[eccr] World Press Freedom Day Around the World

> 
> ----| IFEX COMMUNIQUÉ VOL 14 NO 18 | 3 MAY 2005 | ------
> 
> The IFEX Communiqué is the weekly newsletter of the International Freedom of
> Expression eXchange (IFEX), a global network of 64 organisations working to
> defend and promote free expression. The Communiqué is also available in French
> and Spanish.
> 
> ----------| Visit the World Press Freedom Day page on the IFEX website
> |-------------
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/242/
> 
> -- | INDEX | --
> 
> FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT:
> 1. 3 May 2005: World Press Freedom Day
>             
> IFEX MEMBERS' WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY EVENTS:
> 2. Americas 
> 3. Africa 
> 4. Asia-Pacific 
> 5. Middle East and North Africa
> 6. Europe and Central Asia
> 
> REGIONAL NEWS: 
> 7. Sri Lanka: Journalist Murdered
> 8. Australia: Report Slams Press Freedom Record
> 9. Mexico: PEN Centres Join Anti-Impunity Coalition
> 
> "IN OTHER NEWS"`
> 10. INSI Launches Global Inquiry into Journalists' Deaths
> 11. World Press Freedom Day Events Elsewhere
> 
> AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
> 12. Canadian Reporter, Romanian Cartoonist Win Press Freedom Awards
> 13. Zimbabwean Radio Station Named Free Media Pioneer
> 
> ALERTS ISSUED BY THE IFEX CLEARING HOUSE IN THE PAST WEEK
> --------------------------------------------------------
> FREE-EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT
> 
> 3 MAY 2005: WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
> 
> IFEX members and other free expression advocates around the globe celebrated
> World Press Freedom Day today - a day to remind the world of the crucial role
> a free press plays in strengthening democracies and fostering development.
> 
> Celebrated each year since 1993, when it was proclaimed by the United Nations,
> the day is an occasion to pay tribute to journalists who have been killed
> because of their work and to promote the importance of protecting the right to
> freedom of expression.
> 
> This year, UNESCO is holding a conference in Dakar, Senegal, from 1 to 3 May
> under the theme "Media and Good Governance." The conference examines the
> media's role in covering elections and exposing corruption, the importance of
> the public's ability to access government information and the issue of media
> ethics. 
> 
> Independent, free and pluralistic media have a crucial role to play in the
> good governance of democratic societies by ensuring transparency and
> accountability, promoting participation and the rule of law, and contributing
> to the fight against poverty, says UNESCO Director General Koïchiro Matsuura.
> 
> Free and independent media also act as watchdogs against abuse of authority,
> providing citizens with the information they require to exercise their
> democratic rights, especially during elections. And media have an "essential
> contribution to make" in informing the public about diseases such as HIV-AIDS
> and natural disasters, says Matsuura.
> 
> UNESCO today honoured Chinese journalist Chen Yizhong with the
> UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for his efforts to expose
> government secrecy. The US$25,000 prize is awarded each year to individuals
> and organisations that demonstrate courage in defending freedom of expression.
> 
> As the editor of "Nanfang Dushi Bao" ("Southern Metropolis Daily"), Cheng
> broke new ground in Chinese journalism, says UNESCO. In December 2003,
> "Nanfang Dushi Bao" reported a suspected SARS case in the city of Guangzhou,
> the first new case in China since the epidemic was wiped out in July 2003. The
> government had not yet publicly released information about the case when the
> newspaper's report was published. The newspaper also revealed that a college
> student was beaten to death while in police custody. Public outcry over the
> death led to the arrest of several local government and police officials.
> 
> The "South China Morning Post" reports that Chinese authorities have barred
> Cheng from traveling to Dakar to accept the award. "I feel very regretful and
> apologetic," Cheng said in a statement posted on the Internet. He called on
> journalists in China to "speak the truth."
