX) - Since early March 2004, Saudi authorities have blocked access to the website Gaymiddleeast.com, a news site for the Middle East's homosexual community. RSF has called on the Internet Service Unit (ISU), the agency responsible for the Internet in Saudi Arabia, to lift the ban on this and other similar websites.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Publication director of satirical newspaper "Pili-Pili" jailed for "defamation" in Kinshasa

(JED/IFEX) - On 19 March 2004, at about 4:00 p.m. (local time), Jean-Denis Lompoto, publication director of the Kinshasa-based satirical bi-weekly "Pili-Pili ("Pepper"), was arrested by seven police inspectors from the Kinshasa/Kalamu High Court Prosecutor's Office. Lompoto was detained as he was leaving a press conference at Saint Joseph Church, in Kinshasa/Kalamu's Matonge neighbourhood.

Venezuela

Television reporter harassed in Anzoátegui state

(IPYS/IFEX) - On the morning of 19 March 2004, Enler García, a correspondent for the private television station RCTV, in Anzoátegui state, was harassed by personnel from the state petroleum company, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). García was gathering information about an oil spill at the company's facilities in the city of Puerto La Cruz, northern Anzoátegui.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Three journalists from private television station harassed and detained in Kinshasa

(JED/IFEX) - On 15 March 2004, cameraman Robert Kadima Baruani, assistant cameraman Milla Dipenga and reporter Eric Ambago were harassed and detained briefly by a group of about 10 police officers at the Wagenia building in Kinshasa/Gombe. In addition, the journalists' equipment was confiscated. The three journalists work for Radiotélévision Kin-Malebo (RTKM), which broadcasts from Kinshasa.

Benin

CPJ condemns journalist's imprisonment

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Venezuela

National tax service fines private television stations

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 18 March 2004, Globovisión, Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), Televen and Venevisión television stations were informed that they were being fined by the national customs and tax collection service (Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria, SENIAT). The fines, amounting to more than US$2,000,000, were imposed because the stations had broadcast political advertisements free of charge for groups that oppose President Hugo Chávez's government. SENIAT documents indicate that the fines correspond to taxes that would have been applied to earnings from the broadcast of the Coordinadora Democrática coalition's advertisements. The air time for broadcast of the advertisements was donated to the opposition coalition during the civic strike that took place from December 2002 to January 2003.

Kazakhstan

Managing editor of weekly imprisoned

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern over the case of Vladimir Mikhailov, managing editor of the independent weekly "Diapazon". On 16 March 2004, a court in Aktobe, western Kazakhstan, sentenced the journalist to one year in prison for failing to apply a court ruling in a case involving the offices of "Diapazon"'s publisher, the Arsenal publishing house.

Lesotho

Member of Parliament launches legal action against newspaper

(MISA/IFEX) - The weekly Sesotho-language tabloid "Mololi", a publication of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) political party, has been served with a court summons by Lehlohonolo T'sehlana, a member of parliament (MP) for Mokhotlong Constituency No. 79. T'sehlana has accused the newspaper of defamation and is demanding 350,000 maloti (approx. US$54,000).

Cuba

IAPA concerned over harassment of imprisoned journalists' relatives

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 19 March 2004 IAPA press release:

Saudi Arabia

Writer and publisher arrested

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN is deeply concerned about the arrests of writer Ali Al-Domaini and publisher Mohammed Said Tayib, who are believed to be among several leading Saudi intellectuals to have been detained since 15 March 2004 for criticising the authorities. Ali Al-Domaini and Mohammed Said Tayib are believed to be held at the General Intelligence (al-Mabahith al-'Amma) headquarters in the capital, Riyadh, and are said to have been held incommunicado for some of the time since their arrest. There are concerns for their well-being.

China

Two editors sentenced to lengthy prison terms, another editor arrested

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

Iraq

IFJ mission to Iraq concludes that media professionals are determined "to break the strangle-hold of political control"

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 19 March 2004 IFJ media release:

Mexico

Journalist assassinated in Nuevo Laredo

(PFC/IFEX) - On 19 March 2004, Roberto Javier Mora García, editorial director of "El Mañana" newspaper, was assassinated. The murder took place early in the morning outside Mora García's home, as he was returning from his work. Mora García was stabbed approximately 20 times and was found by municipal police officers Bernardino Cruz Catarina and Guadalupe Herver.

Nepal

Journalists arrested

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 13 March 2004, security forces arrested seven journalists, including Krishnaraj Chaudhary "Sarbahari", in Nepalgunj, Banke district. Chaudhary is the producer of the "Hamar Shaidan" programme, broadcast on Swargadwari FM radio station, which airs from western Dang district. He was arrested together with his team members while they were preparing an ethnic Tharu-language programme for Swargadwari FM. Other members of the programme team include Dhaniram Tharu, Som Lal Tharu, Dil Kumari Chaudhary, Rani Doorpati, Kaliram Tharu and Penduliya Tharu. They were released the same day, with the exception of Dhaniram Tharu. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Armenia

ARTICLE 19 statement on state of Armenia's media legislation

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 21 March 2004 ARTICLE 19 press statement:

Serbia / Montenegro

ANEM concerned over appointment of Radio Television Serbia director

(ANEM/IFEX) - The following is a 19 March 2004 ANEM statement:

Haiti

Gunmen attack journalist's residence

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

Belgium

Journalist detained, his home and office searched

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

China

South Korean photojournalist released

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

Sierra Leone

IPI concerned over criminal prosecution of newspaper editor

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to President Tejan Kabbah, copied to the minister of information:

Cuba

IAPA calls for release of jailed independent journalists

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is an 18 March 2004 IAPA press release:

Kazakhstan

WAN concerned over approval of new media law by Parliament

(WAN/IFEX) - The following is an 18 March 2004 WAN and World Editors Forum letter to President Nursultan Nazarbaev:

Benin

Journalist sentenced to six months in prison for defamation

(WiPC/IFEX) - The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN is disturbed at the prison sentence handed down to journalist Jean-Baptiste Hounkonnou on 16 March 2004 for "defamation".

Indonesia

Magazine found guilty of libel

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 18 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Iraq / United States

Two Al-Arabiya news channel journalists killed

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

International

Fifty-three journalists killed in 2003, says WAN in annual report

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

Uzbekistan

Imprisoned journalist transferred to house arrest

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 17 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Bangladesh

ARTICLE 19 analyses freedom of information draft law

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) -The following is a 17 March 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release:

Honduras

Organised crime groups possibly behind attack on journalist; another journalist threatened

(PFC/IFEX) - On 17 March 2004, Honduran police reported that organised crime groups may be behind a 12 March attack on journalist Edgardo Castro, of Canal 6 television station, which broadcasts in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, 250 kilometres from the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Uzbekistan

RSF urges European commissioner for external relations to intervene on behalf of five jailed journalists

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten to raise the issue of press freedom and the cases of five jailed journalists during his 18 to 19 March 2004 visit to Uzbekistan. Patten is expected to meet with President Islam Karimov in Tashkent.

Iraq

One journalist and two staff members from local television station killed in armed attack

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned the 18 March 2004 attack by armed men on a minibus carrying staff of a coalition forces-funded television station. One journalist and two staff members were killed in the attack, which took place in Baquba, 60 kilometres north of Baghdad. At least eight other staff members were injured. The minibus was transporting employees of the local station Diyala TV.

Peru

Regional education director assaults journalist

(IPYS/IFEX) - During an 11 March 2004 press conference, Juan Carvo Iparraguirre, Junín's regional education director, assaulted journalist Ginés Barrios Alderete and his wife, Clorinda Romero Quispe. Barrios had organised the press conference to disseminate information about a 1997 attack by Carvo against a student.

Sri Lanka

Editor suspended, journalist dismissed, management changed at community radio station

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

International

IAPA conclusions highlight major press freedom violations in last six months

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 16 March 2004 IAPA press release:

China

Censorship stepped up to target "blogging"

(RSF/IFEX) - The Chinese authorities have stepped up their censorship of the Internet to include "blogging". They have closed two sites hosting blogs (personal pages where Internet users can post their own comments on the news).

Iran

Journalist Amir Abbas Fakhravar reportedly mistreated in jail

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN is seriously concerned about reports that journalist Amir Abbas Fakhravar is being ill-treated in jail. International PEN seeks immediate details about his well-being and whereabouts, and assurances that he is being given access to any necessary medical care.

Bangladesh

Journalist receives death threats

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 17 March 2004 letter that was sent to Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and to Home Affairs Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury:

Australia

Sect's harassment of freelance journalist supported by court rulings

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned both the intimidation and harassment of Australian freelance journalist John Macgregor by the Elan Vital sect, and a series of rulings by the Queensland Supreme Court in Elan Vital's favour, which pose a threat to press freedom.

Argentina

Journalists threatened in Neuquén

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - On 8 March 2004, journalist Mónica Reynoso, of "8.300" newspaper, which is published in Neuquén province, west-central Argentina, filed a complaint with the Provincial Public Prosecutor's Office regarding a threat made by Oscar Alejandro Gutiérrez, a provincial legislator for the Movimiento Popular Neuquino (MPN) political party.

France / Cuba

RSF ordered to pay 6,000 euros to Korda's heir over use of Che Guevara photograph

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced relief after a Paris court ordered the organisation to pay only 6,000 euros (approx. US$7,400) to Diane Diaz Lopez, the heir of Cuban photographer Alberto "Korda" Diaz Gutierrez, for non-compliance with a 9 July 2003 court order banning the organisation from using Korda's famous photograph of Ernesto "Che" Guevara wearing a beret. The court delivered the verdict on 10 March 2004.

China

RSF calls for release of jailed cyber-dissident Yang Jianli

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF is backing an appeal to the Chinese authorities for the release of jailed cyber-dissident Yang Jianli, who is reportedly on a hunger strike in protest over his prison conditions.

Pakistan

CPJ criticises government suspension of advertising in newspapers belonging to Nawa-i-Waqt Group of Publications

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 15 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Syria

Kurdish writer and poet Marwan Osman released

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the 22 February 2004 release of Marwan Osman, a writer and member of the Kurdish PEN Centre. Osman and co-accused Kurdish activist Hassan Saleh were reportedly acquitted of the charges against them on 22 February and immediately left Syria for Iraqi Kurdistan.

Iraq / United States

Three Korean journalists detained by US military

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

Kazakhstan

Sports journalist assaulted

(RSF/IFEX) - On 11 March 2004, sports journalist Maxim Khartashov was attacked and beaten by two unidentified assailants in Almaty. Khartashov has frequently exposed corruption scandals in Kazakhstan's sports sector.

Tanzania

Veteran journalist finally granted citizenship

(MISA/IFEX) - The Ministry of Home Affairs has officially granted journalist Jenerali Twaha Ulimwengu citizenship by naturalisation.

Honduras

Police reveal identity of journalist's alleged assassins

(PFC/IFEX) - On 10 March 2004, the Honduras police revealed the names of journalist Germán Rivas's presumed killers. The former host of the CMV Noticias news programme, broadcast on Canal 7 television station, was assassinated on 26 November 2003 as he was heading to the station's offices in Santa Rosa de Copán, western Honduras, near the Guatemalan border.

Colombia

Libel case against journalist closed

(FLIP/IFEX) - Journalist Roberto Posada García Peña, also known as "D'Artagnan", of the daily "El Tiempo", is no longer facing legal action for libel. A Bogotá Superior Court prosecutor ruled that the journalist, by publishing a correction, had properly addressed a matter involving businesman Pedro Juan Moreno Villa. The prosecutor declared the case closed.

