Journalist Ramadam Mucolli arrested
Ramadam Mucolli was arrested at his home on the morning of 27 June 1995 by three uniformed policemen. According to members of his family, the journalist’s dictaphone and passport were confiscated. An independent journalist and member of the Kosovo Journalists’ Union, Ramadam Mucolli has been harassed in the past. He was interrogated by police at […]
Community radio station silenced
At 1:00pm on June 21 1995, a team of police accompanied by Eric Lefebvre, a technician with the Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA, the government body responsible for broadcast regulation in France), and Mr. Boulet of the Comite Technique Radiophonique in Marseille (CTR, responsible for technical aspects of broadcasting in the region), burst into Radio […]
Chen Ziming returned to prison
Chen Ziming, a publisher and leader of the 4 June 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations, has been returned to prison. Human Rights in China reports that around 26 June 1995, Chen Ziming’s relatives reported that he had been re-arrested and returned to Beijing No 2 prison to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence. It is said […]
Newsprint tax to be debated
A proposal for a new tax on newsprint is contained in a draft bill approved earlier this month by the Constitution and Justice Committee of the lower house of the Brazilian national legislature and is due to be debated by the full Congress shortly. IAPA President Raul Kraiselburd, protesting the measure, said that “making newspapers […]
Police search media offices; calls into question the issue of the protection of sources
Belgian police searched the offices of the daily newspapers “Le Soir” and “De Morgen”, of the magazine “Le Soir Illustre” and of the radio and television network RTBF (in Brussels and in Liege) on 23 June 1995. The homes of several journalists from these media covering the judicial inquiry into the Agusta defence contracts scandal […]
Ban extended on Punch and Concord groups; ban previously extended on the Guardian group
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 14, 6 December, 19 October 1994 and others** On 9 June 1995, the military government of Nigeria, for the second time in a row, extended the ban on the Punch and Concord independent newspaper groups for another six months as of 10 June. On 14 February, the ban on the Guardian […]
Three “The Point” journalists released on bail, but still face charges; trial to begin
**Updates IFEX alert dated 30 March 1995** Three “The Point” journalists, Pap (also reported as Pape) Saine, Badara Sowe and Brima (also reported as Ibrahima) Ernest, who were arrested by police on 30 March 1995, were released on bail the following day. However, the three journalists still face charges for “publishing false information,” in violation […]
Editor-in-chief of “Le Choc” arrested
Dominique Marseille Asie, the director and editor-in-chief of the Congolese weekly “Le Choc”, was arrested in Brazzaville on the morning of 22 June 1995. Authorities, who appear to have arrested him illegally, have given no official reason for his arrest. However, the arrest may be linked to a satirical article title “The Union of Warlocks” […]
Journalist Florente Formento wounded in assassination attempt
On 20 June 1995, an attempt was made on the life of journalist Florente Formento in Cotabato, a city on the island of Mindanao. Florente Formento was heading home on his moped, when two men armed with revolvers leaped into sight and blocked the road, forcing him to stop. The two opened fire on the […]
Recent attacks on journalists
On 14 June 1995 in Katmandu, independent journalist Lekhnath Bhandari was assaulted by members of a procession on its way to the residence of King Birendra to protest against his decision to dissolve the National Assembly. The journalist’s camera was broken and his press card was ripped by individuals in the group. On 19 June, […]
Security chief says it is a journalist’s “patriotic duty” to provide information to national intelligence agency
It is the “patriotic duty” of everyone — journalists included — to “share” information with the Namibian Security Intelligence Agency (NSIA), the President’s Special Advisor on National Security, Peter Tshirumbu, has told media workers. Tshirumbu on 21 June 1995 gave what newspapers say was his first press conference since Namibian independence in 1990 to respond […]
IFJ warns European Union of media backlash over race “sanctions” against journalists
The IFJ on 23 June 1995 warned European Union leaders meeting next week in Cannes that regulation of ethics in journalism should be left to journalists alone. A report on racism and xenophobia going to the Cannes EU Summit suggests that “certain effective sanctions mechanisms” should be considered if media breach ethical guidelines concerning reporting […]
Threat of press censorship; newspaper group’s building halted
The government of Sri Lanka appears to be introducing restrictions on reporting on the question of the so-called “ethnic problem” in their country. The Minister of Information reportedly announced a few weeks ago that press censorship may have to be introduced if newspapers publish material that is “ethnically oriented.” The International Federation of Newspaper Publishers […]
TV station searched; property seized
In Tiraspol, the capital of Transdniestrie, in the middle of the night of 22 June 1995, members of the National Ministry of Security (MNS) searched the offices of the cable television association TV Asket, which is registered with Moldavia’s Ministry of Justice in Kichinev. The MNS confiscated video cassettes, cut the telephone lines, and destroyed […]
Two journalists charged under colonial legislation
**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 20 June 1995** Two senior journalists, detained on 19 June 1995 in connection with a story alleging that Zambian President Frederick Chiluba had a Zairean mistress, were released on police bail following a court appearance on 20 June. Fred M’membe, Managing Director of “The Post” newspaper, and the paper’s Editor-in-Chief, […]
Two “El Diario” journalists interrogated; other journalists summonsed
On 8 June Vladimir Gessen and Enrique Rondon, editors of the daily “El Diario de Caracas”, were interrogated for two hours by members of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DIM), about a news report quoting former 1992 coup leader Hugo Chavez. In the news report, Chavez denounced the existence of an alleged conspiracy to take […]