(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 29 April 2004 letter to Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, CPJ expressed concern over reports that Saudi journalist Fares bin Hizam, formerly with the daily newspapers “Al-Watan” and “Asharq al-Awsat”, has been detained by Saudi authorities. According to press reports and CPJ sources in Saudi Arabia, Bin Hizam was […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 29 April 2004 letter to Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, CPJ expressed concern over reports that Saudi journalist Fares bin Hizam, formerly with the daily newspapers “Al-Watan” and “Asharq al-Awsat”, has been detained by Saudi authorities.
According to press reports and CPJ sources in Saudi Arabia, Bin Hizam was arrested on 28 April by Saudi authorities in the city of Dammam. Details of the circumstances or reasons for the arrest were not available.
According to Saudi journalists, Bin Hizam had been fired from several Saudi newspapers under pressure from Saudi authorities. In March, the Information Ministry issued a directive to Saudi newspapers not to publish his work, these sources said.