Sri Lanka

Newspaper editors threatened; thousands of copies of Tamil-language newspapers confiscated and burned

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

Venezuela

Community radio station's personnel threatened by armed individuals

(AMARC/IFEX) - AMARC condemns the difficult situation faced by community-based radio stations in Venezuela. The organisation urges the government to ensure that measures are implemented so that journalists can safely carry out their work. The Lima, Peru-based organisation Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) has documented a number of cases involving attacks on radio stations in February and March 2004. In the latest incident, Radio Llovizna, which broadcasts out of Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar, came under attack. According to the Venezuelan Community Media Network (Red Venezolana de Medios Comunitarios, RVMC), an AMARC associate, the station's personnel was threatened for a number of hours during the night of 6 to 7 March.

Burma

Two journalists released after completing their sentences; journalist Win Tin spends 74th birthday at Insein prison

(RSF/IFEX) - On 1 March 2004, Kyaw San (pen name Cho Seint) and Aung Zin Min, both journalists and writers, were released after spending seven years and three months in prison. They had been scheduled to be released in December 2003, but served an extra three months for unknown reasons. Both journalists are presently in a very weakened state.

Ukraine

CPJ concerned about recent closures of independent media outlets

(CPJ/IFEX) - In an 11 March 2004 letter to President Leonid Kuchma, CPJ expressed concern about recent closures of independent media outlets in Ukraine. The organisation believes the closures are part of a sweeping campaign to eliminate voices that are critical of the government and to block public access to independent sources of information in the run-up to presidential elections scheduled for October.

Central African Republic

Publication director of private daily "L'Hirondelle" sentenced to six months in prison

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ press release, followed by the organisation's 11 March 2004 letter to Central African Republic President François Bozizé:

France

Three journalists attacked while reporting on Koranic school

(RSF/IFEX) - On 11 March 2004, members of a Koranic school assaulted three journalists who were filming a report on the school for the "90 Minutes" programme, which airs on the privately-owned television station Canal+. RSF strongly condemned the attack on soundman Jérôme Florenville, cameraman Jean-Yves Charpin and reporter Hervé Bouchaud.

Colombia

Carlos Castaño Gil convicted for murder of journalist Jaime Garzón

(FLIP/IFEX) - A Bogotá criminal court has sentenced paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño Gil to 38 years in prison for having masterminded the murder of journalist and humorist Jaime Garzón. In its ruling, the court acquitted Juan Pablo Ortiz Agudelo, alias "Bochas," and Edilberto Antonio Sierra Ayala, alias "Toño", for lack of evidence. Ortiz Agudelo and Sierra Ayala were accused of murdering Garzón.

Argentina / Peru

PERIODISTAS rejects "freedom of expression" defence used by former media outlet owners who collaborated with Fujimori

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - In an 8 March 2004 press release, PERIODISTAS rejected attempts by former Peruvian media outlet owners who were linked to former dictator Alberto Fujimori to use the principles of press freedom and freedom of expression to avoid extradition from Argentina.

International

CPJ releases "Attacks on the Press in 2003"; annual survey documents changing press freedom landscape

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 11 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Zambia

Radio reporters detained and threatened by police

(MISA/IFEX) - On 20 February 2004, two reporters from Radio Lyambai, a community radio station based in Mongu, 581 kilometres west of the capital, Lusaka, were detained by police for about four hours for allegedly "inciting people in a local township to riot".

China

Authorities block websites of "The Wall Street Journal" and Deutsche Welle

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the growing censorship of the Internet in China, as access has been blocked to the online Chinese-language versions of "The Wall Street Journal" newspaper and Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster, since the opening of the annual People's National Congress on 5 March 2004. Earlier, on 27 February, a discussion forum on Inner Mongolia was also closed arbitrarily.

Sri Lanka

FMM welcomes election commissioner's guidelines on election reporting

(FMM/IFEX) - The following is a 10 March 2004 FMM press release:

Paraguay / Costa Rica

PERIODISTAS files amicus curiae briefs in defamation cases

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - On 27 February and 1 March 2004, PERIODISTAS submitted two amicus curiae briefs to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

International

IPI World Press Freedom Review 2003 highlights sacrifices made by war reporters

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 10 March 2004 IPI press release:

Georgia

RSF calls for end to relentless harassment of media in autonomous republic of Ajaria

(RSF/IFEX) - On 5 March 2004, television journalist Vakhtang Komakhidze was brutally beaten in the latest of a dozen incidents of harassment of the media in the autonomous republic of Ajaria that have occurred to date in 2004. His assailants were identified by a witness as belonging to the Ajarian special forces.

Argentina

Series of attacks against the press in southern Argentina

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - On the morning of 6 March 2004, the "El Diario del Fin del Mundo" newspaper's office was set on fire. The newspaper is basd in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province, 2,000 kilometres south of Buenos Aires. According to Roberto Cabeza, the newspaper's director, the police and fire department have determined that the fire was set intentionally.

Russia / Kazakhstan

Editor-in-chief of Kazakh opposition newspaper arrested in Russia

(RSF/IFEX) - On 9 March 2004, Russian police arrested and questioned Irina Petrushova, editor-in-chief of the Kazakh opposition weekly "Assandi Times" (formerly "Respublika"), in St. Petersburg, on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the Kazakh authorities. Petrushova was detained for several hours and subsequently released.

Iran

Journalist Mohsen Sazgara sentenced on appeal to one year in prison with no parole; two weeklies suspended; three other journalists remain imprisoned illegally

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the recent one-year prison sentence against journalist Mohsen Sazgara as "unfair and contrary to international legal norms." The organisation also spoke out against the arbitrary imprisonment of three journalists for the past nine months.

China

Three Hong Kong journalists questioned and expelled from China

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 10 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Gabon

Journalist arrested and jailed in Libreville

(JED/IFEX) - Alfred Ngamba, a journalist with the bi-monthly newspaper "Le Nganga", was arrested and detained on 8 March 2004. He is currently incarcerated at the "Gros bouquet" prison in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. "Le Nganga" is published in the capital.

Venezuela

Community radio station members threatened and attacked

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 27 February 2004, three members of Radio Perola community radio station were attacked in Caracas. The station's workers have also received telephone calls and e-mails containing death threats. Radio Perola broadcasts to the Caricuao area, in the western part of Caracas.

Jamaica

Freedom House files amicus curiae brief calling for reversal of financial penalty against newspaper publishing company

(Freedom House/IFEX) - The following is a 9 March 2004 Freedom House press release:

Kuwait

Writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib reportedly sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN is gravely concerned for the safety of writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib, who is reported to have been sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison by the Kuwait Criminal Court on 9 March 2004. His case is also said to have been transferred to the State Security Court. No further details of the new charges brought against him are known at this stage.

Venezuela

Photojournalist injured while covering opposition demonstration

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 3 March 2004, photojournalist Ana Marchese was injured while covering a march organised by the opposition in Ciudad Bolívar, the capital of Bolívar state in southern Venezuela.

Pakistan

Journalist kidnapped

(PPF/IFEX) - Two people, including a journalist, were kidnapped by armed men on the night of 4 March 2004 in the city of Sukkur (Sindh province).

Palestine / Israel

AFP photographer shot in the West Bank

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 9 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Ukraine

IPI concerned about ongoing harassment of independent media ahead of the October presidential election

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 9 March 2004 IPI letter to President Leonid Kuchma:

Venezuela

Prosecutors assigned to investigate cases of journalists injured or attacked during demonstrations

(IPYS/IFEX) - The Attorney General's Office has issued an order calling for "protective measures" for 27 journalists who have been wounded or attacked while covering the demonstrations held throughout Venezuela between 27 February and 3 March 2004.

Equatorial Guinea

Journalist prevented from attending press conference at presidential palace

(JED/IFEX) - On 9 March 2004, Rodriguo Angue Nguema, a correspondent for Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Radio France Internationale (RFI) in Equatorial Guinea, was prevented from attending a press conference given by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema at the presidential palace in the capital, Malabo.

Central African Republic

Bangui prosecutor seeks 18-month prison sentence against newspaper director for "insulting the head of state"

(RSF/IFEX) - Bangui Public Prosecutor Firmin Seindiro is seeking an 18-month prison sentence against Jude Zossé, director of the private daily "L'Hirondelle" (The Swallow"). Zossé is charged with "insulting the head of state". The journalist, who has been detained since 25 February 2004, was not granted a provisional release. A verdict in the case is expected to be delivered on 12 March.

Venezuela

Journalist and camera operators injured while covering demonstrations

(IPYS/IFEX) - On the evening of 2 March 2004, camera operator Frank Molina, of Televen television station, was assaulted and his camera was seized. On 27 February, camera operator Carlos Montenegro, also of Televen, was shot in the leg and journalist Berenice Gómez, of "Últimas Noticias" newspaper, was robbed, assaulted and threatened. All three incidents took place in Caracas.

Ethiopia

IFJ and IPI criticise government over lack of transparency in media bill drafting

(IFJ/IPI/IFEX) - The following is an 8 March 2004 joint IFJ and IPI media release:

Yemen

Journalist released, charged with "spreading false news"

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on Judge Mohammad Ismail Adbel Kader, of the Sanaa Court, to drop charges against journalist Said Thabet Said, who is accused of "spreading false news damaging to public interest and security".

Venezuela

Journalist injured, three others threatened or prevented from carrying out their work

(IPYS/IFEX) - Between 28 February and 1 March 2004, four photojournalists for the regional daily "Avance" were attacked, threatened or prevented from carrying out their work in the city of San Antonio de los Altos, near Caracas. Tito Díaz was injured when he was hit by pellets, Antonio González had a gun pointed at him and received a death threat, Juan Calabrés had to dodge pellets and Jorge Ortuño was forced to leave the area where he was carrying out his journalist work.

Venezuela

Demonstrators continue to target the media

(RSF/IFEX) - At least four new attacks against journalists and media outlets have been reported since 2 March 2004. Pro-government media outlets were targeted in two of the incidents.

Yemen

Journalist arrested

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

Nepal

Journalists prevented from visiting rebel-controlled areas

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 6 March 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels prevented journalists from visiting villages that are under rebel control in Rukum district, western Nepal. Journalists Hari Bishnu Oli, of Kantipur Publications, Shakti Kumar Pun, of the daily "Rajdhani", and Dil Bahadur Shahi, of the state-owned Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) news agency, were stopped from entering the Jipu Pipalbot area. The area is about a four-hour walk from the town of Musikot, Rukum's district headquarters.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Two journalists face legal harassment in Tshikapa

(JED/IFEX) - On 14 February 2004, the Tshikapa Tribunal's Prosecutor's Office requested a 12-month prison sentence with no parole against Roger Salomon Lulemba Kiabululu, a correspondent with the Kinshasa-based weekly "L'Eveil". Lulemba was earlier charged with "defamation" against diamond entrepreneur Shamwenze Mwahindji. Tshikapa is the second largest city in West Kasai province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo's central region.

Haiti

Spanish journalist killed, American photographer injured

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced deep concern about the situation in Haiti after Spanish television journalist Ricardo Ortega was killed and American news photographer Michael Laughlin was injured in Port-au-Prince shootings on 7 March 2004.

Bangladesh

Writer in a coma following attack, his family reportedly receiving threats

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN strongly condemns the 27 February 2004 attack on leading Bangladeshi writer and lecturer Humayun Azad by unidentified assailants. The attack is believed to be in connection with the publication of his recent novel "Pak Sar Zamin Saad Baad", a story based on religious groups in Bangladesh that collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 independence war. Azad remains critically ill in a coma following the attack, and his family is reportedly continuing to receive threats in connection with the attack.

Syria

RSF calls for release of two jailed cyber-dissidents to mark Baath Party anniversary

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to release two imprisoned Internet users as a goodwill gesture on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the founding of the ruling Baath Party on 8 March 2004.

