10 January 2007

COURT QUASHES CHARGES AGAINST JOURNALISTS


A court in Burundi has thrown out charges against three journalists accused by the government of threatening national security, a move hailed by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

A panel of judges in the capital Bujumbura acquitted editor Serge Nibizi and journalist Domitile Kiramvu of Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), and director Matthias Manirakiza of Radio Isanganiro on charges that included endangering public security.

The journalists were prosecuted for reporting in August 2006 that Burundi's army had been preparing to simulate an attack on the presidential palace in order to support claims that there had been a coup attempt against the government. Several top opposition leaders, including the former president, are currently on trial for alleged participation in the plot (see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/79914/).

Visit these links:
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/africa/burundi03jan07na.html
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20313
- Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/05/19/burund13413.htm


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Also from the Communiqué, 10 January 2007

PALESTINE: JOURNALISTS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE 9 January 2007 EGYPT: MUBARAK URGED TO REPEAL CRIMINAL DEFAMATION LAWS 10 January 2007 BURMA: TWO JOURNALISTS RELEASED FROM JAIL 10 January 2007 INDONESIA: ATTACKS ON THE PRESS INCREASE 10 January 2007 INTERNATIONAL: INTERNET CENSORSHIP ON THE RISE IN ARAB COUNTRIES 10 January 2007 INTERNATIONAL: SEENPM STUDY EXAMINES MEDIA AND GENDER IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE 10 January 2007 INTERNATIONAL: CNN MULTICHOICE AFRICAN JOURNALIST AWARDS 10 January 2007

Burundi

Intelligence agents arrest radio reporter for allegedly aiding rebels 30 November 2011 Summonses, threats and harassment part of everyday life for privately-owned media 17 November 2011 Government urged to strengthen support for national human rights commission 7 October 2011 Authorities urged to lift news blackout imposed after Gatumba massacre 27 September 2011 Government critics face repeated arrests, questioning 12 August 2011 See all alerts: Burundi


Central and Eastern Africa

SOUTH SUDAN: Journalist assaulted in Parliament 9 February 2012 UGANDA: Court acquits “Daily Monitor” editors 8 February 2012 DJIBOUTI: Radio journalist threatened and tortured for 24 hours 3 February 2012 KENYA: WiPC interview with Robert Wanyonyi on witnessing and reporting on crime 1 February 2012


 
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