Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdco Panday said on 2 February 1996 that journalists from the daily “Trinidad Guardian” would not be allowed access to government information until the paper’s editor-in-chief, Jones Madeira, was fired. He contacted Anthony Sagba, chairman of the ANSA McAl group, the newspaper’s financial controller, to demand Madeira’s dismissal. Panday’s action […]

Colonel Gibril Rajoub, chief of the Preventive Security Service (PSS) in the West Bank, has declared that Bassem Eid, the correspondent for Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) in Palestine and a researcher for the human rights defense group B’Tselem, is an “agent of the Israeli police whose goal is to attack the PSS.” Bassem Eid is […]

**For background on “Le Messager” see IFEX CH alerts dated 18 May, 20 April and 10 January 1995** On 16 August 1995, Pius Njawe, editor in chief of “Le Messager”, and a journalist with the weekly were given deferred sentences of two months in prison and fined 300,000 francs CFA in damages for “abuse and […]

On 16 August 1995, Paddy Mbawa, editor-in-chief of the “Cameroun Post”, was sentenced to two years in prison for defamation of Jean Fochive, the chief of police in Cameroon. Although appealing this decision, Paddy Mbawa remains imprisoned at the headquarters of the criminal investigation police unit in Douala. Recommended Action Send appeals to Cameroonian authorities: […]

On 22 August 1995, Paul Kamara, Editor-in-Chief of “For di People” was arrested in Sierra Leone. The following morning, Editor Vandy Kallon was arrested. The two editors were reproached for the publication of an article on the movements of Sierra- Leone’s army in the north of the country. Recommended Action Send appeals to authorities in […]

Mathias Goneyo Reapago, editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper “le Rassemblement”, was arrested on 19 July 1995. He was charged with attacking “the dignity and honour of the President of the Republic.” The journalist had questioned President Ange-Felix Patasse in an article titled “Who wants to kill [Secretary-General of the Workers’ Trade Union of the Central […]

**For background on “Ziua” case, see IFEX alert dated 12 June 1995** On 26 July 1995, the Romanian government announced it would take legal action against Petre Mihai Bacanu, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily “Romania Libera”, for “insult to authority, contempt and libel.” Petre Mihai Bacanu had authored a front page article titled “(Nicolae) Vacaroiu’s […]

**Updates IFEX alerts dated 1 and 24 February 1995** Mohammed Kilani, editor-in-chief of “Al Badil”, remains in detention. He was sentenced on 22 February 1995 to two years in prison for “supporting an unauthorized association,” and holding “unauthorized meetings” (see IFEX alerts). On 27 April, in a second trial, he was sentenced to five years […]