Turkmenistan

CPJ concerned about RFE/RL journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 5 March 2004 letter to President Saparmurat Niyazov, CPJ expressed great concern about escalating government persecution of Turkmen journalists working for the United States government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Georgia

Journalist attacked

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

Venezuela

Journalist and camera operator injured and harassed by military personnel

(IPYS/IFEX) - On the night of 2 March 2004, Juan Carlos Aguirre, a journalist for CMT television station, was injured when he was assaulted by military personnel while on assignment in the eastern part of Caracas. CMT camera operator Alejandro Marcano's equipment was also taken from him and one of his hands was slightly injured.

Poland

RSF appeals for presidential pardon for journalist sentenced to prison term

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski to grant journalist Andrzej Marek a presidential pardon. Marek was earlier sentenced to three months in prison with no parole for "defamation".

Venezuela

A dozen journalists assaulted and injured, RSF calls for opening of investigations

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested the fact that around one dozen journalists working for the privately-owned press have been attacked or injured since 27 February 2004, mostly by security forces.

Côte d'Ivoire

Political leaders on all sides urged to keep their promises concerning press freedom

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on all Ivoirian national and local politicians to keep the promises they made concerning press freedom as part of the January 2003 Marcoussis Agreement aimed at ending the country's civil war.

Venezuela

Journalists injured in ongoing political conflict

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 29 February and 1 March 2004, two photographers and one television reporter were injured, another two reporters were threatened and assaulted and a photojournalist's camera was taken from him. The journalists and photographers were covering protests by opposition supporters demanding that the National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral, CNE) call a referendum on President Hugo Chávez's leadership.

Bangladesh

CPJ urges government to end cycle of violence against journalists

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

Algeria

Private daily "Le Matin" threatened with closure over non-payment of back taxes

(RSF/IFEX) - The Internal Revenue Department has given the private daily "Le Matin" a deadline of 6 March 2004 to pay 39 million Algerian dinars (approx. US$560,000; 450,000 euros) in back taxes or risk closure.

Sri Lanka

Journalists attacked by party's followers

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

Iran

Journalist Emadoldin Baghi faces possible new prison sentence

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed serious concern in response to a court summons against independent journalist Emadoldin Baghi, known for his staunch defence of free expression.

Azerbaijan

Independent printing house continues to face harassment

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 4 March 2004 IPI letter to President Ilham Aliyev:

Ukraine

Key media figure killed in car crash, concern over suspicious circumstances surrounding his death

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

Saudi Arabia

International PEN Writers in Prison Committee focuses on case of journalist Wajeha Al-Huwaider to mark International Women's Day

(WiPC/IFEX) - The following is a Writers in Prison Committee press release:

Ukraine

Radio Kontynent offices raided by police, staff detained

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

Bangladesh

Journalists attacked

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 3 March 2004 CPJ press release:

Haiti

Media continue to work cautiously following the departure of Jean-Bertrand Aristide

(RSF/IFEX) - Media in Haiti have continued to work cautiously following the departure of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and shooting and arson attacks against five radio and television stations. RSF was able to gauge the mood in discussions with journalists and media outlets on 1 March 2004.

Turkmenistan

Two Radio Free Europe journalists arrested

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the release of two Radio Free Europe (RFE) journalists and writers, Rakhim Esenov and Ashyrguly Bayryev, who were arrested by National Security Ministry (NSM) agents on 26 February and 1 March 2004, respectively. It is feared they could be tortured or mistreated in detention.

Pakistan

Gunmen raid newspaper distribution points in Karachi, threaten vendors, destroy papers

(PPF/IFEX) - In the early morning of 1 March 2004, unidentified gunmen conducted coordinated raids on newspaper distribution points in various parts of Karachi. They took bundles of newspapers, set them ablaze and fled.

Venezuela

IFJ calls on political groups to ensure safety of journalists as violence increases

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

Somalia

Journalist harassed over radio report

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

Chechnya (Russia)

CPJ condemns harassment of journalist and abduction of fixer

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

Pakistan

Newspaper and television station offices set on fire in Quetta

(PPF/IFEX) - On 2 March 2004, the Quetta city offices of the daily "Jang", which also houses the offices of Geo television station, were the target of an arson attack. The incident occurred during rioting that followed the firing by armed men on a Shiite religious procession.

South Africa

FXI welcomes release of Johannesburg Water documents, continues legal action to obtain access to others

(FXI/IFEX) - The following is an FXI statement:

Thailand

IFJ concerned over recent incidents of political interference in independent media

(IFJ/IFEX) - In a 2 March 2004 letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, IFJ expressed great concern over recent events in Thailand involving political interference in independent media.

Kuwait

Writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib released but feared to be at risk of re-arrest

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the release of writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib, who was amnestied by the emir on 25 February 2004, Kuwaiti National Day. However, PEN is deeply concerned at reports that security forces have attempted to re-arrest him without a warrant. Al-Habib was sentenced to one year in prison on 20 January for "questioning the conduct and integrity of some of the 'companions' of the prophet Muhammad" in a lecture he had delivered. PEN considers the sentence to have been in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Kuwait is a signatory. PEN is seriously concerned that al-Habib may be at risk of imminent re-arrest, and urges the Kuwaiti authorities to guarantee his safety as a matter of urgency.

Venezuela

Photojournalist injured

(IPYS/IFEX) - At 11:30 a.m. (local time) on 29 February 2004, Bernabé Rodríguez, a photojournalist for the weekly "El Tiempo" in Puerto La Cruz, northeastern Venezuela, received injuries to his face while he was covering demonstrations in the city of Barcelona, capital of Anzoátegui state.

Palestine

RSF calls on Yasser Arafat to act following killing of journalist

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed its "distress and indignation" to Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, following the assassination of Khalil Al-Zebin, one of his key advisors and publisher of "An-Nashra" magazine, in Gaza on 2 March 2004.

Venezuela

Journalists wounded in street clashes

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 1 March 2004 CPJ press release:

China

Internet monitoring stepped up once again

(RSF/IFEX) - The Chinese government has issued new directives aimed at stifling all forms of protest in online discussion forums. At the same time, the American company Verisign has given China more responsibility in the worldwide management of the Internet.

Zimbabwe

Three journalists from government daily "The Herald" dismissed for working with Voice of America radio

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the reinstatement of three journalists who were recently dismissed from the government daily "The Herald" because they worked with the American public radio station Voice of America (VOA).

Venezuela

Camera operator injured while covering demonstration

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 29 February 2004, Felipe Izquierdo, a camera operator for the international television network Univisión, was shot while covering a demonstration by opposition supporters near Francia de Altamira plaza, in the eastern part of Caracas.

International

IFJ wins award for defence of press freedom and journalists' rights

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

Tunisia

Imprisoned journalist Abdallah Zouari on hunger strike for past month

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF is concerned about the health of Abdallah Zouari, a journalist from the suspended Islamist weekly "Al-Fajr" who has been carrying on a hunger strike since 27 January 2004 to protest the worsening of his prison conditions. On their last visit, his family, who had not been allowed to see him for two weeks, found him to be in a seriously weakened physical and mental state.

Armenia

ARTICLE 19 concerned about proposed amendments to Law on Freedom of Information

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 open letter to Justice Minister David Harutyunyan:

Tanzania

ARTICLE 19 publishes analysis of government's Information and Broadcasting Policy

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 27 February 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release:

Pakistan

Protesters attack press club and injure staff member

(PPF/IFEX) - On the night of 29 February 2004, protesters demonstrating against a private television station attacked the Karachi Press Club (KPC), seriously wounding a guard and damaging the club's property.

Venezuela

Private television stations demand that authorities protect their personnel and property

(IPYS/IFEX) - Representatives of three private television stations, Globovisión, Venevisión and Televen, have demanded that the Attorney General's Office take measures to safeguard their personnel and property.

Pakistan

Ban on allocation of government advertisements in Nawa-i-Waqt publications

(PPF/IFEX) - Arif Nizami, editor of the daily "The Nation" and executive editor of the daily "Nawa-i-Waqt", says the government has banned the placement of government advertisements in newspapers belonging to the Nawa-i-Waqt Group of Publications, one of Pakistan's leading media organisations.

South Africa

FXI calls for complete retraction of Anti-Terrorism Bill

(FXI/IFEX) - The following is an FXI statement:

Zambia

Columnist charged with assault, believes he is being harassed for his reporting

(MISA/IFEX) - On 16 February 2004, journalist Roy Clarke pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct at a police station. Clarke, a satirical columnist for "The Post" newspaper, is fighting deportation from Zambia in the High Court.

Mexico

Chiapas governor says he will approve Criminal Code reforms that stipulate jail sentences in defamation cases

(PFC/IFEX) - On 24 February 2004, Chiapas State Governor Pablo Salazar affirmed his intention to approve Criminal Code reforms that include jail sentences for "offences against an individual's honour". According to local media outlets, when questioned by journalists, Salazar said, "We are not going to decriminalise defamation." With respect to the reforms, he added, "We are not going to veto them and they will be published in the official state journal."

Central African Republic

Journalist imprisoned

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

Colombia

RSF condemns continuing climate of hostility towards journalists in Barrancabermeja

(RSF/IFEX) - Diego Waldrón, editor of the Barrancabermeja-based weekly "Siete Días" and host of the daily news programme "Noticias en Caliente", broadcast on Calor Estéreo radio station, was threatened at his home by the bodyguard of an individual linked to the municipal authorities. The incident occurred on 14 February 2004, one day after Waldrón questioned on his programme the qualifications of an individual assigned by the mayor to run a municipal company.

Italy

Journalist sentenced to 18 months in prison with no parole

(RSF/IFEX) - On 24 February 2004, a court in Trieste, northeastern Italy, sentenced Massimiliano Melilli to 18 months in prison and ordered him to pay a 100,000 euro (approx. US$124,400) fine for "defamation". Melilli formerly worked as a journalist for the local weekly "Il Meridiano".

Peru

Members of Congress threaten journalists with legal action

(PFC/IFEX) - In statements to local media outlets, the Perú Posible ruling party's spokesperson, Jorge Mufarech, announced the creation of a fund that will be used to launch criminal defamation complaints against journalists. "We are going to create a fund from our salaries to hire young lawyers, who have not been corrupted, to defend ourselves from unfounded attacks and to launch defamation complaints against certain unprofessional journalists," Mufarech said.

Azerbaijan

Two journalists given two-year suspended prison sentences

(RSF/IFEX) - On 25 February 2004, a Baku court sentenced journalists Rovshan Kebirli and Yusif Gambar to two-year suspended prison sentences for "defamation". The journalists were charged over an article claiming the National Taekwondo Federation helped security forces break up demonstrations in Baku that followed the disputed 15 October 2003 presidential election.

Algeria

RSF condemns restrictive accreditation system for local correspondents of foreign media

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF is concerned that the Ministry of Culture and Communications' recent decision to limit accreditation of local journalists to a single foreign media outlet will threaten the foreign media's ability to cover news in Algeria. A decree ratifying the new measure is expected to be adopted shortly.

Ukraine

Five groups reiterate call for civil society role at crucial stage of investigation into Gongadze murder case

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF, along with several journalists' unions and press freedom organisations, has repeated a call to Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Vassiliev Gennady to grant civil society groups a supervisory role in a new expert examination of the "Melnichenko tapes".

Malawi

Printing of newspaper halted, printing company staff attacked

(MISA/IFEX) - On 29 January 2004, Thom Chiumia and Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, two journalists who are also politicians, halted printing of the privately owned "The Dispatch" newspaper and seized the printed copy and plates.

Pakistan

Quetta newspaper office bombed

(RSF/IFEX) - On 24 February 2004, a bomb exploded outside the offices of the national daily "Jang", in Quetta, Baluchistan, western Pakistan, blowing out windows in neighbouring buildings. No one was injured in the blast at the conservative Urdu-language daily.

United States

Concern that Defence Department is trying to control who can talk to journalists during Guantanamo Bay trials

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a 24 February 2004 Human Rights Watch press release:

Egypt

President promises to repeal laws that are used to prosecute and imprison journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 24 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Liberia

Newspaper staff arrested

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Iran

Conservatives muzzle the Internet during elections

(RSF/IFEX) - The Iranian authorities have followed their harassment of pro-reformist newspapers with attacks on online news publications. RSF has protested the latest developments.