> 
> The awarding of the prize comes at a time when journalists in many parts of
> the world face increasingly dangerous working conditions. They often face
> murder attempts, intimidation and harassment for reporting on political,
> social and economic issues, according to free expression experts at the UN,
> the Organization of American States, the African Commission on Human and
> Peoples' Rights and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
> 
> For more information about World Press Freedom Day, visit:
> - UNESCO: http://tinyurl.com/7mvz2
> - IFEX: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/242/
> - Joint Statement by Free Expression Experts:
> http://www.osce.org/fom/item_1_14097.html
> --------------------------------------------------------
> IFEX MEMBERS' WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY EVENTS
> 
> Every year, IFEX members around the world mark World Press Freedom Day with
> activities to promote the right to freedom of expression and raise awareness
> of threats against journalists, writers and others who are targeted for
> exercising this right.
> 
> 2. AMERICAS
> 
> In Canada, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) held a lunchtime
> discussion in Toronto on 3 May with "Hamilton Spectator" reporter Ken Peters
> on the right of journalists to protect their sources. Peters spoke to author
> and CBC Reporter Carol Off about the legal battle in 2004 which could have
> landed him in jail. CJFE also sponsored the 29 April screening of "Bearing
> Witness," a documentary film by Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple
> at the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto. See:
> http://www.cjfe.org/eng/about/events.html
> 
> PEN Canada highlighted the high number of journalists murdered in Mexico and
> the Philippines and called on governments to pursue justice. Since 1987, 48
> journalists have been killed in Mexico. In the Philippines, at least 66 have
> died since 1986. In the vast majority of the cases, the perpetrators have gone
> unpunished. PEN Canada has joined a Mexican coalition of free expression
> groups to lobby for justice in the cases of murdered journalists (see Story #8
> in this issue). 
> 
> In Colombia, the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de
> Prensa, FLIP) released a survey which reveals that while the number of attacks
> against journalists (murders, threats, arrests) has not increased since May
> 2004, serious concerns remain about press freedom in the country.
> Self-censorship in the media is prevalent, a problem noted by the Organization
> for American States' Special Rapporteur on Free Expression during a
> fact-finding mission to Colombia in April 2005. See:
> http://www.flip.org.co/informes/especiales/comunicado%203%20de%20mayo.doc
> 
> In Guatemala, the Association of Guatemalan Journalists' Press Freedom
> Committee (Comisión de Libertad de Prensa de la Asociación de Periodistas de
> Guatemala, APG) said news media in the country continue to work in an
> environment marked by threats, intimidation and violence against journalists.
> According to Committee spokesperson Ileana Alamilla, press freedom has
> deteriorated under the government of President Óscar Berger.
> 
> In the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released a
> list of what it called the most murderous countries in the world for
> journalists. The Philippines headed the list, followed by Iraq, Colombia,
> Bangladesh and Russia. CPJ says murder with impunity is the most urgent threat
> facing journalists worldwide. The organisation says the vast majority of
> journalists killed on duty worldwide in the past five years did not die in
> crossfire or while covering dangerous assignments. Instead, 121 of the 190
> journalists who died were hunted down and murdered in retaliation for their
> work. See: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/murderous_05/murderous_05.html
> 
> The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) issued its annual World Press
> Freedom Day message, saying many journalists in the Americas are paying a high
> price for doing their work. Since 3 May 2004, 16 have been killed, says IAPA,
> and in many cases the violence is perpetrated by criminal organisations,
> including drug traffickers. See:
> http://www.sipiapa.org/pressreleases/chronologicaldetail.cfm?PressReleaseID=13
> 80
> 
> 3. AFRICA
> 
> In Namibia, the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) launched its annual
> survey "So This Is Democracy? State of Media Freedom in Southern Africa." The
> survey assesses conditions in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
> Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2004. This
> year, it features a regional review of gender in the media.
> 
> MISA said it recorded a dramatic drop in the number of press freedom in
> violations in Zimbabwe. This was due to the fact that laws introduced in the
> past three years, particularly the Access to Information and Protection of
> Privacy Act, have effectively silenced independent media in the country. See:
> http://www.misa.org/sothisisdemocracy.html
> 
> In Zambia, MISA held a workshop in Lusaka to organise a campaign aimed at
> convincing African governments to abolish "insult laws." Participants included
> representatives of Journaliste en danger, the Media Foundation for West
> Africa, Media Rights Agenda and the World Press Freedom Committee.
