“Financial Gazette” editors name sources; individuals identified as sources deny leak
**Updates IFEX alert dated 24 July, 10 and 16 June and 16 July 1995** Trevor Ncube, editor of the “Financial Gazette”, has named the person the journalist says fed his paper with information which resulted in Ncube, “Gazette” publisher Elias Rusike, and “Gazette” deputy-editor Simba Makunike being charged with criminal defamation. According to the South […]
Gay organization barred from book fair
An organization representing gays and lesbians has been barred from the Zimbabwe International Book Fair as a result of government pressure. Organizers of the fair on 29 August 1995 stopped Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) from running a stand at the fair, the theme of which is Human Rights and Freedom of Expression. Opening […]
“Al-Wafd” editor-in-chief attacked
On the evening of 1 August 1995, Gamal Badawi, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily “Al-Wafd”, left a conference at the Journalists’ Syndicate in downtown Cairo. He was heading for his home in Heliopolis, when two vehicles forced his car off the road. Ten unidentified individuals then emerged from the vehicles, pulled Badawi out of his […]
Foiled assault on home of publisher; newspaper suspended
On 31 July 1995, Ibrahim al-Wazeer, publisher of the independent newspaper “Al-Balagh”, was the victim of a foiled assault on his home. Early in the morning of 31 July, a group of unidentified individuals began planting explosives at the home of al-Wazeer. The perpetrators reportedly fled from the house, in an eastern suburb of Sanaa, […]
Five journalists assaulted by police
Source: Journalists’ Union of Paraguay (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay – SPP), Asuncion Five journalists were severely beaten by police officers on 24 July 1995. They are: Marcos Caceres, a journalist with the daily “ABC Color”; Juan Britos and Mario Diaz, photographers with the daily “Noticias”; Carlos Benitez, a photojournalist with the daily “La Nacion”; […]
Judgement expected in “New Breed” case
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 26 July, 19 and 12 January 1995; 13 December 1994** Judgement in the case against journalists from the newspaper “The New Breed”, which has been before the Sierra Leonian courts for over 21 months, is due 7 August 1995. If convicted, the defendants, including journalist Julius Spencer, may be imprisoned for […]
Government announces plans to take legal action against editor-in-chief of “Romania Libera”
**For background on “Ziua” case, see IFEX alert dated 12 June 1995** On 26 July 1995, the Romanian government announced it would take legal action against Petre Mihai Bacanu, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily “Romania Libera”, for “insult to authority, contempt and libel.” Petre Mihai Bacanu had authored a front page article titled “(Nicolae) Vacaroiu’s […]
Editor Mohammed Kilani remains in detention; sentenced in second trial
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 1 and 24 February 1995** Mohammed Kilani, editor-in-chief of “Al Badil”, remains in detention. He was sentenced on 22 February 1995 to two years in prison for “supporting an unauthorized association,” and holding “unauthorized meetings” (see IFEX alerts). On 27 April, in a second trial, he was sentenced to five years […]
Ken Saro-Wiwa trial proceedings to resume without adequate legal defense
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 7 June, 5 May, 21 April, 22 March, 24, 17, 8, 6 February, 20, 11 January 1995** The trial of jailed writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, adjourned on 6 July 1995, was scheduled to resume on 31 July 1995 despite the fact that Ken Saro-Wiwa may not have adequate legal defense. […]
Update on journalists sentenced in “coup plot” trials
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 17 July and 26 June 1995; for background, see alerts of 11 July, 26, 22 May 1995** (updates IFEX alerts dated 17, 11 July, 26 June, 26, 22 May): CPJ confirms that life imprisonment sentences were given to Chris Anyanwu (f), editor-in-chief of “The Sunday Magazine” (“TSM”), and Ben Charles Obi, […]
Journalist Edina Ndejembi acquitted; trial pending for 10 others
**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 21 April 1995** Edina Ndejembi, the freelance journalist charged with “obstructing the police” was acquitted by Moshi magistrates on 26 June 1995. Her case had previously been adjourned on three occasions, much to the inconvenience of the journalist, who had to travel 600-or-so kilometres from Dar es Salaam to Moshi […]
Filip Cakuli interrogated; magazine confiscated
Filip Cakuli, director of “Hosteni 2000” and General Secretary of the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania, was taken from his house on 20 June 1995, and interrogated by several policemen for 12 hours. The police searched the offices of “Hosteni 2000” and took setting copies from the plant where the magazine is printed. These […]
Journalists protest banning of papers
**Further to IFEX CH alert dated 30 June 1995** On 29 June 1995, about 500 journalists staged a rally in Karachi to protest the banning of six newspapers. Reporters wearing black armbands gathered at the Karachi Press Club with placards reading: “Ban on journalism — Unacceptable”. “I vehemently condemn the banning of the newspapers and […]
Six newspapers banned by government
In an unprecedented attack on freedom of the press on 29 June 1995, the government of Pakistan banned six mass circulation Urdu language daily newspapers of Karachi for a period of 60 days. Five of the banned newspapers, “Public”, “Qaumi Akhbar”, “Evening Special”, “Aghaz” and “Awam” are evening papers, and one, “Public”, publishes morning and […]
Television building bombed; journalists wounded
On 28 June 1995, a 550-pound bomb carried by what United Nations (UN) officials described as a makeshift rocket crashed into the television building in Sarajevo, killing a police guard and wounding 38 civilians, among them Bosnian and foreign journalists. The television tower which houses Bosnian and foreign television companies has often been hit during […]
Two Publications Court decisions threaten press freedom
On 28 June 1995, Beirut’s Publications Court sentenced Hassan Sabra, the publisher of “Al-Shira’” magazine and Ghazi al-Maqhur, the weekly’s managing editor, to one month in prison each. The two were convicted of publishing “material that was damaging to the person and dignity of the head of state and that contained statements slandering him and […]