Nepal

Journalist arrested

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 21 February 2004, the security forces brought journalist Laxmi Pandey in for questioning in Nawaparasi district. Pandey is a working journalist who is associated with the Nepal Press Union (NPU). NPU is a member of the International Federation of Journalists. Pandey's whereabouts remain unknown.

Yemen

Journalist receives death threats

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged the Yemeni authorities to ensure that their investigation into recent death threats against Sadeq Nasher, managing editor of "Al-Khaleej" newspaper's Sanaa office, is carried out fully and promptly, so that those responsible can be found and punished. "Al-Khaleej" is a United Arab Emirates-based daily.

Haiti

Seven journalists assaulted, three radio stations torched; foreign press directly targeted for first time since start of uprising

(RSF/IFEX) - In a bloody weekend for press freedom, seven journalists came under attack as an uprising in Haiti spread. One journalist was shot and badly injured, six others were assaulted while covering demonstrations and three radio stations were torched. RSF has called on government and opposition supporters to take all steps necessary to end these attacks.

Georgia

WAN condemns attacks on the media

(WAN/IFEX) - In a 24 February 2004 letter to President Mikheil Saakashvili, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) condemned without reserve a series of attacks on the media since the November "Rose Revolution".

Colombia

Press freedom situation in Barrancabermeja worsens

(FLIP/IPYS/IFEX) - FLIP and IPYS are concerned about recent actions against the press in Barrancabermeja and demand that the local and national authorities take the necessary measures to ensure that journalists can freely exercise their profession in the city.

Cameroon

Health minister opens judicial inquiry into "Le Messager" newspaper report

(JED/IFEX) - On 19 February 2004, Health Minister Urbain Olanguena Awono opened an administrative and judicial inquiry into a news story that appeared in the private newspaper "Le Messager".

Iran

CPJ condemns dailies' suspension, asks that they be allowed to reopen immediately

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 20 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Egypt

Ambassador says expelled journalist can resume work

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 20 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Thailand

"Bangkok Post" editor removed from his position

(TJA/IFEX) - The following is a 20 February 2004 news release by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), of which TJA is a member:

Algeria

Campaign against independent media launched in mosques

(CALP/IFEX) - On 20 February 2004, a violent campaign against the independent press was launched in many government-controlled mosques across the country during Friday prayers. Imams issued calls for violence during their sermons in several Algerian cities, including Algiers, where a bitter sermon against the press was even broadcast live on ENTV, the country's only state-owned television station.

Peru

RSF condemns journalist's assassination

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the 14 February 2004 murder of radio journalist Antonio de la Torre Echeandía, in the city of Yungay (400 kilometres north of Lima). The driver of Yungay Mayor Armando León León has been detained as one of the perpetrators of the crime and the mayor is widely suspected of being the instigator.

Iraq

Journalist campaigning for women's rights receives death threats

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

Nepal

Journalist arrested

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 17 February 2004, plainclothes security officers arrested journalist Lok Krishna Bhattarai at his residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu. According to family members, Bhattarai was taken away by four individuals in plainclothes who claimed to be security force personnel and said they wanted to question him. Bhattarai is affiliated with "Prakash" weekly newspaper, which is published in Kathmandu. He is also associated with a number of progressive organisations, including Puspalal Smirti Pratisthan, which was established in memory of the Communist Party of Nepal's (CPN-Maoist) founder. Bhattarai's whereabouts are currently unknown.

Costa Rica

CPJ submits brief to Inter-American Court of Human Rights on criminal defamation case

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 19 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Nepal

Journalist missing, another arrested; RSF calls for full investigation into journalist's killing

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for a full investigation after security forces killed journalist Padma Raj Devkota in Jumla district, western Nepal, on 7 February 2004.

Haiti

CPJ alarmed by recent threats against journalists

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

China

Five members of banned spiritual group Falun Gong jailed for posting "fabricated" news online

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the jail sentences handed down to five members of the banned spiritual group Falun Gong on 19 February 2004. The sentences range from five to 14 years in prison.

Honduras

Journalist Renato Álvarez given suspended jail sentence

(PFC/IFEX) - On 18 February 2004, the Supreme Court's Third Chamber sentenced journalist Renato Álvarez to two years and eight months in prison for "slander" and "defamation". The details of the verdict are described in an article entitled, "Laws and presiding judges condemn Honduran journalist Renato Álvarez". Judges Félix Ávila, Thelma Cantarero and Geraldina Mejía suspended the sentence on the condition that the journalist "demonstrates good behaviour" for the next five years and refrains from re-committing the alleged offence.

Nigeria

Journalist from British magazine "The Economist" expelled

(RSF/IFEX) - Silvia Sansoni, a journalist who works for the British weekly news magazine "The Economist", was expelled from Nigeria on 19 February 2004 after being taken to Lagos airport under police escort and placed on a Paris-bound flight.

Tonga

Pro-democracy activist arrested for distributing banned news weekly

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the arrest of pro-democracy activist Alani Taione on 18 February 2004. Taione was arrested for distributing about 20 copies of the banned news weekly "Taimi 'o Tonga" ("Times of Tonga") upon his arrival in Tonga from New Zealand, where he resides.

Ethiopia

CPJ concerned by government intervention in journalists' association

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi:

Colombia

Radio Nova contributor missing in northern Colombia

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern about the fate of Julien Fouchet, a 27-year-old French law student in Bogotá and freelance contributor to Radio Nova, whose disappearance in northern Colombia more than a month ago was officially confirmed by the French embassy in Bogotá on 18 February 2004.

International

CPJ receives OSCE Prize for Journalism and Democracy

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

Bulgaria

Media outlets receive threats

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha and Interior Affairs Minister Georgi Petrov Petkanov by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

Iran

Two reformist newspapers shut down

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has demanded the immediate reopening of two leading reformist dailies that were closed on 18 February 2004. The organisation reiterated its condemnation of efforts by the Tehran Prosecutor's Office and the Tehran prosecutor, Judge Said Mortazavi, to silence the reformist press and deprive Iranians of major news sources on the eve of legislative elections.

Tonga

CPJ condemns government's use of restrictive media laws to silence independent media

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 17 February 2004 letter to King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, CPJ expressed its grave concern about the government's use of restrictive new media laws to silence several publications in Tonga.

Guatemala

IAPA calls for end to impunity in editor's murder

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

Vietnam

Cyber-dissident Pham Que Duong to be tried on espionage charges in coming weeks

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on French International Aid Minister Pierre-André Wiltzer to raise the case of imprisoned cyber-dissident Pham Que Duong during his visit to Vietnam at the end of February 2004.

China

Internet essayist Du Daobin formally charged with "inciting subversion"

(RSF/IFEX) - The Chinese authorities have formalised the arrest of detained Internet essayist Du Daobin, charging him with "inciting subversion of the state and the overthrow of the Chinese socialist system" in some 30 articles he posted online.

Bangladesh

Local newspaper editor arrested; several other journalists receive death threats

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF and the Bangladesh Centre for Development, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC) have called on Bangladesh's interior minister and other authorities to obtain the release of a journalist who was arrested without a warrant in the southeastern town of Cox's Bazar on 14 February 2004. Abdul Mahbud Mahu, of the local daily "Ajker Desh Bidesh", was arrested following pressure by a local leader of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who objected to his critical articles.

Peru

Journalist assassinated in Yungay

(IPYS/IFEX) - Antonio De la Torre Echeandía, a 43-year-old journalist for Radio Orbita in the city of Yungay, Ancash region, was assassinated on 14 February 2004 while on his way home after attending a party.

Nepal

Journalist killed

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 7 February 2004, the security forces killed journalist Padma Raj Devkota in the remote western district of Jumla. Devkota had been working as editor-in-chief of "Bhurichula" newspaper. "Bhurichula" is published twice monthly, occasionally from the district where Devkota was killed.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Journalist completes his first year in detention without trial

(JED/IFEX) - The following is a 13 February 2004 JED press release:

Kazakhstan

ARTICLE 19 analysis of latest media law draft

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 16 February 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release:

Pakistan

Journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi formally charged in Anti-Terrorist Court

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has denounced the formal indictment of Pakistani journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi by the Quetta Anti-Terrorist Court. On 12 February 2004, Rizvi was charged with fabricating a report for two French magazine journalists about armed Taliban activities along the Afghan border.

Sri Lanka

FMM condemns ongoing manipulation of state media

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

Azerbaijan

RSF calls for release of ailing opposition editor on hunger strike

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has repeated its appeal to the Azerbaijani authorities to release opposition newspaper editor-in-chief Rauf Arifoglu while he awaits trial. According to his lawyer, Samed Panahov, Arifoglu has been on a hunger strike since 9 February 2004 and is refusing to call off his protest action.

Tonga

IFJ concerned about media freedom

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 16 February 2004 IFJ media release:

Egypt

"Cairo Times" magazine journalist expelled from country

(RSF/IFEX) - American journalist Charles Levison, who works for the weekly news magazine "Cairo Times", was recently expelled from Egypt when he returned from a vacation in the United States. RSF has called on the Egyptian authorities to reverse the decision and allow the journalist to return to Cairo, where he had worked for more than a year.

South Africa

FXI condemns attack against SABC journalist

(FXI/IFEX) - The FXI has strongly condemned the physical attack against a journalist working for the country's public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), in the rural town of Barbeton, in Mpumulanga province.

Kazakhstan

Minister fires editor-in-chief of sports weekly for criticising government

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the dismissal of Kazakhstan's most famous sports journalist by Tourism and Sports Minister Daulet Turlykhanov as a "frontal attack on press freedom" and has called for his immediate reinstatement.

Philippines

Radio commentator survives grenade attack

(CMFR/IFEX) - On 14 February 2004, at around 7:50 p.m. (local time), a radio commentator in Santiago City, Isabela (approximately 328 kilometres from Manila), survived a grenade attack on his house by four unidentified men.

Georgia

Harsh defamation laws must be amended, says ARTICLE 19

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Sri Lanka

New minister cancels television station's licence on eve of elections

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned Sri Lankan Information and Communications Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar's decision to cancel the television broadcast licence that was granted to the Asian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1995. The decision, announced on 16 February 2004, comes just as ABC was about to launch the station. ABC executives described the move as "politically motivated."

Liberia

Reporter assaulted

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Morocco

WPFC welcomes journalist's release, asks that pardon be extended to his two newspapers

(WPFC/IFEX) - The following is a 10 February 2004 WPFC letter to King Muhammad VI:

Algeria

Journalist Saïda Azzouz and cartoonist Ali Dilem questioned by police

(RSF/IFEX) - Late in the day on 15 February 2004, journalist Saïda Azzouz, of the daily "Le Matin", and cartoonist Ali Dilem, of the daily "Liberté", were taken in for questioning at the Algiers police station. No official reason was given for their detention. Police were searching for copies of a new book by Mohamed Benchicou entitled, "Bouteflika: an Algerian imposture". Azzouz and Dilem were released a few hours later.

Venezuela

Journalist assaulted by anti-riot police

(IPYS/IFEX) - Víctor Serra, a news reporter for the daily "Cambio de Siglo", was assaulted by eight anti-riot police officers. The incident occurred during a student protest in the Andean city of Mérida, Mérida state, southwestern Venezuela.

Syria

Journalism student imprisoned for posting online photographs

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to immediately release Massud Hamid, a journalism student and photographer who has been held in incommunicado detention since 24 July 2003 in Adra prison, near the capital, Damascus.

Chad

Radio station director arrested and beaten

(JED/IFEX) - On 9 February 2004, Radio Brakos director Vatankhah Tchanguis was arrested and severely beaten by order of the Bahr police chief. The journalist was released 48 hours later. He is reportedly in critical condition and requires urgent medical attention.

