Articles by Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Independent press being subjected to tax inspections by the Ministry of Finance
Since 19 August 1996, inspectors for the Ministry of Finance have visited several newspapers in Belarus as part of a tax inspection campaign. The Ministry has given no official explanation for the campaign, which mainly concern independent publications. The newspapers “Semida” and “Svabodnie Novosti Plus” have already been inspected, while “Svoboda”, “Beloruskaya Delovaya Gazeta” and […]
Distribution ban on weekly
The Egyptian Information Ministry confiscated all 10,000 copies of the August issue of “Al Tadamun”, an Arabic-language monthly published in Cyprus. Editor Mohamed Abu Liwaya said the move came after “Al Tadamun” published a front-page editorial headlined “A chronic mental illness”, which suggested most Arab heads of state should be made to undergo mental health […]
Journalist sentenced to one year in prison
On 23 August 1996 at 10:30 hours, the Supreme Court upheld a prior conviction and sentenced Hen Vipeak, former editor-in-chief of “Sereipheap Thmei” (“New Liberty News”), to one year in prison and fined him 5 million riel (US$ 2,500) for libel. He was convicted under Article 62 of the UNTAC Law (which dates back to […]
Journalist Vianney Ombe Ndzana assaulted; Pierre Essamba Essomba briefly detained; Gaston Ekawalla sentenced to prison
On 20 August 1996, Vianney Ombe Ndzana, director of the privately-owned newspaper “Generation”, was assaulted in the capital, Yaounde, by several armed individuals. Ndzana was leaving the editorial offices of the newspaper when the individuals accosted him before opening fire on his vehicle. He was later taken to hospital, where he is in stable condition. […]
Four staff members of the weekly “Al-Bilad” arrested; “Al-Aswaq” journalist Fouad Hussein arrested
On 20 August 1996, Jordanian authorities arrested Nayef Tawarah, publisher of the weekly “Al-Bilad”, editor Khaled Kasasbeh and journalists Taha Abu Riden and Rakan Sa’aideh. They were accused of “sowing discord” and are to be tried for “publishing false information.” The newspaper reported that a girl had died during the rioting that has rocked southern […]
Police pressure journalists; tax threatens autonomy of newspapers
On 5 July 1996, Dadu-based journalists and correspondents of national newspapers were warned against reporting on alleged government-initiated harassment of veteran opposition politician GM Syed, his family and his supporters. District police warned the journalists that “false criminal cases” would be brought against them and that they would face “grave consequences” if they continued with […]
Further information on attack on journalist Santiago Pinetta
On 31 July 1996, journalist Santiago Pinetta was assaulted by four men who etched the acronym “IBM” on his thorax and belly with a sharp object. The medical report stated that Pinetta had received twenty cuts to his body. **Provides further details to IFEX alert dated 2 August 1996** In articles published especially in the […]
Right-wing group renews threats against the media
On 26 July 1996, during the Sao Paolo Forum, an international meeting of left-wing parties and movements taking place in San Salvador, the underground right-wing political group the Fuerza Nacionalista Mayor Roberto D’Aubuisson (FURODA) issued a threatening communique to the media, urging them “to report the truth and not to distort it.” FURODA also announced […]