Journalist attacked
(RSF/IFEX) – On 8 January 1998, Frederic Lepinay, a journalist with the daily Lille newspaper “La Voix du Nord”, was reporting on the occupation of the Association pour l’emploi dans l’industrie et le commerce (ASSEDIC) in Lille by a defense association for the unemployed. While taking photographs of the evacuation of the site by the […]
Garaudy’s trial is based on racist ideas and is a violation of freedom of opinion and expression
(EOHR/IFEX) – The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) is extremely worried about the trial of the French thinker Roger Garaudy before a court in France by virtue of a law called Fabious-Gibseau. This law punishes with fines and imprisonment those who deny that Jews were killed in holocausts by the Nazis, a charge which […]
Anti-independence leader pressures broadcasters
(PINA/IFEX) – The visiting head of the French overseas broadcasting service told staff in New Caledonia on 8 December 1997 that they will continue to be free to report without restrictions. Societe National de Radio Television Francaise D’Outre Mer (RFO) president Jean-Marie Cavada pledged that RFO journalists in the French Pacific territory would be protected. […]
Former member of National Front’s security squad details methods used to harass journalists
(RSF/IFEX) – The 13 November 1997 edition of the daily “Liberation” published an interview with a former member of the security forces (le Departement protection-securite, DPS) of the National Front political party in which the man, referred to as “Dominique”, detailed the methods of harassment used by the DPS against journalists. The man said that […]
Director of the weekly “L’Evenement du Jeudi” given one month suspended prison sentence for defamation
(RSF/IFEX) – On 18 September 1997, the penal court of Nice handed down a one month suspended sentence against Thierry Verret, president and director of publication of the weekly “L’Evenement du Jeudi”, for defaming the mayor of Nice, Jacques Peyrat. The conviction follows the publication in 1 August 1996 of an article in which an […]
French authorities seize Algerian daily “Liberte”
On 19 October 1996, French air and border police seized the 17 October issue of the Algerian daily “Liberte” at the Lyon airport, as the paper entered France for distribution. The seizure of the paper was carried out under rules governing the distribution of foreign publications in France. No official reason for the seizure was […]
Report on reforms to legal procedures causes concern for press freedom
RSF is concerned at some of the conclusions of a report on reforms to legal procedures in France which it feels are a profound threat to press freedom. The report, made public on 2 October 1996 by Minister of Justice Jacques Toubon, proposes changes to legal procedures for preventive detention, the presumption of innocence and […]
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 […]