IFEX Digest | 4 - 10 October 2010

International

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2010 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize awarded to editor-in-chief of Chechen magazine (IPA)

Liu Xiaobo, imprisoned Chinese writer, wins Nobel Peace Prize (PEN American Center)
+ Liu Xiaobo's Nobel spotlights rights deficit (Human Rights Watch)
+ Free speech activist Liu Xiaobo awarded Nobel Peace Prize (RSF)
+ Freedom House lauds Nobel honor for Liu Xiaobo (Freedom House)

IPI takes Vienna Declaration on Terrorism, Media and the Law to EU Commission (IPI)

CPJ to honour brave international journalists (CPJ)

ARTICLE 19 calls on ASEM leaders to respect and realise the right to information (ARTICLE 19)

Human Rights Watch honours six activists (Human Rights Watch)
+ Rights defender dedicates award to women activists (Human Rights Watch)

Jailed Iranian journalist receives WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom (WAN-IFRA)

Africa

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WAN-IFRA calls for end to criminal defamation, insult laws (WAN-IFRA)

Burundi

Radio station staff arrested, harassed (RSF)

Côte d'Ivoire

Prime minister calls for fair access to public media for presidential candidates (RSF)

Liberia

President signs freedom of information law (CEMESP)

Mozambique

Parliament to debate freedom of information bill (MISA)

Senegal

Several journalists assaulted by police while covering demonstration (MFWA)

Somalia

Somaliland authorities suspend broadcasts of popular London-based TV network (NUSOJ)

Sudan

A few weeks after banning BBC, government refuses to renew licence of Monte Carlo Radio's Arabic-language service (ANHRI)

The Gambia

Preacher banned indefinitely from delivering sermons in mosques and lecturing during religious ceremonies (MFWA)

Uganda

Court dismisses case against journalist (HRNJ-Uganda)
+ ARTICLE 19 welcomes court decision in sedition case against journalist (ARTICLE 19)

Six charged in case of murdered journalist (HRNJ-Uganda)

Americas

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Bolivia

Senate constitutional committee approves new law with two controversial articles (IAPA)
+ Adopted unchanged, anti-racism law's media clauses will need judicious enforcement (RSF)

Twenty-four IFEX members express concern about proposed law that threatens media freedom (ANP)

Ecuador

Journalists assaulted while covering an accident (Fundamedios)

Mayor files new lawsuit against journalist (Fundamedios)

Private media may only broadcast "indefinite and uninterrupted" national programme as ordered by the government (Fundamedios)
+ IAPA warns that restriction of private media in Ecuador violates freedom of expression (IAPA)
+ Fundamedios urges government to cease immediately the "indefinite and uninterrupted" chain, which amounts to censorship of private radio and TV stations (Fundamedios)
+ Ecuador, facing police revolt, censors news coverage (CPJ)

Aggressions against journalists and the media during attempted coup rise to 31 (Fundamedios)

Mexico

Shots fired at "El Debate" newspaper building in Mazatlán (CEPET)
+ IAPA protests attack on Mazatlán, Mexico, newspaper "El Debate" (IAPA)

Panama

Defamation conviction draws outcry (CPJ)
+ "Absurd and dangerous" ruling bans two journalists from working for 12 months (RSF)

Peru

Journalist assaulted by police officers (IPYS)

IAPA calls for creation of special court for crimes against journalists (IAPA)

United States

In new blow to FOIA, Supreme Court refuses to consider illegal phone tap case (RSF)

Asia & Pacific

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Australia

Media Alliance welcomes draft shield laws (Media Alliance)

China

PEN American Center President presses case of Liu Xiaobo for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize (PEN American Center)

Indonesia

CPJ asks Indonesian president to intervene in Playboy case (CPJ)

Pakistan

Television news team attacked while covering questionable practices at factory (PPF)

Lawyers assault journalists in Lahore (PPF)

Paramilitary personnel ransack TV station's office in Balochistan (PPF)

South Korea

Asia-Pacific media unions demand resolution of Korea press freedom crisis (IFJ)

Taiwan

Government urged to respect public media's independence (RSF)

Thailand

SEAPA appeals to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to address deteriorating environment for free expression (SEAPA)

Website editor facing possible combined sentence of 82 years in prison (RSF)

Vietnam

French-Vietnamese blogger charged with trying to topple government (RSF)

Europe & Central Asia

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Austria

Court order raises concerns about press freedom, says IPI (IPI)

Azerbaijan

Eynulla Fatullayev convicted on drugs charge as Baku continues to defy European Court of Human Rights' release ruling (WiPC)

Croatia

Concerns grow about anonymous death threats to newspaper staff (IPI)

Kazakhstan

ARTICLE 19 calls on parliament to adopt Law on Access to Public Information (ARTICLE 19)

Russia

Circle of suspects widens in Politkovskaya case (CPJ)
+ Four years on, IPI recalls unsolved murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya (IPI)
+ IFJ marks fourth anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya murder by call for justice (IFJ)

Interior Ministry orders cancellation of television programme (CJES)

Courts told to refrain from ordering media outlets to pay excessively high damages (CJES)

Russia pledges to pursue journalist murder probes (CPJ)

Serbia

"Blic" newspaper correspondent physically assaulted (IPI)

Turkey

District governor sues newspaper (BIANET)

Ninth case filed against journalist Ismail Saymaz (IPI)
+ Prosecutor Sanal sues journalist Saymaz (BIANET)

Leading Kurdish politician convicted (BIANET)

Zarakolu and Güler on trial for the next book (BIANET)

Trial of publisher Ragip Zarakolu postponed (WiPC)

Middle East & North Africa

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Bahrain

Blogger Abdeljalil Al-Singace mistreated in detention (RSF)

Egypt

Press freedom deteriorates in pre-election Egypt (CPJ)
+ Newspaper editor fired, TV programmes closed in run-up to legislative and presidential elections (RSF)
+ Dostor owners claim dismissal of Ibrahim Eissa was a financial dispute (ANHRI)
+ World's press condemns attacks against independent Egyptian media (WAN-IFRA)

Editor dismissed, concerns about future of outspoken newspaper (ANHRI)

Governement shuts down TV station (EOHR)

Iran

Internet censors target ayatollahs, feminists and students (RSF)

Iranian-Canadian journalist Hossein Derakhshan sentenced (WiPC)

Iraq

Bomb kills journalist in latest attack on the profession (RSF)
+ IFJ condemns murder of cameraman in Iraq (IFJ)
+ Cameraman killed in Iraq bomb attack (IPI)
+ Freelance cameraman slain in Iraq (CPJ)

Morocco

Magazine succumbs to financial pressure from advertising boycott (ANHRI)

Palestine

Most violations against journalists were in Jerusalem, according to MADA (MADA)

Saudi Arabia

Website blocked, editor detained over misprint (ANHRI)

Syria

In solidarity with Tal: meeting on 2 October 2010, Journalists Syndicate, Cairo (ANHRI)

Awards

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2010 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize awarded to editor-in-chief of Chechen magazine (IPA)

Liu Xiaobo, imprisoned Chinese writer, wins Nobel Peace Prize (PEN American Center)
+ Liu Xiaobo's Nobel spotlights rights deficit (Human Rights Watch)
+ Free speech activist Liu Xiaobo awarded Nobel Peace Prize (RSF)
+ Freedom House lauds Nobel honor for Liu Xiaobo (Freedom House)

CPJ to honour brave international journalists (CPJ)

Human Rights Watch honours six activists (Human Rights Watch)
+ Rights defender dedicates award to women activists (Human Rights Watch)