Case against “El Watan” director Omar Belhouchet dropped; allowed to travel to U.S.
**Updates IFEX alert dated 18 April 1996** After preventing him from leaving the country last month, the Algerian government has permitted Omar Belhoucet, director of the independent French-language daily “El Watan”, to travel to the United States by dropping 14 April charges against him and returning his seized passport. Belhouchet was invited to participate in […]
Satirical weekly “Mesmar” suspended; three staff released after 48 hours; fourth arrested
**Updates IFEX alert of 15 May 1996** On 19 May 1996, the East Constantine state printing house refused to publish the fourth issue of the satirical weekly “Mesmar”. The paper’s editors were informed verbally of the suspension, but were given no official reason. On 15 May, managing director Mohamed Zetili, managing editor Mustapha Nattour and […]
Proposed anti-corruption legislation could restrict press freedom
Source: “El Claron”, Buenos Aires On 15 May 1996, Argentine President Carlos Menem introduced a bill to fight government corruption which would allow access to statements of the personal wealth of public officials. However, the bill could pose a threat to press freedom, since it calls for prison terms for those individuals who circulate that […]
“Azg” newspaper resumes publication
**Updates IFEX alert dated 1 May 1996** The independent daily “Azg” resumed publication on 14 May 1996 and Hagop Avedikian resumed his position as editor-in-chief after a court quashed an attempt by the Ministry of Justice to change the ownership of the newspaper. Appeals To
Bomb attack against journalist Jose Ruben Zamora
On 15 May 1996, Jose Ruben Zamora, the former editor of “Siglo Veintiuno”, was dining in a Guatemala City restaurant when a grenade exploded outside, damaging his car. Two grenades had been tossed from a passing vehicle, one of which failed to explode. Zamora told CPJ that he believed the attack was intended as a […]
Weekly “Payam-e-Daneshjoue” banned
On 20 May 1996, Iran’s Media Monitoring Committee banned the radical weekly “Payam-e-Daneshjoue” for “repeated infringements of the press law.” The charge is thought to stem from clauses in the law forbidding the publication of material which “violates the rules of Islam and the foundations of the Islamic Republic,… encourages antagonism between social classes…[and] insults […]
President Bakili Muluzi warns media about “inaccurate reporting”
Source: Reuters On 14 May 1996, Malawi President Bakili Muluzi warned journalists that he would not tolerate what he called “inaccurate reporting” which harmed the country’s image. Muluzi was apparently angered by a newspaper report which alleged that a local company had given him a free vehicle in order to give that company favourable treatment. […]
Government official charges that the British Broadcasting Corporation is favouring the opposition in its campaign coverage
On 4 May 1996, Adrian Nastase, President of the Chamber of Deputies, charged that the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Romanian-language service was violating Romania’s electoral law by “obviously favouring the opposition in its campaign coverage.” Nastase then called upon the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) to “reconsider” the frequency allocation of those FM stations that broadcast […]
Thun Bun Ly, editor of the Cambodian newspaper “Odom K’tek Khmer”, fatally shot
Thun Bun Ly, editor of the Cambodian newspaper “Odom K’tek Khmer” (Khmer Ideal), was fatally shot by an unidentified gunman in Phnom Phen on the morning of Saturday 18 May 1996. The shooting of Ly, a member of opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s Khmer Nation Party (KNP), occurred the same day that the KNP was to […]
Journalist Leung Tin-wai violently attacked
On 15 May 1996, veteran Hong Kong journalist Leung Tin-wai was violently attacked by assailants who cut off his left forearm. According to news reports, two unidentified men entered Leung’s office shortly after a press conference announcing the 17 May launch of the tabloid “Surprise Weekly”. The men asked to see Leung, who led them […]
Two Palestinian journalists arrested
On 16 May 1996, Palestinian journalists Mu’aness Abu-Shilbayeh and Ussama `Aareff, respectively the soundman and cameraman for the Saudi television station MBC, were arrested as they were attempting to enter Israel from Al-Ram. The journalists were told that they did not have the proper credentials for working in Israel. Several hours later, `Aareff was released […]
Several journalists assaulted by police
On 3 May 1996, a police squad from Lima’s security forces assaulted a group of striking municipal employees as well as several other people who were in the vicinity. Police also assaulted journalists from the magazine “Caretas”, the daily newspaper “El Comercio” as well as from some television stations who were covering the protest by […]
Authorities refuse to renew passport of journalist Salah Bechir
Tunisian authorities have refused to renew the passport of journalist Salah Bechir, an editorial writer with the Arab- language, London-based daily “Al-Hayat”. On 2 April 1996, Bechir went to the Tunisian Embassy in Paris to ask for a renewal of his passport. However, on 10 May, his request was turned down, with one Embassy official […]
Three journalists with satirical weekly “Mesmar” arrested; “Mesmar” ordered shut down
On 13 May 1996, Mohamed Zetili and Mustapha Nattour, publisher and editor-in-chief respectively of the satirical weekly “Mesmar”, were arrested at their home by police in the city of Constantine. As well, Mohamed Nacer Belfounes, a cartoonist with “Mesmar”, was arrested on the afternoon of 14 May. No reason was given by Algerian authorities for […]
Indonesian government bans book published by freedom of expression institute
The Indonesian government has banned the book, “Bayang Bayang PKI” (“In the Shadows of the PKI”), which is published by the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI). The book is about the violent political turbulence that occurred in Indonesia in 1965-66 which led to the assumption of power by current President […]
Four journalists with Sudanese Television arrested
In late April 1996, Sudanese security forces arrested four journalists with the state-owned Sudanese Television. News director Ismael Muhammad al-Hussein, news editors Hussein Saleh and Abbas Suleiman, and cameraman Osama Ghandi were arrested at the station’s offices and taken into custody. There has been no news of the journalists since their arrest, and colleagues fear […]