Ecuador

RSF concerned over recent decline in press freedom

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed great concern over the recent decline in press freedom in Ecuador. The organisation strongly condemned the murder of Ricardo Mendoza, the driver of Telesistema TV station director Carlos Muñoz Insua, during an attempt to kill the journalist on 9 February 2004. The organisation also deplored the harassment of radio stations La Luna and Radio Quito in recent weeks.

Republic of Congo

Several complaints filed against weekly "L'Observateur" and its publication director, newspaper risks possible closure

(RSF/IFEX) - In late January 2004, managers of the Congolese National Petroleum Company (Société nationale des pétroles du Congo, SNPC) filed six separate complaints against the weekly "L'Observateur" at the Brazzaville High Court. Each complaint also includes a request for FCFA 3 million (approx. US$5,800; 4,570 euros) in damages and interest. RSF condemns this legal harassment, which may force the newspaper to close.

Tunisia

CPJ urges President Bush to raise press freedom issues with Tunisian leader

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 12 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Venezuela

Television station reporter assaulted

(IPYS/IFEX) - Journalist Euro Lobo, of the OMC television station, in the city of Mérida, capital of Mérida state, southwestern Venezuela, has complained to IPYS that he was assaulted by a demonstrator on the afternoon of 29 January 2004.

Uganda

Threats to press freedom remain despite striking down of repressive legislation, says CPJ

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 12 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Ecuador

Television station executive escapes assassination attempt

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 9 February 2004, Carlos Muñoz, president of the Telesistema television station, was injured in an attack that resulted in the death of his driver, Ricardo Mendoza.

Ukraine

IFJ concerned over Radio Dovira's decision to axe Ukrainian language broadcasts by Radio Liberty

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

Democratic Republic of Congo

Radio programme host arrested and detained in Bukavu

(JED/IFEX) - Télesphore Namukama, a radio programme host with Héritier de la Justice (Heir of Justice), a human rights organisation based in Bukavu, principal city of South Kivu province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, was arrested on 12 February 2004, at 3:00 p.m. (local time), by Security and Intelligence Services (Direction de la sécurité et du renseignement, DSR) agents. The DSR is the local equivalent of the Kinshasa-based National Intelligence Agency (Agence nationale des renseignements, ANR). Namukama also hosts the Swahili-language radio programme "Plaidons pour la justice" ("Let us plead for justice") with the Bukavu-based station Radio Sahuti ya Réhéma (The Voice of Mercy).

Algeria

Censorship feared as "Jeune Afrique-l'intelligent" magazine disappears from newsstands

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern that the weekly magazine "Jeune Afrique-l'intelligent" may have fallen victim to censorship, as its latest issue has not appeared on newsstands. The 8 to 14 February 2004 issue examined the role of the army in Algeria's recent history. The magazine's management said it was given no explanation as to why the issue was not distributed.

Uganda

Supreme Court strikes down law criminalising "false news"

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Nicaragua

CPJ investigating whether journalist's murder is related to his journalistic work

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 11 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Bangladesh

Journalist brutally assaulted by ruling party supporters

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 11 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Bangladesh

Eleven journalists receive death threats

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is an 11 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Haiti

Close to 40 attacks against the press registered so far in 2004

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has denounced as "intolerable" the nearly 40 attacks on press freedom so far this year by government-sponsored gangs and supporters of opposition activists calling for the resignation of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

France

RSF opposes amendment on ISP responsibilities in "telecoms package" law

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has objected to an amendment to a new "telecoms package" bill that was scheduled to be examined by the French National Assembly on 10 February 2004.

Iraq

IFJ mourns loss of nine journalists killed in terrorist bombing in Iraqi Kurdistan

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 10 February 2004 IFJ media release:

Kenya

CPJ concerned about paralyzed journalist

(CPJ/IFEX) - In an 11 February 2004 letter to President Mwai Kibaki, CPJ expressed concern about the plight of photojournalist Wallace Gichere, who is paralyzed from the waist down because of a 1991 incident in which Kenyan police officers threw him from a fourth floor residence. This crime was committed after Gichere wrote articles in the foreign press about abuses of civil and political rights in Kenya under former president Daniel arap Moi. In 2000, a government Standing Committee on Human Rights recommended that the State compensate Gichere for injuries and financial losses-a recommendation that was approved by government the same year. However, Gichere has still not received compensation.

Serbia / Montenegro

ANEM protests dismissal of Radio and Television Pirot editorial staff

(ANEM/IFEX) - The following is an ANEM statement:

Mexico

CPJ concerned about threats against journalist

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 10 February 2004 CPJ letter to Governor of the State of Sinaloa Juan Millán:

Moldova

Journalists' union president charged; SEEMO concerned about recent media developments

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a press release by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

Nicaragua

IAPA condemns journalist's murder, calls for urgent investigation

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 10 February 2004 IAPA press release:

Zimbabwe

Commission says no ANZ journalists will be accredited

(MISA/IFEX) - The Media and Information Commission (MIC) has announced that no journalists from the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of "The Daily News" and "The Daily News on Sunday" newspapers, will be accredited. The commission, headed by Tafataona Mahoso, said the journalists would not be accredited since "The Daily News" and "The Daily News on Sunday" are not registered with the MIC.

Nepal

Journalists physically assaulted and threatened in separate incidents

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 5 February 2004, customs officials in Tatopani, Sindhupalchowk district, at the Nepal-China border physically assaulted journalist Pabitra Kumar Khadka, who is associated with the Tatopani-based weekly "Ghatana Ra Bichar". Khadka was attacked for publishing a report about irregularities committed by certain customs officials in the region.

Philippines

Broadcaster killed in Legazpi City

(CMFR/IFEX) - A radio broadcaster was murdered in Legazpi City, Albay Province, approximately 556 kilometres south of Manila, on 11 February 2004. He was the 44th journalist to be killed in the Philippines since 1986, when the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos ended and democracy was restored.

Ukraine

Gongadze case: open letter to the prosecutor-general

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 9 February 2004 RSF statement:

Moldova

IJC condemns suspension of broadcasters

(IJC/IFEX) - The following is a 6 February 2004 press release by the Moldova Media Working Group, of which IJC is a member:

China

RSF supports Chinese intellectuals' petition for release of Internet essayist Du Daobin

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF supports the petition launched by Chinese intellectual Liu Xiaobo to press for the release of Chinese cyber-dissident Du Daobin. The organisation has denounced the illegitimate use of Article 105 of the Chinese criminal code.

Kazakhstan

IFJ condemns intimidation of journalists, calls for revision of draft media law

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 6 February 2004 IFJ press release:

Cameroon

Two journalists receive suspended prison sentences

(JED/IFEX) - On 3 February 2004, a court in the capital, Yaounde, found Delor Magellan Kamgaing and Victor Bosco Kelbakal, publication director and reporter/photographer, respectively, with the Yaounde-based weekly "J'informe", guilty of "defamation". The journalists each received a suspended three-month prison sentence and were ordered to pay a symbolic 1 CFA franc in damages and interest.

India

Tamil Nadu police arrest "Nakkheeran" magazine reporter

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested the arrest of a reporter from the Tamil-language magazine "Nakkheeran" in what is seen as a renewed attempt by the authorities in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu to implicate the staff of this independent magazine in a murder allegedly committed by the well-known local bandit Veerappan.

Maldives

RSF calls for early release of Internet writers as they begin their third year in prison

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the early release of three Internet writers, two of whom were jailed for life in July 2002 for "defamation" and "attempting to overthrow the government". The organisation's call came after Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom promised a reform of the prison system.

Georgia

IPI concerned about pressure faced by mass media

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 9 February 2004 IPI letter to President Mikheil Saakashvili:

Moldova

Three opposition news media face tough measures

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced outrage after the bank accounts and other assets of the opposition newspaper "Timpul" were sequestered by court order on 9 February 2004. The move follows the filing of a lawsuit against the paper, although no hearing on the merits of the lawsuit has been held to date. The move violates both the presumption of innocence and the most elementary rights of the defence, as well as press freedom, the organisation said.

Peru

Reporter and camera operator assaulted in Chimbote

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 4 February 2004, reporter Abigail Díaz Moncada, of "Diario de Chimbote" newspaper, and Edwin Azaña Alejos, camera operator for "The Power of Information" programme, broadcast on Channel 31 television station, were verbally and physically assaulted by members of the Civil Construction Workers' Union in the city of Chimbote. The group is led by Ezequiel Nolasco Campos.

Iran

Authorities urged to stop harassing journalists and allow free coverage of electoral crisis

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF is concerned over an upsurge in harassment and obstruction of journalists since the 11 January 2004 ruling barring large numbers of reformist candidates from running in the 20 February parliamentary elections. The organisation called on the Iranian authorities to allow journalists to report freely on the political crisis that is currently shaking the country. RSF also urged the authorities to grant visas to all foreign journalists who apply for them.

Argentina

Newspaper censored

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 6 February 2004 IAPA press release:

Paraguay

Investigative journalists face legal action for "defamation"

(SPP/IFEX) - The following is a 6 February 2004 SPP press release:

Kuwait

Writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib sentenced to one year in prison; reports of ill-treatment in prison

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN protests the one-year prison sentence handed down to writer, journalist and researcher Yasser al-Habib. On 20 January 2004, he was reportedly convicted of "questioning the conduct and integrity of some of the 'companions' of the prophet Muhammad" in a lecture he had delivered.

Ecuador

Government threatens to shut down radio station

(AMARC/IFEX) - On 3 and 4 February 2004, President Lucio Gutiérrez and other officials threatened to close down La Luna (99.3 FM) radio station. In addition, the station's director reported that he received threatening phone calls directed at his family. In recent days, indigenous people and other citizens have held demonstrations to express their support for the station and protest this attack on freedom of expression.

Poland

Journalist given three-month jail sentence for libelling local official

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the confirmation of a three-month prison sentence imposed on provincial journalist Andrzej Marek for libelling a local official. The organisation called on the Polish Parliament to amend the country's defamation laws and asked that Marek's sentence be dropped.

Colombia

CPJ investigating journalist's murder

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 5 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Tunisia

EU advised to save money by cancelling media aid programme

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged the European Union to cancel a 2.15 million euro (approx. US$2.73 million) funding programme for the Tunisian news media, which is officially described as being designed to "strengthen the press as part of improving ties between the media and civil society in Tunisia."

Peru

Camera operator assaulted in Iquitos

(IPYS/IFEX) - Douglas Flores Caballero, a camera operator for the television station Channel N in Iquitos, Loreto region, was assaulted by members of the Partido Aprista Peruano party, while covering a confrontation between two factions of the party. One of the warring groups was trying to keep Augusto Vargas Fernández from being sworn in as the party's regional secretary-general.

Serbia / Montenegro

Criminal charges brought against British journalist, four other individuals arrested

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the criminal charges brought against British journalist Dominic Hipkins and the arrest of four local individuals. They are accused of "harming the image of Montenegro" with a "fabricated report" on child trafficking in the region and face up to three years in prison.

Honduras

Journalist found guilty of "defamation"

(PFC/IFEX) - On 4 February 2004, a criminal court found journalist Renato Álvarez guilty of "slander" and "defamation". Politician and former member of congress Eduardo Sarmiento pressed charges against Álvarez, after the journalist disclosed a report in June 2003 that revealed alleged links to drug trafficking in Honduras and that mentioned Sarmiento.

Sri Lanka

FMM welcomes prime minister's proposals regarding state media

(FMM/IFEX) - The following is a 4 February 2004 FMM press release:

Peru

Attacks against journalists in Chimbote intensify

(IPYS/IFEX) - Journalists from several local and national media outlets were attacked in Chimbote, the provincial capital of Santa, Ancash region, by municipal security personnel and individuals reportedly hired by Mayor Estuardo Díaz Delgado. The mayor was recently suspended from office by the city councillors.

