Joao de Barros, editor-in-chief of “Correio da Guine-Bissau”, beaten and arrested
On the morning of 8 March 1995 at approximately 9:00, Joao de Barros, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Correio da Guine-Bissau”, was beaten and arrested at the Bissau airport as he was waiting to board a plane to Cape Verde. Police officers detained Joao de Barros, claiming he did not have permission to leave the country. […]
Journalist Chan Rotana sentenced to one year in prison
Source: Amnesty International On 27 February 1995, Chan Rotana, editor of “Voice of Khmer Youth”, was sentenced to one year in prison at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. He was also fined five million Cambodian riels (approx US$ 2,000). He remains free pending an appeal hearing of his case. Chan Rotana was convicted under Article […]
Editor Deyda Hydara interrogated
Deyda Hydara, editor of “The Point” and President of the Gambia Press Union was interrogated for three hours by agents from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the national information service in The Gambia. The reason given by the NIA was the publication, in the 27 February edition of “The Point”, of an open letter addressed […]
President Lukashenko criticizes state radio and television employees
At a 24 February meeting with employees of the Belarus State Radio and Television, President Lukashenko said: “When one watches or listens to your programs the question unfortunately arises too often: where does this militant incompetence come from, this obvious reluctance to support the political course of the President of this nation?” After recognizing the […]
Journalist Hermes Rivera Guerrero goes to court for ratification of 20 year sentence
**Updates IFEX CH alerts of 3 February & 16 November 1994** On 7 March, at 11:00am, the defence lawyer for journalist Hermes Rivera Guerrero will present an appeal for review of his case before the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Peru. The Court must ratify Rivera’s sentence of 20 years imprisonment, handed […]
“Free Press” journalists fined and sentenced to jail; publishing company fined
Two journalists from the weekly “The Free Press” were sentenced to jail by the Supreme Court on 21 February 1995. Kwabena Mensah- Bonsu, a columnist for the weekly, was sentenced to one month in prison. “Free Press” editor-in-chief Eben Quarcoo was sentenced to one day in jail and fined 100 000 cedis (equivalent to 550FF […]
TV journalist Namik Berberovic (m) remains in detention; journalist Shanaat Nahrawand (f) detained
**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 3 February 1995** Namik Berberovic, a Bosnian television journalist, remains in detention in Bosnia. There are concerns for his safety and his health. Berberovic, who works for the Bosnian-Austrian OSSA television, was detained on 26 January 1995 as he was travelling from the Sarajevo airport to the city. (see IFEX […]
Journalist Mohammed Zaaf and son remain in detention; further details on arrest
**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 17 January 1995** Mohammed Zaaf, a correspondent for the Italian news agency ANSA who was arrested with two of his sons on 14 January 1995 and accused of “harbouring a known islamic militant,” remains in detention. After being held for questioning on 14 January (see IFEX alert), Mohammed Zaaf was […]
Ken Saro-Wiwa hearing; further details
**Updates IFEX CH alerts dated 17, 8 and 6 February 1995** Ken Saro-Wiwa’s lawyers report that they were attacked in court after the case against him resumed on 21 February 1995. They say the court was surrounded by military personnel who were screening people who entered the court. They reportedly refused to permit journalists from […]
Detention of journalist Augusto Ernesto Llosa Giraldo
On 14 February 1995 journalist Augusto Ernesto Llosa Giraldo of Radio Casma and the editor of the newspaper “El Casmeno”, was detained by the National Police on charges implicating him in a terrorism case that occurred in 1986. The detention order was issued by the Superior Court in Cuzco. The journalist was detained in Casma, […]
Official Secrets Act criticized
Journalists charge that the government has been using the act to victimise private newspapers. “The Official Secrets Act makes democracy meaningless because it prohibits meaningful participation of citizens, who are supposed to know what their government is doing in their name,” Fred M’membe, editor-in-chief of “The Post” newspaper, told IPS. “They cannot indulge in public […]
RSF marks second year of Choi Chin-sop’s detention
RSF reports that Choi Chin-sop, a journalist charged under the National Security Law (NSL), remains in prison after two years of a three year sentence. His physical condition is apparently deteriorating. A journalist at the “Mal” independent monthly, he was arrested by the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) on 14 September 1992, ill-treated under […]
Four journalists and three media workers on trial for publishing pornography expose
Four journalists and three print shop production staff are on trial for publishing photographs of naked women. The photographs were used to illustrate an expose on Dar es Salaam’s lucrative, illegal pornography industry. The story, an investigation into the production of back-street pornographic photographs and videos, appeared in the 28 December 1994 edition of “Mwana-Mama” […]
CPJ asks NYC Mayor to name street after journalist Manuel de Dios Unanue on third anniversary of his death
11 March 1995 will mark the third anniversary of the death of Latino journalist Manuel de Dios Unanue who was gunned down in Queens, New York on orders of the Colombian Cali drug cartel. His family and colleagues have appealed to local authorities to designate the street where he was killed Manuel de Dios de […]
Alexei Kostin, publisher of Latvian-based paper “Yeshcho” goes to trial
On 22 February 1995 Alexei Kostin, founder and publisher of the Latvian-based newspaper “Yeshcho” goes to trial. Kostin has been incarcerated since February 1994 when he was arrested for producing and distributing pornography. He was arrested despite the fact that “Yeshcho”, the publication deemed pornographic by the prosecutors, was never ordered to cease publication. Kostin’s […]
Journalist Ahmed al-Seweifi refused entry
On 20 February 1995, Ahmed al-Seweifi, a journalist with the bi- weekly “Al-Chaab”, was refused entry to Saudi Arabia when he arrived at the airport in Jiddah. Ahmed al-Seweifi, who arrived from Cairo with his wife, had obtained the proper visa from the Saudi embassy in Cairo. The authorities in Jiddah, however, said that he […]