> 
> Of Africa's 53 countries, 48 have insult laws in their statute books, says
> MISA. These laws are often used to silence journalists who report critically
> on government officials or issues such as corruption and mismanagement. The
> Lusaka workshop is the first of a series of advocacy workshops in the region
> to create awareness of insult laws, broaden knowledge about their effects and
> devise an action plan to campaign for their removal from the statute books.
> 
> 4. ASIA-PACIFIC
> 
> In Thailand, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the Thai
> Journalists Association (TJA)
> held a public forum in Bangkok on 3 May to discuss prospects for media reform
> in the country. "Media reform: What¹s in it for you?" engaged prominent
> personalities and journalists in critiques of the media and discussions about
> the need to involve the public in strengthening the press.
> 
> The forum was part of a week-long series of events to raise public awareness
> about World Press Freedom Day and the importance of the right to freedom of
> expression. Activities included a broad-based publicity campaign in local
> newspapers and broadcast outlets, and links with university journalism
> students. See: http://www.seapabkk.org
> 
> In Fiji, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) affirmed the importance
> of the media in promoting good governance in the region. In a World Press
> Freedom Day statement, President Apulu Lance Polu called on the Pacific
> Islands Forum - an intergovernmental agency - to involve the media in
> discussions about a regional plan aimed at improving governance. See:
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66335/
> 
> The International Federation of Journalists' Asia-Pacific office released its
> third annual report on press freedom in South Asia. "Courage and Censorship -
> Journalists and Press Freedom in South Asia 2004-2005" details the cases of 19
> media workers who were killed between May 2004 and April 2005. The report was
> published on behalf of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network, a coalition of
> journalists' unions and press freedom organisations that aims to build
> solidarity among journalists' organisations and other groups in the region.
> See: http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/sapf2005mr.html
> 
> 5. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
> 
> In Egypt, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and the Egyptian
> Organization for Human Rights co-hosted a panel discussion in Cairo on 3 May
> entitled "Arab Journalism Under Siege." Representatives of press freedom
> groups spoke about urgent concerns in Egypt, Tunisia and other Arab countries
> and participants were invited to put forward ideas for addressing the crisis.
> 
> The Algerian Centre for the Promotion of Press Freedom (Centre algérien de
> défense de la liberté de la presse, CALP) called attention to what it called
> grave threats to press freedom in Algeria.
> "The year 2004 can be considered a particularly difficult year marked by the
> imprisonment of journalists, the intensification of judicial harassment
> against them and the economic pressures on the media," the group said in a
> statement. 
> 
> CALP called on the government to free Mohamed Benchicou, the managing editor
> of the newspaper "Le Matin" ("The Morning") who was jailed in June 2004 for
> publishing articles about alleged government corruption
> (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/65667).
> 
> 6. EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
> 
> In Belgium, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) launched a new
> report on the impact of the war on terrorism on civil liberties, saying the
> right to freedom of expression is being sacrificed by democratic states in the
> name of security. The 52-page report, co-authored with Statewatch, includes an
> analysis of current policy developments and a survey of 20 selected countries.
> It concludes that around half of the minimum standards set out in the
> Universal Declaration of Human Rights are being undermined by the war on
> terrorism. See: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3107&Language=EN
> 
> Norwegian PEN hosted a speaker's event in Oslo on 3 May, featuring Tunisian
> journalist and human rights activist Sihem Bensedrine, Rodney Pinder of the
> International News Safety Institute and David Hansen of the Norwegian Ministry
> of Foreign Affairs. Speakers talked about freedom of expression violations in
> Tunisia and the issue of journalists' safety in the context of war and
> terrorism. The event also covered the topic of government employees who blow
> the whistle on corruption or mismanagement. Support for the event came from
> organisations including Fritt Ord and UNESCO. See:
> http://www.norskpen.no/pen/PressefrihetensDag.html
> 
> The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN marked 3 May by inviting
> PEN Centres around the world to write letters in support of three writers and
> journalists who have been attacked for expressing their views on the Internet.