Liberia

US$5 million lawsuit filed against newspaper

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Zambia

Journalists barred from tribunal hearing

(MISA/IFEX) - On 3 February 2004, the media and public were barred from attending hearings of a tribunal investigating allegations of professional misconduct levelled by President Levy Mwanawasa against Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mukelebai Mukelebai.

Russia

CPJ concerned by security services' harassment of media

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 5 February 2004 letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, CPJ expressed extreme concern about deteriorating press freedom conditions in Russia. Recent steps taken by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to harass and intimidate independent journalists in retaliation for their work are particularly troubling. While FSB officials say they are safeguarding national security, journalists say they have become targets for reporting on government corruption and FSB abuses.

Zimbabwe

Supreme Court upholds media legislation; "The Daily News" fears government will close paper and arrest its journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 5 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Palestine

Armed men raid television station's offices, CPJ condemns attacks on media outlets

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

Iraq

Iraqi laws threaten democracy, says ARTICLE 19

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Peru

Politician threatens journalists with legal action

(IPYS/IFEX) - Fernando Olivera Vega, Peru's ambassador to Spain and leader of the Frente Independiente Moralizador (FIM) party, said he plans to ask the Attorney General's Office to investigate the actions of Juan Carlos Tafur, director of the daily "Correo", and journalists Catherine Lanceros and Beto Ortiz. Olivera believes the three are responsible for implicating him in a corruption scandal. He made the threat on 1 February 2004 during the "Panorama" programme, broadcast on Panamericana TV's Canal 5 station, and the next day during the "En la boca del lobo" programme, broadcast on América TV's Canal 4 station.

Italy

RSF condemns police search of journalists' homes and offices

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested the violation of journalists' right to protect their sources following the police search of the homes and offices of two journalists.

Iran

Iranian authorities urged to consider UN rapporteur's findings

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has welcomed a report issued on 12 January 2004 by the United Nations (UN) special rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, Ambeyi Ligabo, following his 4 to 10 November 2003 visit to Iran. The organisation urged the Iranian authorities to implement the report's recommendations.

Belarus

Human rights activist fined over Internet articles

(RSF/IFEX) - On 2 February 2004, journalist and human rights activist Natalya Kaliada was fined 160 euros (approx. US$200) for publishing articles on a website run by Charter 97, a human rights organisation that is not recognised by the authorities.

Liberia

Criminal charges brought against journalists working for private weekly newspaper

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 4 February 2004 letter to Liberian President Gyude Bryant, CPJ expressed its concern over the recent criminal charges brought against journalists working for the private weekly newspaper "Telegraph". On 16 January, editor-in-chief Philip Moore Jr., managing editor Adolphus Karnuah and sub-editor Robert Kpadeh Jr. were arrested and brought to the Magistrate Court in the capital, Monrovia, where they were charged with "criminal malevolence".

Colombia

Journalist killed in Cartago

(FLIP/IFEX) - On 4 February 2004, journalist Oscar Alberto Polanco Herrera was assassinated in the city of Cartago, Valle department, western Colombia. The former director and host of the CNC news programme in Cartago was shot by a hired killer as he was leaving the Cartago local television station at around noon (local time). His assailant fled on a motorcycle that was being driven by another individual.

Palestine

Offices of Gaza weekly ransacked

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has demanded a prompt and full investigation after the Gaza City offices of the weekly newspaper "Al-Daar" were ransacked during the Muslim Eid festival, between 1 and 3 February 2004.

Peru

Final print journalist released after 10 years' imprisonment

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC welcomes the 31 January 2004 release of journalist Juan de Mata Jara Berrospi. He is the last of the print journalists summarily sentenced in the 1990s for alleged terrorist offences to be released.

The Gambia

Managing editor of private newspaper detained

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh:

Kazakhstan

Independent journalist beaten

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to President Nursultan Nazarbayev:

Peru

Journalist detained following judge's order

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 30 January 2004, at approximately 2:00 p.m. (local time), officers of the Tarapoto Police's Legal Division arrested journalist Guillermo Navas Chujuntalli, director of "Panorama Regional" magazine.

United States

Cartoonist receives death threats

(CRN/IFEX) - The following is a 27 January 2004 CRN statement:

Zambia

Photojournalist beaten and detained, equipment damaged, film confiscated

(MISA/IFEX) - On 28 January 2004, Mackson Wasamunu, a photojournalist for the state-owned "Zambia Daily Mail" newspaper, was beaten and detained by police officers for taking photographs of a police action to remove street vendors from Lusaka's city centre.

Nepal

Police officers ransack newspaper's offices, injure journalist and other staff

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 1 February 2004, police officers forcefully entered the Kathmandu offices of the weekly "Drishti" and assaulted reporter Saroj Adhikari and computer operators Kedar Adhikari and Ram Krishna Rana. The officers also caused damages to the office premises. They claimed to be pursuing protestors who had earlier taken part in a demonstration against King Gyanendra.

Iraq

CPJ condemns Governing Council's decision to bar satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera from covering official activities

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 2 February 2004 CPJ press release:

Colombia

Television presenter kidnapped and tortured in Barrancabermeja

(FLIP/IFEX) - On 28 January 2004, Inés Peña, the 22-year-old leader of the Popular Women's Organisation (Organización Femenina Popular, OFP) youth chapter and the host of the "Cultura por la Vida" segment of La Mohana television programme, was kidnapped, tortured and told to abandon her journalistic work.

China

Foreign press barred from provinces hit by avian flu

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on the World Health Organisation to press the Chinese authorities to lift a ban on visits to the southern regions of the country that have been hit by an outbreak of avian flu. The ban was imposed on most Beijing-based foreign correspondents.

Peru

Journalists harassed and attacked in Chimbote

(IPYS/IFEX) - In recent days, journalists from several media outlets who cover events at the Santa Provincial Municipality town council, in the city of Chimbote, Ancash region, have been harassed and verbally assaulted. They have been targeted by the municipality's security personnel and by individuals reportedly hired by officials linked to Mayor Estuardo Díaz Delgado.

Serbia / Montenegro

Radical Party official attacks Novi Sad daily, describes journalists as "filthy traitors and spies"

(ANEM/IFEX) - The following is an ANEM statement:

Kazakhstan

Police raid publishing house's offices, staff members manhandled

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Russia

Danish journalist denied work visa and accreditation

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the Russian authorities' refusal to provide Vibeke Sperling, of the Danish daily "Politiken", with a work visa and accreditation so she can work as her newspaper's correspondent in Moscow.

Russia

Explosion rocks journalist's home following release of her candid book

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

Côte d'Ivoire

Three journalists assaulted by presidential guardsmen

(RSF/IFEX) - A photographer with "Le Patriote", a daily that is close to the opposition, and two other journalists were recently assaulted by members of Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo's presidential guard.

Iraq

Al-Jazeera barred from covering Governing Council activities for one month

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the Iraqi Governing Council's ban on the 24-hour television news satellite station Al-Jazeera. Under the ban, Al-Jazeera is prevented from reporting on the Council's activities from 28 January to 27 February 2004.

Colombia

Two years after journalist's death, impunity continues

(FLIP/IFEX) - The 30 January 2002 attack against Orlando Sierra Hernández, deputy editor of the Manizales-based daily "La Patria", remains unpunished. The journalist died on 1 February 2002, two days after being shot.

Ireland

ARTICLE 19 comments on recommendations for reform of defamation law

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Nepal

Journalists assaulted, another journalist charged

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 30 January 2004, the security forces physically assaulted three journalists from the daily "Nepal Samacharpatra" in Kathmandu. Associate editor Tank Panta, reporter Ram Prasad Shrestha and photojournalist Naresh Poudel were beaten and verbally abused while covering a protest rally organised by five opposition political parties. A police officer also attempted to confiscate a cassette recorder from "Nepal Samacharpatra" journalist Saroj Dahal. The officer also warned the journalist against complaining about his behaviour.

Guatemala

Human rights defender acquitted on criminal defamation charges

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

Kazakhstan

CPJ concerned about government efforts to strengthen legal restrictions on independent media ahead of parliamentary elections

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 29 January 2004 letter to Senate Chairman Oralbai Abdykarimov, CPJ expressed concern about deteriorating press freedom conditions in Kazakhstan and government efforts to strengthen legal restrictions over the independent media ahead of parliamentary elections due later this year.

Nepal

Several journalists arrested, threatened and assaulted

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 26 January 2004, the security forces released journalist Balbhadra Bharati after having held him for two days in Surkhet district. Bharati is a correspondent for the Kathmandu-based weekly "Jana Ekta". He is also an adviser for the Progressive Writers' Association. He was arrested on 24 January at his Surkhet residence, immediately after having returned from Kathmandu.

Croatia

Journalist receives death threat

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a letter to Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Interior Affairs Minister Marjan Mlinaric from the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

Moldova

Camera operator harassed

(IJC/IFEX) - The following is a 28 January 2004 joint declaration by the IJC, Committee for Press Freedom, Access-Info Center, Association of Electronic Press (APEL), Association of Independent Press and Union of Journalists of Moldova:

United Kingdom

IFJ warns that continued attacks on BBC could undermine public service broadcasting in other countries

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

Ecuador

CPJ concerned about journalist convicted of criminal defamation

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 28 January 2004 CPJ letter to Supreme Court Chair Hugo Quintana Coello:

Pakistan

Mayor guns down journalist over report on alcohol trafficking

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has voiced outrage over the murder of journalist Sajid Tanoli by a mayor in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province on 29 January 2004. The mayor killed the journalist over a report about alcohol trafficking.

Ukraine

Journalist and newspaper harassed

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - In a letter to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, ARTICLE 19 expressed its concern at the news of the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfair treatment of journalist Volodymyr Boyko and the weekly "Ostrov", and the possible involvement of Ukrainian General Prosecutor Gennadij Vasylyev.

Libya

Government daily "Al-Zahf al-Akhdar" suspended for one week

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has reiterated its call for press freedom in Libya after the government daily "Al-Zahf al-Akhdar" ("The Green Step") was suspended for one week on 27 January 2004 for suggesting that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi should no longer be referred to as the "guide of the revolution" and should instead start behaving as a genuine head of state.

Peru

Journalist faces complaint for defamation

(IPYS/IFEX) - Member of Congress Jorge Mufarech Nemy, of the Perú Posible ruling party, has filed a complaint against journalist Pedro Eduardo Salinas Chacaltana. Salinas is a columnist for the daily "Correo" and hosts the "Suma de opiniones" programme, broadcast on La Inolvidable radio station. Mufarech alleges the journalist defamed him and is seeking a three-year prison sentence for Salinas and payment of US$1 million in damages.

Honduras

Court rules in favour of journalist in defamation case, another case still pending

(PFC/IFEX) - A court has ruled in favour of journalist Renato Álvarez in a defamation case. Álvarez is the host of the debate programme "Frente a Frente", broadcast on Televicentro Corporation's stations 3, 5 and 7. He will be going on trial again on 3 February 2004, for another defamation case. Both of the cases were launched against him for disclosing a report that revealed alleged connections to drug trafficking in Honduras.

Iraq / United States

Iraq remains the most dangerous place in the world to work as a journalist, CPJ reiterates following latest deaths; Reuters protests U.S. military's treatment of journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 27 January 2004 CPJ press release:

China

CPJ calls for imprisoned journalist's release

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 27 January 2004 letter to President Hu Jintao, CPJ condemned the prolonged detention of journalist Jiang Weiping, who is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in Dalian, Liaoning Province. As of December 2003, Jiang had served half his sentence and is now eligible for parole under Chinese law. He should be released immediately, CPJ stated.

