Articles by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
“Al-Wafd” editor-in-chief attacked
On the evening of 1 August 1995, Gamal Badawi, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily “Al-Wafd”, left a conference at the Journalists’ Syndicate in downtown Cairo. He was heading for his home in Heliopolis, when two vehicles forced his car off the road. Ten unidentified individuals then emerged from the vehicles, pulled Badawi out of his […]
Foiled assault on home of publisher; newspaper suspended
On 31 July 1995, Ibrahim al-Wazeer, publisher of the independent newspaper “Al-Balagh”, was the victim of a foiled assault on his home. Early in the morning of 31 July, a group of unidentified individuals began planting explosives at the home of al-Wazeer. The perpetrators reportedly fled from the house, in an eastern suburb of Sanaa, […]
Judgement expected in “New Breed” case
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 26 July, 19 and 12 January 1995; 13 December 1994** Judgement in the case against journalists from the newspaper “The New Breed”, which has been before the Sierra Leonian courts for over 21 months, is due 7 August 1995. If convicted, the defendants, including journalist Julius Spencer, may be imprisoned for […]
Update on journalists sentenced in “coup plot” trials
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 17 July and 26 June 1995; for background, see alerts of 11 July, 26, 22 May 1995** (updates IFEX alerts dated 17, 11 July, 26 June, 26, 22 May): CPJ confirms that life imprisonment sentences were given to Chris Anyanwu (f), editor-in-chief of “The Sunday Magazine” (“TSM”), and Ben Charles Obi, […]
Two Publications Court decisions threaten press freedom
On 28 June 1995, Beirut’s Publications Court sentenced Hassan Sabra, the publisher of “Al-Shira’” magazine and Ghazi al-Maqhur, the weekly’s managing editor, to one month in prison each. The two were convicted of publishing “material that was damaging to the person and dignity of the head of state and that contained statements slandering him and […]
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 […]
Trial begins for three AJI journalists; CPJ & HRW to hold press conference
**For recent background on arrests, see IFEX alerts dated 15 June and 28 March 1995; for additional background, see 1994 and 1995 IFEX alerts** Three staff members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) went on trial in Jakarta, Indonesia on 16 June 1995 for publishing an unlicensed magazine and publicly expressing “hostility, hatred, and […]
Journalist Guillermo Cherasny shot
On the morning of 12 June 1995, journalist Guillermo Cherasny, a producer with Radio Libertad who also contributes to the weekly “El Informador Publico”, was shot twice in the back by unknown assailants on his way to work at the radio station. It is not known whether the attack on Cherasny, who is renowned for […]