Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

(CPJ/IFEX) – Lagos newspapers and magazines (“Guardian”, “Tell”, and “Concord”) report this week that Babafemi Ojudu, managing editor of “TheNEWS” is among over 120 detainees being released courtesy of an amnesty granted by General Sani Abacha. CPJ sources in Lagos report that Ojudu has not been seen by his family or colleagues, and thus could […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 30 April 1998, CPJ released the following statement in recognition of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 1998: The leaders of Nigeria, Burma, Belarus, Cuba, and Indonesia are among the world’s 10 Enemies of the Press named today by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Selected for their relentless campaigns of suppression […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 28 April 1998, Niran Malaolu, editor of “The Diet” newspaper was convicted by the Nigerian Special Military Tribunal of “information gathering” and implication in the most recent alleged coup plot of December 1997. ***Updates IFEX alert of 30 December 1997** Malaolu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, has no right of appeal […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – According to CPJ, on 21 April 1998, officials from the Yugoslav Ministry of Telecommunications ordered local independent television station TV Pirot closed and confiscated the station’s equipment, saying that the station was not properly licensed. This action comes just weeks before the 15 May 1998 deadline for public disclosure of the Ministry of […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 23 April 1998, Nigerian military authorities shut down and occupied the editorial offices of the Independent Communication Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of “TheNews,” “TEMPO” and “P.M.News”, and the 24 Hours Press Limited, ICNL’s printer. Journalists and other workers were ordered to leave the premises of both the ICNL offices and the printing […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – According to CPJ, State Security Service (SSS) agents have further intensified their efforts to prevent the publication of Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL) titles “TheNews”, “TEMPO” and “P.M. News.” At 8:30 a.m. on 23 April 1998, a group of armed Federal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (FIIB) military policemen completely sealed the 26 Ijaiye […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 22 April 1998, CPJ issued a protest against the decision of the Grodno District Court to deny the appeal of Pavel Sheremet and Dmitry Zavadsky, a correspondent and cameraman, respectively, of Russia’s ORT television network. They had been convicted of illegally crossing the Belarussian border. **Updates IFEX alerts of 26 February 1998, […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 18 April 1998, Saadou Assane, a journalist with the daily “Le Republicaine”, was covering opposition demonstrations in Maradi (a town located 550 kilometers east of Niamey) when he was violently attacked by police and had his equipment confiscated. The demonstrators were calling for President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara’s resignation and protesting a concurrent […]