Sri Lanka

Freelance journalist faces threats and legal action from extremist group

(FMM/IFEX) - The following is a 22 January 2004 FMM press release:

Iraq

Two CNN employees killed, a third wounded

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

Bangladesh

Underground Maoist group admits to killing journalist and threatens nine others with death

(RSF/IFEX) - An underground Maoist organisation has claimed responsibility for the murder of BBC stringer Manik Saha on 15 January 2004. The journalist died instantly when attackers threw a bomb at his rickshaw in Khulna, southwestern Bangladesh. In a letter attributed to the group's leader, the group also threatened to kill nine other journalists in the region.

Nigeria

Nine senior journalists suspended

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Georgia

Ban on broadcasters lifted, ARTICLE 19 calls for inquiry into attacks on journalists and activists

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a joint 26 January 2004 ARTICLE 19 and PRESS NOW letter to the president of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Aslan Abashidze:

Pakistan

Journalist charged with sedition

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 26 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Uganda

Army spokesman accuses two journalists from "The Monitor" newspaper of being "rebel collaborators"

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

Guatemala

Children's rights advocate should not face prison sentence for public statement, says Human Rights Watch

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is a 21 January 2004 Human Rights Watch press release:

Peru

Journalist assaulted

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 31 December 2003, Joel Valencia Palomino, a journalist, director of "El Eco Picotino" magazine and editor of the weekly "El Sol del Huallaga", in the city of Picota, San Martín region, was assaulted by Picota Provincial Municipality Councillor Hugo Laurencio Rengifo Tello. Rengifo Tello is affiliated with the Partido Aprista Peruano political party. Rengifo Tello's brother, Felipe Rengifo Tello, also threatened to kill the journalist. Valencia Palomino is also a correspondent for the "Línea Abierta" programme broadcast on Radio San Martín radio station, which is based in the city of Tarapoto. He was bruised during the incident and his video camera was damaged.

Côte d'Ivoire

Two journalists from "Le Courrier d'Abidjan" newspaper assaulted by government minister

(RSF/IFEX) - On 16 January 2004, Thierry Gouégnon and Danielle Sylvie Tagro, a photographer and journalist, respectively, with the private daily "Le Courrier d'Abidjan", were manhandled by Minister of Technical and Vocational Training Youssouf Soumahoro. RSF condemns the minister's unacceptable behaviour.

Cuba

Journalist on hunger strike

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 23 January 2004 IAPA press release:

Sierra Leone

Police raid offices of independent daily, three journalists assaulted

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the raid by several dozen police officers on the offices of the independent daily "Awoko", in the capital, Freetown, on 21 January 2004. Three journalists were manhandled by police during the raid.

Côte d'Ivoire

Tribunal orders government to pay damages to journalist's heirs

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

Canada

CPJ condemns police raids on home and office of "Ottawa Citizen" reporter

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Azerbaijan

Prosecutor's Office extends journalist Rauf Arifoglu's detention by three more months

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has urged French President Jacques Chirac to raise the case of a prominent jailed editor, to try to obtain his release, during an official visit to France by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev on 22 and 23 January 2004.

Côte d'Ivoire

French journalist Jean Hélène's killer sentenced to 17 years in prison

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has welcomed the 17-year prison sentence given to the murderer of French radio journalist Jean Hélène. The organisation blamed certain Ivorian media outlets for using extremist rhetoric to foment hatred and creating a hostile climate for foreign journalists.

Hungary

Journalist given jail term with no parole for press offence for the first time since fall of communism

(RSF/IFEX) - A journalist has been sentenced to a jail term with no parole for a press offence for the first time since the fall of communism in 1990.

Zimbabwe

"The Daily News" resumes publication, but obstacles remain

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Zimbabwe

"The Daily News" hits newsstands again

(RSF/IFEX) - An eight-page edition of the independent newspaper "The Daily News" hit newsstands on the streets of the capital, Harare, on the morning of 22 January 2004, ending a ban of more than four months that was lifted by the High Court on 21 January.

Guatemala

APG calls on authorities to investigate individuals implicated in raid on newspaper director's home

(APG/IFEX) - The following is a 20 January 2004 APG Press Freedom Committee press release:

France

Journalist facing legal action for "public abuse of a member of government"

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has criticised a legal investigation opened against journalist Judith Silberfeld for "public abuse of a member of government". Silberfeld is deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly gay magazine "Têtu". The organisation described the legal action as "completely absurd and anachronistic."

Canada

CJFE calls on government to rein in the RCMP after raid on journalist's home

(CJFE/IFEX) - The following is a CJFE media release:

Canada

Police raid home and office of "Ottawa Citizen" reporter

(PEN Canada/IFEX) - The following is a 21 January 2004 PEN Canada media release:

Thailand

Soldiers exonerated in attempted slaying of newspaper publisher

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

Pakistan

CPJ concerned about journalist's prolonged detention

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 20 January 2004 CPJ letter to Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf:

Indonesia

Magazine found guilty of defamation

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

Mexico

Journalist receives death threats

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 17 January 2004, journalist Irene Medrano Villanueva, of "El Sol de Sinaloa" newspaper, announced that she has been receiving death threats via anonymous telephone calls.

France / Cuba

Cuban security staff attack AFP journalist outside Paris art exhibition

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned an attack on Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist Jorge Carlos Forbes. The journalist was assaulted as he was leaving the opening of a contemporary Cuban art exhibition at the Great Arch of La Défense, in Paris, on 20 January 2004.

Czech Republic

Police launch investigation into attack on editor-in-chief of independent weekly

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 20 January 2004 CPJ press release:

The Gambia

Managing editor of private newspaper receives death threats

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to Gambian President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh:

Azerbaijan

IPI concerned over ongoing harassment of independent media

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to President Ilham Aliyev:

Iran

RSF voices concern over stalled justice in Zahra Kazemi case

(RSF/IFEX) - On 20 January 2004, RSF expressed concern over the stalled Zahra Kazemi case to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and his 15 European Union (EU) counterparts. The Iranian authorities appear to be in no hurry to see justice served, the organisation noted.

Venezuela

News crew attacked

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 18 January 2004, a Globovisión television news crew was attacked as they covered an anniversary celebration of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) opposition political party.

Sri Lanka

"Sunday Observer" reporter harassed, FMM criticises Lake House journalist's behaviour

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

Czech Republic

Editor-in-chief of weekly badly beaten in attack

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on the Czech authorities to take firm action in response to a violent attack on Tomas Nemecek, editor-in-chief of the weekly "Respekt", on 17 January 2004.

Ethiopia

EFJA condemns Ministry of Justice's appointment of a new executive committee for the organisation

(EFJA/IFEX) - The following is an 18 January 2004 EFJA press release:

Haiti

Arsonists attack two private radio stations

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the recent arson attacks by Haitian opposition supporters against Radio Pyramide and Radio America stations in the city of Saint-Marc, 120 kilometres north of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The organisation called on all political groups to take steps to reduce tension and respect press freedom.

Iran

Independent journalist Ensafali Hedayat arrested

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the immediate release of independent journalist Ensafali Hedayat, who was arrested at his home by order of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, in northwestern Iran, on 16 January 2004. Hedayat is employed by a number of reformist dailies.

Mexico

Judiciary promises greater transparency

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 15 January 2004 IAPA press release:

Kazakhstan

Journalist and human rights activist Sergei Duvanov released on probation

(RSF/IFEX) - Journalist and human rights activist Sergei Duvanov was released on probation on 15 January 2004. He had been imprisoned since October 2002. Duvanov was released following a 29 December 2003 court ruling allowing him to return to his home in Almaty and resume his job at the International Bureau of Human Rights.

Nigeria

Reporter asked to reveal source during interrogation

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Zimbabwe

Police defy order to vacate ANZ's premises, government appeals to Supreme Court to keep newspaper closed

(MISA/IFEX) - The police have defied a 9 January 2004 High Court order to vacate the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe's (ANZ) premises. The ANZ publishes the "The Daily News" and "The Daily News on Sunday" newspapers.

Georgia

Media facing harassment in Adjara Autonomous Republic

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed concern about harassment of the media in the Adjara Autonomous Republic. Several journalists were recently physically attacked or prevented from working in the region, where a state of emergency was declared on 7 January 2004.

Iraq / United States

RSF investigates US military strike on Baghdad's Palestine Hotel

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

Nepal

ARTICLE 19 urges authorities to amend draft Freedom of Information law

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Tunisia

Authorities block publication of independent newspaper "Kalima"

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has accused the Tunisian authorities of blocking the development of an independent press in the country after journalist Sihem Bensedrine failed in her attempt to register the weekly newspaper "Kalima". Bensedrine was turned away when she tried to begin the registration process for the bilingual publication at the Interior Ministry's offices on 13 January 2004.

Serbia / Montenegro

Journalists receive death threats

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a press release by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

Cuba

Government plans to track down "unauthorised" Internet users

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested against a plan by the Cuban authorities to crack down on unauthorised Internet users by placing a total ban on the use of the regular telephone network to get online. The government has called on Etecsa, Cuba's sole telecommunications operator, "to deploy all technical means to detect and block Internet access" to unauthorised users. Since Internet use in Cuba is banned for the majority of the population, Cubans are forced to use illegal connections.

Sudan

Editor-in-chief of daily "Al-Ayam" imprisoned

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for the immediate release of "Al-Ayam" editor-in-chief Mahjoub Mohamed Salih. He was imprisoned on 14 January 2004 because of his newspaper's unpaid tax arrears of 90 million Sudanese pounds (approx. US$348,350; 276,500 euros).

Haiti

Attack against transmission plant forces radio stations off the air

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 14 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Bangladesh

BBC stringer killed in bomb attack

(RSF/IFEX) - Manik Shaha, a correspondent for the daily "New Age" and a stringer for the Bengali service of the BBC World Service, was killed on 15 January 2004 when a home-made bomb was thrown at him in Khulna, southwestern Bangladesh.

Zambia

Columnist allowed to stay in country

(MISA/IFEX) - MISA has confirmed that Roy Clarke, a columnist for "The Post" newspaper, has come out of hiding following a 13 January 2004 Lusaka High Court ruling allowing him to continue enjoying his status as a permanent Zambian resident until the court hears the case in which he is challenging his deportation order.

Belarus

Country's top-selling newspaper targeted, correspondent receives death threats

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned a crackdown against Belarus's top-selling independent newspaper, "Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta". The Belarus postal service, Belpochta, which delivers newspapers to subscribers country-wide, and state distributor Belsayuzdruk both cancelled their 2004 contracts with the newspaper. In addition, Irina Makovetskaya, the paper's correspondent in Gomel, southern Belarus, received several death threats in anonymous telephone calls during the night of 10 to 11 January.

Zimbabwe

Fourth journalist arrested and charged

FOURTH JOURNALIST IN ZIMBABWE ARRESTED AND CHARGED

Ukraine

Internet journalist attacked for the second time in less than six months

(RSF/IFEX) - Oleg Eltsov, editor-in-chief of the online newspaper "Ukraina Kryminalna", was the victim of a shooting attack on 12 January 2004, at about 10:00 p.m. (local time). One or two unidentified assailants fired rubber bullets at him, close to his Kiev home, before fleeing in a car. Eltsov was shot in the leg and torso in the incident, but escaped without serious injuries. It was the second attack on the journalist in less than six months.

Cuba

Prison guards brutally beat jailed journalist

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has strongly condemned the recent assault on Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, a journalist who was brutally beaten by prison guards in the Guantánamo provincial prison, in eastern Cuba. The organisation urged the authorities to punish his assailants and protect prisoners from further harm.

International

ARTICLE 19 concerned that proposed Rome II Regulations pose threat to Internet publishers' freedom of expression

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 13 January 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release:

Argentina

Businessman launches legal action against civil society association, members of press circle

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - The first hearing in the criminal libel and "insult" suit against members of the "Foro de Entidades Intermedias", an association of civil society groups, was held on 15 December 2003. The legal action was initiated by Néstor Ick, a powerful businessman from Santiago del Estero province, in northern Argentina. Ick owns Santiago del Estero's Canal 7 television station, the province's main bank and companies that have million-dollar contracts with the local government.

