Articles by Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Journalist Juan Antonio Sanchez detained and robbed
On 30 July 1996, Juan Antonio Sanchez, a journalist for the independent news agency Cuba Press, was apprehended by Cuban State Security agents as he was leaving a currency exchange booth in the Habana Libre Hotel after having changed US$ 700 that he had received from Reporters sans frontieres (RSF). Sanchez was to share the […]
Government ministry closes “Avrazia”
On 1 August 1996, the Minister of Information and the Media, Nariman Hasanzade, wrote to the head of the Azerbaijan publishing company, Nazim Ibragimov, ordering him to stop printing the independent daily “Avrazia”. At a meeting with the newspaper’s publisher, Irfan Sapmaz, the minister complained about six stories published recently in “Avrazia”. The topics of […]
Several journalists harassed and assaulted while attempting to cover government crackdown on political opposition
On 27 July 1996, when the Indonesian military seized the offices of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), several journalists were barred from covering the incident, including Andreas Harsono, General Secretary for IFEX member the Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information (ISAI), whose camera was confiscated. They were both beaten, as were […]
Journalist Metin Yasar Oglu arrested and detained
On 26 July 1996, police arrested Metin Yasar Oglu, a journalist for the newspaper “Mukhalifat”. He was covering a demonstration that took place in front of the Russian Embassy in the capital, Baku, in which people were protesting against the reported ill- treatment of Azeri citizens in Moscow and other cities in the Russian Federation. […]
Government refuses to authorise the creation of new radio and television stations and newspapers
On 17 July 1996, Minister of Information Ieng Mouly announced that the government would not authorise the creation of any new radio or television stations. He cited already crowded airwaves as the reason; however, the decision follows repeated attempts to block opposition parties from setting up radio and television stations. Secretary of State Khieu Kanharith […]
Presidential decree converts daily “Narodnaya Gazeta” into joint stock company
**Updates IFEX alert dated 20 March 1996** On 28 June 1996, the daily “Narodnaya Gazeta” was turned into a joint stock company by presidential decree. On the same day, the Human Rights and Media Committee of Parliament published a list of people liable to be appointed the new editor of the daily. The Committee had […]
“Akhbar al-Ousbouh” editor-in-chief Tawfik Kiwane remanded in custody
On 24 July 1996, Tawfik Kiwane, the editor-in-chief of the weekly “Akhbar al-Ousbouh”, was remanded in custody for two weeks for “spreading false news.” The weekly had published an article about a bank robbery in the city of Zarqa, near Amman. According to a judicial source, the article was “completely made-up.” Kiwane is the fourth […]
Authorities prevent distribution of “Mauritanie- Nouvelles” and “La Tortue”
**For background to other harassment of “Mauritanie- Nouvelles”, see IFEX alerts dated 27 and 13 March 1996, and others** On 24 July 1996, the French- and Arab-language editions of the independent weekly “Mauritanie-Nouvelles” were prevented from being distributed. The printed copies are to be held at the printing press for four days by officials from […]