27 August 2003

15 JOURNALISTS STILL IMPRISONED


Fifteen journalists are still languishing in Eritrean prisons nearly two years after a crackdown on the independent media, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Association of Eritrean Journalists in Exile (AEJE). The two organisations criticise the "arbitrary" way in which the authorities carry out arrests as well as the secrecy surrounding journalists arrested in Eritrea.

Eritrea is still the only country in Africa, and one of the few in the world, without privately-owned media outlets, reports RSF. On 18 September 2001, the government ordered the closure of all privately-owned newspapers and launched an unprecedented wave of arrests of journalists. Most of the 15 journalists still imprisoned were arrested during the latter half of September 2001.

The government often justifies the imprisonment of journalists by claiming, contrary to the evidence, that they have failed to do their military service, says RSF. The most recent example was the 8 July arrest of local Voice of America (VOA) stringer Akhlilu Solomon, who had produced a report about the distress among soldiers' families [see IFEX alert: http://www.ifex.org/es/content/view/full/52113/].

For more information, visit:
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=7775 and http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=6414
- Committee to Protect Journalists: http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Eritrea22may03na.html and
http://www.cpj.org/attacks02/africa02/eritrea.html
- Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/africa4.html


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Also from the Communiqué, 27 August 2003

NORTH AFRICA: WIPC LAUNCHES FRANCOPHONE NORTH AFRICA CAMPAIGN 26 August 2003 PHILIPPINES: JOURNALIST KNOWN FOR HIS CRITICAL REPORTING KILLED 26 August 2003 COLOMBIA: REBELS SUSPECTED AS ONE JOURNALIST KILLED, ONE INJURED 26 August 2003 ZIMBABWE: TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS VERBALLY ATTACK MISA 27 August 2003 INTERNATIONAL: ARTICLE 19 CONCERNED ABOUT "RIGHT OF REPLY" ON THE INTERNET 27 August 2003 INTERNATIONAL: IFJ HOSTS CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN EUROPE 27 August 2003 INTERNATIONAL: WAN appoints new director of press freedom programmes 27 August 2003 INTERNATIONAL: ICFJ SURVEY FINDS ALARMING CONDITIONS FOR LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS 27 August 2003 INTERNATIONAL: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES KURT SCHORK AWARD WINNERS 27 August 2003

Eritrea

RSF concerned over fate of Dawit Isaac 3 November 2011 Journalists face threats in covering Dawit Isaac's imprisonment 27 September 2011 Prominent journalist arrested, ex-prison guard reveals fate of other detained journalists 13 May 2010 One year after her arrest, Radio Bana journalist being held in solitary confinement 19 February 2010 Journalist Dawit Isaak still in prison after more than eight years 11 December 2009 See all alerts: Eritrea


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 KENYA: ARTICLE 19 publishes analysis of Freedom of Information Bill 1 February 2012


 
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