Nigeria

Freedom House urges government to adopt Freedom of Information Bill

(Freedom House/IFEX) - The following is a 12 January 2004 Freedom House press release:

Pakistan

Suspect in newspaper office bomb blast given life term

(PPF/IFEX) - On 8 January 2004, Karachi Additional District and Session Judge Abdul Malik gave a sentence of life imprisonment to Aziz Qureshi, the accused in the bombing of the Karachi advertising office of the national Urdu-language daily "Nawa-i-Waqt".

International

Freedom House concerned over deterioration of press freedom in the Americas; organisation's "Freedom of the Press 2003" report available online

(Freedom House/IFEX) - The following is a 12 January 2004 Freedom House press release:

Zimbabwe

Police ordered to vacate ANZ's premises

(MISA/IFEX) - On 9 January 2004, the High Court ordered police to immediately vacate the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) offices.

Panama

IAPA concerned over restrictions on reporting on judiciary's activities

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 12 January 2004 IAPA press release:

Pakistan

Authorities deny holding journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi despite statements by President Musharraf

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed profound shock following the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) denial before two Sindh High Court judges that the agency was holding Pakistani journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi in custody.

Dominican Republic

IAPA concerned over closure of radio programme

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 12 January 2004 IAPA press release:

Iran

Eleven jailed journalists start new year in harsh prison conditions

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed indignation over the prison conditions of 11 Iranian journalists. Most of the detained are ill and in a very weakened state, both physically and psychologically. The organisation renewed its objections to the journalists' often-arbitrary detention and has called for their release.

Uganda

Authorities begin shutting down dozens of broadcasters for non-payment of operating permits

(RSF/IFEX) - The Ugandan authorities have started shutting down dozens of privately-owned media outlets that have not paid for their operating permits. Officials are targeting about 50 broadcasters throughout the country. Four Kampala-based radio stations and one television station were forced to stop broadcasting on 8 January 2004.

Liberia

Journalists assaulted

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert

Zimbabwe

Journalists released

(MISA/IFEX) - Managing editor Iden Wetherell, news editor Vincent Kahiya and chief reporter Dumisani Muleya, of the "Zimbabwe Independent" newspaper, have been released on bail by the magistrate's court. On 12 January 2004, the three were granted bail in the amount of Z$20,000 (approx US$24) each.

Argentina

Press union leader harassed

(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) - On 28 December 2003, Edgardo Carmona, the Rosario Press Union's secretary-general, (vs. secretary-general of the Rosario Press Union, received a letter from a media group headed by businessmen Daniel Vila and José Luis Manzano. The letter referred to statements Carmona had made to Canal 9 television station, based in Mendoza, regarding the bankruptcy of the Rosario-based daily "El Ciudadano", one of the media outlets under the control of the Vila-Manzano consortium. Carmona was informed that the media group has filed a complaint against him for defamation and has launched an action against the press union, aimed at having him fired from his post at the daily "La Capital de Rosario", which is also controlled by the Vila-Manzano group.

Kenya

Police crack down on "alternative press"

(NDIMA/IFEX) - On 10 January 2004, police raided news stands in major Kenyan towns and confiscated copies of newspapers published by the "alternative press".

France

Digital economy bill threatens to turn website hosts into censors and end e-mail privacy, RSF says

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has appealed to the French Senate to amend the digital economy bill passed by the National Assembly on second reading on 8 January 2004. The organisation wishes to ensure that commercial companies that host websites do not have to act as censors and decide if online content is legal, and that there is no threat to the confidentiality of e-mail exchanges. The bill was presented by Industry Minister Nicole Fontaine.

Pakistan

French journalists freed

(PPF/IFEX) - On 12 January 2004, the Sindh High Court accepted an appeal on behalf of reporter Marc Epstein and photographer Jean-Paul Guilloteau and set them free. The French journalists' lawyer, Nafis Siddiqui, had filed the appeal seeking to overturn the journalists' 10 January conviction by a Karachi sessions court for violating visa regulations.

Nepal

Journalists assaulted

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 6 January 2004, the security forces assaulted journalists Bal Ram Baniya, Ghana Shyam Ojha, Ajaya Siwakoti, Rohit Dahal, Sita Ram Parajuli and Prabin Dhakal in Ratna Park, Kathmandu. The journalists were brutally beaten while they were gathering information on a protest rally against the king's assumption of executive power, which took place on 4 October 2002. The rally had been organised by the major political parties.

Zimbabwe

Three journalists arrested, "The Daily News" still banned

(RSF/IFEX) - Three journalists from the "Zimbabwe Independent" were arrested by Harare police on 10 January 2004, accused of "insulting" President Robert Mugabe.

Nepal

Editor and journalist arrested

(CEHURDES/IFEX) - On 5 January 2004, the security forces arrested Rabindra Shah, editor of the weekly "Biswo Jagaran", in Janakpur, Dhanusha district. Shah's whereabouts are currently unknown.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Journalist receives death threats from political leaders in eastern DRC

(RSF/IFEX) - Nicaise Kibel'Bel Oka, publication director of the weekly "Les Coulisses", has received several death threats recently. The threats are being taken very seriously, as they follow the publication of an article in which he accused leaders of the Rally for Democracy-Liberation Movement (Rassemblement pour la démocratie-Mouvement de libération, RCD-ML) of creating insecurity in the country's northeastern region in order to cement their power. RSF called on the government to intercede with local political leaders and urge them to protect the journalist.

Morocco

Letter bomb sent to editor of Morocco's main Arabic-language daily

(RSF/IFEX) - On 5 January 2004, Mohammed El-Brini, editor of "Al-Ahdath Al-Maghribia", Morocco's main Arabic-language national daily, received a letter bomb, made to resemble a new year's message. He escaped injury when a staff member spotted suspicious-looking wires and took the letter to the police.

Guinea

Journalists harassed following elections

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert:

Tunisia

Journalist Sihem Bensedrine assaulted

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called for a full investigation into the recent assault on journalist and human rights activist Sihem Bensedrine. Bensedrine was attacked on 5 January 2004 as she left her home to go to an Internet cafe. She was accosted by three men in the street. The youngest of the three, whom she could not identify, tripped her and then beat and insulted her. The other two men, who intervened only after the attack, told her, "Don't pay attention to the actions of this young delinquent."

Palestine

Al-Arabiya TV correspondent assaulted in Gaza

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned the assault on Saifeddine Chahine, a correspondent in Gaza for the Dubai-based Arabic satellite news channel Al-Arabiya. The 8 January 2004 attack appears to be linked to his coverage of President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, the organisation said.

Zimbabwe

Lawyer arrested for allegedly "insulting" president

(MISA/IFEX) - On 15 December 2003, Douglas Togarasei Mwonzora, a lawyer and human rights activist based in the city of Masvingo, 293 kilometres south of the capital, Harare, was arrested by police for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe.

Ecuador

PFC asks judge to dismiss case against magazine editors

(PFC/IFEX) - PFC has appealed to Judge Felipe Serrano Cordero, chair of Cuenca's Fifth Civil Court, to dismiss a defamation case that was brought against Diego Orellana and Jaime Cedillo, assistant editor and director/editor of the magazine "El Observador", respectively.

Morocco

RSF welcomes release of journalists Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for pardoning jailed journalists Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd, together with five other journalists. The pardons for Lmrabet and El-Hourd were announced on 7 January 2004, along with those of Mustapha Alaoui, Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, Mustapha Kechnini, Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui.

International

RSF terms 2003 a "black year" for press freedom

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is a 6 January 2004 RSF press release:

Colombia

Resumen de la FLIP sobre violaciones a la libertad de prensa en 2003

(FLIP/IFEX) - Lo que sigue es un comunicado de prensa de la FLIP, con fecha del 7 de enero de 2004:

Malawi

ARTICLE 19 issues memorandum on the Malawi Communications Act 1998

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an 8 January 2004 ARTICLE 19 press release:

China

Police put pressure on daily newspaper that broke story of new SARS case

(RSF/IFEX) - The editor-in-chief and six staff members of a daily newspaper that broke the story of a new SARS case in December 2003 have been questioned by police over alleged corruption. RSF views the police action as an obvious attempt to silence them.

Morocco

King pardons journalists

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 7 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Turkey

Journalist given one-year jail sentence for "insulting Parliament"

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed shock over a one-year jail sentence handed down to former radio station director Sabri Ejder Öziç. The journalist, a former head of Radyo Dünya in Adana, southern Turkey, was sentenced on 30 December 2003 for "insulting and mocking Parliament". He appealed the sentence and has not been imprisoned.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Nine state broadcaster journalists and employees given heavy prison sentences for "defamation"

(JED/IFEX) - On 5 January 2004, a Kinshasa/Gombe court sentenced nine union members from the state broadcaster Congolese National Radio-television (RTNC, Radiotélévision nationale congolaise) to 12 months in prison with no parole. The court also ordered the journalists and other employees to pay US$2,500 each in damages and interest for "defamation" and "slanderous denunciations" against former communications and press minister Kikaya bin Karubi.

Greece

Journalist attacked

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a press release by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an IPI affiliate:

Sri Lanka

Journalist threatened

(FMM/IFEX) - The following is a 6 January 2004 FMM press release:

Niger

Director of "Le Républicain" released

(RSF/IFEX) - Mamane Abou, director of the private weekly "Le Républicain", was released on the morning of 6 January 2004. The journalist had spent two months in prison.

Zambia

Radio station ordered to stop broadcasting BBC programmes

(MISA/IFEX) - On 1 January 2004, Zambia's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services (MIBS) ordered the community-based commercial radio station Breeze FM to stop relaying British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programmes. Breeze FM is based in Chipata, an area approximately 600 kilometres from the capital, Lusaka, and broadcasts over a radius of 150 kilometres.

Zambia

Columnist ordered to leave the country

(MISA/IFEX) - On 5 January 2004, Roy Clarke, a columnist for the privately-owned newspaper "The Post", was given 24 hours to leave the country for allegedly having insulted President Levy Mwanawasa and two other cabinet ministers in an article published in "The Post" on 1 January.

Zimbabwe

Radio station manager arrested, detained

(MISA/IFEX) - On 2 January 2004, Father Nigel Johnson, station manager of Radio Dialogue FM, was arrested in Bulawayo, approximately 450 kilometres from the capital, Harare, while filming footage for a music video. Johnson told MISA-Zimbabwe that he was filming a group of artists performing dances in the high density suburb of Nkulumane when he was approached by two policemen and a civilian.

International

Thirty-six journalists killed for their work in 2003, says CPJ

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 2 January 2004 CPJ press release:

Azerbaijan

Opposition journalist remanded in custody for three months

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed serious concern over the remanding in custody of an opposition journalist for three months. Sadig Ismailov, of the opposition daily "Baki Khaber", is accused of taking part in clashes in Baku pitting opposition activists against security forces after the 15 October 2003 presidential elections. "Baki Khaber" editor-in-chief Aydin Gouliev said Ismailov had been sent to cover the demonstrations at Azadliq Square on 16 October.

Algeria

Two journalists receive two-month suspended jail sentences

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has expressed anger over the two-month suspended prison sentences handed down to two journalists by the Algiers Correctional Court on 31 December 2003.

Thailand

Thai media faced constraints in 2003, says TJA

(TJA/IFEX) - The following is a 30 December 2003 TJA press release:

Vietnam

CPJ protests sentencing of Internet writer

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 5 January 2004 CPJ letter to President Tran Duc Luong:

Syria

Cyber-dissident held in solitary confinement for past seven months

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has protested over the detention of cyber-dissident Abdel Rahman Shagouri. He has been held without trial for the past seven months in what is the first known case of the jailing of a cyber-dissident in Syria.