Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

During his trial, the judge told Mohamed Mkhaïtir that he was accused of apostasy for “speaking lightly” of the Prophet Mohamed. This is the first death sentence imposed in Mauritania for apostasy since independence in 1960.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arbitrary detention of José Leonel Silva Guerrero, a correspondent for the Hablemos Press news agency. Silva believes that the raid was aimed at intimidating him after he reported on unexplained deaths in Holguín province.

Reporters Without Borders hails the withdrawal of charges against William Parra, a TV reporter wrongly accused of abetting Colombia’s rebels.

They don’t write for The New York Times or The Daily Mail. And the Swazi government is counting on just that to keep Bheki Makhubu and Thulani Maseko in jail for criticizing the judiciary.

Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels are still persecuting journalists, media outlets and media support institutions eight months after seizing control of the capital, Sanaa, and a large swathe of the country. Their methods include death threats, abduction and looting.

Cassien Ntamuhanga, who ran Amazing Grace radio, was convicted of forming a criminal gang, conspiracy against the established government or president, complicity in a terrorist act and conspiracy to murder.

Reporters Without Borders has spotlighted eight cartoonists who are being threatened or persecuted because of their work.

Media freedom has been in retreat in the past few months in Morocco, as the kingdom’s authorities have cracked down on journalists and three government bills that could improve the legislative environment for the media have stalled in parliament.