United Nations Human Rights Committee members criticize indefinite imprisonment of editors
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 27, 25, 20, 14, 13, 12, 6, 4, 1 March, 28, 27, 23 February 1996** Several members of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) say the decision by Speaker of the National Assembly Robinson Nabulyato to order the indefinite imprisonment of two newspaper editors was a serious violation of the […]
PEN receives reply to appeal on assault of journalist Leung Tin-wai
**Updates IFEX alert of 17 May 1996** PEN American Center received a reply to its letter to Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten expressing concern at the attack on editor Leung Tin-Wai. The letter, signed by Patten, follows: “Dear Ms. Hollander, “Thank you for your letter of 17 May 1996. I fully share your concerns about […]
Staff of “Trinidad Guardian” harassed
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdco Panday said on 2 February 1996 that journalists from the daily “Trinidad Guardian” would not be allowed access to government information until the paper’s editor-in-chief, Jones Madeira, was fired. He contacted Anthony Sagba, chairman of the ANSA McAl group, the newspaper’s financial controller, to demand Madeira’s dismissal. Panday’s action […]
RSF correspondent defamed by police chief
Colonel Gibril Rajoub, chief of the Preventive Security Service (PSS) in the West Bank, has declared that Bassem Eid, the correspondent for Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) in Palestine and a researcher for the human rights defense group B’Tselem, is an “agent of the Israeli police whose goal is to attack the PSS.” Bassem Eid is […]
Six journalists beaten
On 10 August 1995, plainclothes police, youth-wingers from the ruling Kenyan African National Union (KANU) party, and riot police beat six journalists and two other travellers. The journalists were attacked while covering a visit by Richard Leakey, Secretary General of the soon-to-be SAFINA party, to the Nakuru magistrate’s court where detained human rights activist Koigi […]
BBC news items censored by KBC
Reports indicate that the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) on several occasions has tampered, without authorization, with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news items about Kenya that Minister of Information Johnstone Makau claims discredit the government. The BBC contracted with the KBC to re-broadcast its world television news on KBC stations. The contract between the BBC and […]
“Le Messager” editor and journalist sentenced and fined
**For background on “Le Messager” see IFEX CH alerts dated 18 May, 20 April and 10 January 1995** On 16 August 1995, Pius Njawe, editor in chief of “Le Messager”, and a journalist with the weekly were given deferred sentences of two months in prison and fined 300,000 francs CFA in damages for “abuse and […]
Journalist Paddy Mbawa sentenced and remains in prison
On 16 August 1995, Paddy Mbawa, editor-in-chief of the “Cameroun Post”, was sentenced to two years in prison for defamation of Jean Fochive, the chief of police in Cameroon. Although appealing this decision, Paddy Mbawa remains imprisoned at the headquarters of the criminal investigation police unit in Douala. Recommended Action Send appeals to Cameroonian authorities: […]
Two “For di People” editors arrested
On 22 August 1995, Paul Kamara, Editor-in-Chief of “For di People” was arrested in Sierra Leone. The following morning, Editor Vandy Kallon was arrested. The two editors were reproached for the publication of an article on the movements of Sierra- Leone’s army in the north of the country. Recommended Action Send appeals to authorities in […]
AJI worker sentenced to 20 months in prison
**Updates IFEX CH alert of 16 June. For background on arrests, see IFEX alerts dated 15 June and 28 March 1995** On 24 August 1995, the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Danang Kukuh Wardoyo, an office assistant for the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), to 20 months in prison for helping distribute the AJI magazine, […]
Government expels Harry Wu after court sentences him to 15 years in prison and expulsion
Sources: International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), Amnesty International (AI), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Human Rights Watch/Asia Human rights activist, author and documentary filmmaker Harry Wu (Wu Hongda), a citizen of the United States of Chinese descent, was found guilty of espionage by the Chinese government after a secret trial on 24 August 1995, reported […]
“Financial Gazette” publisher, editor and deputy editor fined
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 11, 3 August; 24, 16 July; and 16, 19 June 1995** The publisher and two senior editors of Zimbabwe’s leading independent newspaper, the “Financial Gazette”, have been fined. The South African Press Association reports that Magistrate William Cutler fined the owners of the “Gazette”, Modus Publications, Z$ 2500 (U$300). “Gazette” editor […]
Buddhist religious leader and author sentenced to five years in prison
Sources: Human Rights Watch/Asia, Vietnamese Committee on Human Rights, PEN members, others On 15 August 1995, the Venerable Thich Quang Do, a Buddhist scholar and religious leader who is the author of numerous books and poetry, was sentenced to five years in prison. Five others were also convicted with him to sentences of up to […]
Freelancer arrested while photographing seal cull
**For background, see IFEX alerts dated 30, 24, 1 September, and 24 August 1994 A freelance photographer was arrested and fined for trespassing in the early hours of 18 August 1995 when attempting to photograph the clubbing of seals during Namibia’s controversial annual seal harvest. Photographer John Liebenberg was held for several hours at Cape […]
U.S. journalist Andrew Shumek reported missing in Chechnya
The United States (U.S.) Embassy in Moscow has asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to help find missing U.S. journalist Andrew Shumek. The 26-year-old photographer was last seen on 28 July, when he left Grozny and headed toward the surrounding mountainous area. According reports from other journalists, Shumek arrived in Grozny from St. Petersburg on 24 […]
Superior Court repeals order to detain three Chota journalists
Source: National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP), Chota local **Updates IFEX alert dated 18 July 1995** The Third Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Lambayeque repealed an order issued to detain journalists David Passapera Portilla, Mauro Vasquez Gonzales and Carlos Idrogo Bravo, of Radio Chota and the daily “La Republica”. The Court instead […]