(RSF/IFEX) – On 19 October 1998, RSF released this press release on the occasion of the launching of a new campaign to free detained journalists: On 15 October, sixty French newspapers, radio and television stations, led by RSF, launched an appeal to free journalists currently detained in Myanmar (formerly Burma), China, Cuba, Nigeria, Syria and […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 19 October 1998, RSF released this press release on the
occasion of the launching of a new campaign to free detained journalists:
On 15 October, sixty French newspapers, radio and television stations, led
by RSF, launched an appeal to free journalists currently detained in Myanmar
(formerly Burma), China, Cuba, Nigeria, Syria and Turkey. These journalists
are being “sponsored” by the various media, and in some cases have been for
years. Currently, ninety three journalists are detained worldwide, according
to RSF.
“When journalists are behind bars, the whole country is in prison”: this is
this year’s slogan, chosen by RSF for this “sponsorship day”, which was
also held in Belgium, Spain and Switzerland.
The forty newspapers who participated in this action published a “coupon”,
which their readers could send to embassies of countries which jail
journalists. Several radio stations broadcasted a public service
announcement with the following message: “Newspapers, radio stations and
television stations sponsor journalists detained throughout the world.
Signal your support and help RSF.”
RSF explains that: “The message is to remember that these journalists, whose
only crime is to have wanted to exercise their profession freely, are not
forgotten.”
All of the petitions demanding the liberation of detained journalists is
available on RSF’s Internet site:
http://www.rsf.fr/ACTION/a_la_une/parrain/index.html
