Pressure placed on staff of two state-run newspapers
On 9 April 1996, presidential spokesperson Kamil Bayalinov announced that by virtue of a principle of “rotation of administrative staff,” the editor of the state-run newspaper “Slovo Krghyzstana”, Aleksander Malevanni, had been “transferred” to the editorial department of another state-run newspaper, “Svobodnie Gori-Erkin Too”, and that his associates, Ella Taranova and Danil Kishtobayev, had been […]
“Koha” newspaper suspended
On 7 April 1996, six police officers entered the printing house of “Koha”, an Albanian-language weekly in Pristina, Kosovo, and ordered the stoppage of the printing presses until the issue’s contents were inspected. The police also questioned the owner of the printing house for two hours. The police then insisted that by order of the […]
Amendments to Penal Code could threaten freedom of expression
On 26 March 1996, the coalition government of Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar pushed through Parliament several amendments to Slovakia’s Penal Code. The amendments allow for imprisonment of people who are found to have organized anti-government rallies or spread false information about Slovakia abroad. This new legislation states that those who with “malicious intent circulate false […]
Journalist Rafael Solano freed
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 27, 21, 12 March and 29 February 1996** On 8 April 1996, journalist Rafael Solano, president of the independent news agency Habana Press, was released after being imprisoned for 42 days. However, the charges brought against Solano–alleged “association with persons with the intent to commit a crime”–stand. Consequently, unless the Cuban […]
Two journalists sentenced to six months in prison
On 4 April 1996, Mahmoud el-Maraghy and Gamal Fahmi, editor-in- chief and columnist respectively for the opposition weekly “Al- Arabi”, were each sentenced to six months in prison for “slandering a member of parliament.” They were also each fined US$ 200. They have appealed the decision and are currently free. The two journalists had published […]
Case of Mamonyane Matsa’ba postponed indefinitely
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 14 March and 24 January 1996** The disciplinary case against journalist Mamonyane Matsa’ba has been postponed “indefinitely.” However, it seems that this latest delay in Matsa’ba’s case will have “bad effects” on the journalist. “The pending case is haunting her…and it serves as a censorship,” said MISA-Lesotho Chairperson Bethuel Thai, adding […]
Albanian journalists subject to harassment and assaults
In the months of February and March 1996, several Albanian journalists were subject to physical attacks as well as other forms of harassment. On 16 March, Aleko Likaj, a correspondent with the newspaper “Koha Jone”, was seriously injured by three people over an article that he had previously written about the closure of a local […]
Telecommunications cabinet minister fired
Dr. Pallo Jordan, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting, was dismissed from his cabinet post on 28 March 1996 after a series of conflicts with President Nelson Mandela and other senior African National Congress (ANC) members. Jordan was a strong opponent of state interference in the broadcasting services and regularly opposed Mandela and fellow cabinet […]
Newspaper “Evrensel” ordered shut down; paper’s editor sentenced to two years in prison
On 9 April 1996, Istanbul State Security Court ordered the leftist daily “Evrensel” shut down for one month for having published two articles on 30 August 1995. The first one, entitled “Special Forces Execution in Midyat,” was ruled to have incited racism, which is in violation of Article 312 of the Penal Code. The second […]
Series of developments regarding harassment of “Trinidad Guardian”
**Updates IFEX alert dated 13 February 1996** During the past month-and-a-half, significant pressures have been placed on the staff of the “Trinidad Guardian”. On 7 February 1996, Prime Minister Basdeo Panday temporarily lifted a ban on the “Trinidad Guardian” newspaper’s access to government information. Soon after, however, Michael Mansoor, who is head of the Trinidad […]
Newspaper vendor arrested
In early March 1996, Jude Sinnee, a newspaper vendor in Bori, an Ogoni settlement in Rivers State, was arrested at his newsstand by armed agents of the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force. The agents, led by a Major Obi, also confiscated 500 copies of various publications, including 100 copies of the daily newspaper “National […]
Newspaper “Gestion” subject to harassment by government agency
The Superintendencia Nacional de Administracion Tributaria (SUNAT)–the government agency responsible for policing taxation and contraband–has ceased advertising in the business-oriented daily “Gestion”. The decision was made in response to articles published by “Gestion” in early March 1996 which were critical of SUNAT and the Peruvian government’s economic adjustment program. Shortly after the articles were published, […]
Croatian Parliament adopts amendments to Penal Code which will severely curtail press freedom
**Updates IFEX alert dated 14 March 1996** On 29 March 1996, the Croatian Parliament voted to adopt amendments to the country’s Penal Code that would re-establish crimes of the media. Journalists who contravene any of the crimes could face penalties ranging from six months to three years in prison. For the amendments to become law […]
Six journalists and media workers arrested at printing press
On 26 March 1996, State Security police arrested approximately six editors, reporters and clerical employees of the newspapers “Ethiop” and “Tekwami” as copies of the newspapers were being printed in the city of Bole. Police seized the newspapers’ galleys and transported the journalists to Ma’ekelawi prison. Family members confirmed that Dereje Haile, a journalist for […]
Two journalists briefly detained; two others threatened by police
On 29 March 1996, journalists Jean-Marie Mayard and Augustin Frantz were detained briefly by police in the city of Saint-Marc, north of Port-au-Prince. The journalists, who work for Radio Magik FM and Radio Caraibes, respectively, were held for four hours at the city’s police station. The two were also reportedly assaulted by the police. The […]
Supreme Court upholds sentences of two journalists and media worker
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 18 March, 26 January 1996, 29 November, 1 September 1995 and others** During the last week of March 1996, the Indonesian Supreme Court upheld the three-year sentences of Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) members Ahmad Taufik and Eko Maryadi, as well as the 20-month sentence of AJI office assistant Danang Wardoyo. […]