> See: http://internationalpen.org.uk/dev/Upload/3%20May%20background.doc
> 
> In Austria, the International Press Institute (IPI) called on governments
> worldwide to stop "suffocating" the news media and to allow journalists to
> work freely. IPI said governments everywhere employ overt and covert methods
> to hinder the media, including, press laws, false arrest and imprisonment,
> physical violence, and denial of access to officials. See:
> http://www.freemedia.at/Protests2005/pr_WPFD2005.htm
> 
> In France, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) issued a
> "Blacklist" of Press Freedom Enemies, bringing attention to individuals who
> have committed crimes or offences against journalists or media and have gone
> unpunished. See: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13657
> 
> RSF also released a report indicating that the war in Iraq has been the
> deadliest for journalists since Vietnam in the 1960s. Fifty-six journalists
> and media assistants have been killed and 29 kidnapped since fighting began in
> March 2003, the group says. See:
> http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13652
> 
> The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) launched its yearly World Press
> Freedom Day package, inviting newspapers around the world to download essays,
> opinion pieces, interviews, infographics, editorial cartoons, photographs and
> advertisements for publication on
> 3 May. 
> 
> This year's package, focused on the theme "Impunity: Getting Away With
> Murder," also included video clips for broadcast and for posting on
> newspapers' websites. Materials were available in English, French, Spanish,
> German and Russian.
> See: http://www.worldpressfreedomday.org
> --------------------------------------------------------
> REGIONAL NEWS:
> 
> 7. SRI LANKA: JOURNALIST MURDERED
> 
> IFEX members are calling for an investigation into the death of journalist
> Darmaratnam Sivaram, whose bullet-riddled body was found in a field in
> Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 29 April 2005. Sivaram, 47, was abducted after leaving
> a restaurant on 28 April, reports Free Media Movement (FMM).
> 
> He was an experienced reporter, a columnist for the "Daily Mirror" and a
> founder of the news website TamilNet. According to the Committee to Protect
> Journalists (CPJ), Sivaram wrote sympathetically about the Liberation Tigers
> of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group. Police searched his house twice last year
> looking for weapons, but did not find anything to incriminate him. RSF notes
> that several pro-government media outlets accused Sivaram of being an LTTE
> spy.
> 
> Since last spring, a bitter feud between the LTTE and a breakaway faction led
> by Colonel Karuna has led to more violence in Sri Lanka. Both sides have
> brutally targeted each other's alleged supporters, including journalists.
> Peace talks between Tamil rebels and the government have stalled since a
> ceasefire agreement was signed in February 2002.
> 
> RSF says Sri Lankan authorities have a record of failing to bring the killers
> of journalists to justice. "The government, headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga,
> has protected killers of journalists, particularly Tamil militia of the Eelam
> People's Democratic Party, elements in the presidential guard and members of
> Col. Karuna's Tamil militia."
> 
> See:
> - FMM Alert: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66282/
> - RSF Offers 9 Recommendations for Improving Press Freedom:
> http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10956
> - CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2005/Sri29apr05na.html
> - IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3106&Language=EN
> - Sivaram Memorial Fund: http://www.tamilnet.com/contribute/
> 
> 8. AUSTRALIA: REPORT SLAMS PRESS FREEDOM RECORD
> 
> Anti-terrorism legislation, cuts to public broadcasting and increasing
> government secrecy in Australia are putting press freedom in dire straits,
> according to a new report by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
> (MEAA). 
> 
> "Turning Up The Heat: The Decline of Press Freedom in Australia 2001-2005"
> documents how governments, law enforcers and individuals have contributed to
> increased "media management" - ultimately tipping the balance against the
> public interest and democratic values.
> 
> "Journalists have been like the proverbial frog in a pot of cold water that is
> slowly brought to the boil. We do not notice the incremental changes, until it
> is too late," says MEAA Secretary Christopher Warren. "Taken as a whole, the
> attacks on journalists and increasing government restrictions have posed a
> major threat to Australian press freedom since September 11, 2001," he said.
> 
> The report was launched at MEAA's 2005 Press Freedom Dinner on 30 April. For
> more information, contact MEAA: (alerts /at/ alliance.org.au)
> 
> Visit: http://www.alliance.org.au
> 
> 9. MEXICO: PEN CENTRES JOIN ANTI-IMPUNITY COALITION
> 
> PEN Canada and the PEN American Centre are throwing their support behind a
> Mexican campaign to stop the killing of journalists in the country, dubbed one
> of the most dangerous in the Americas for media.
> 
> "Ni Uno Más" ("Not One More") is a coalition of non-governmental organisations
> that seeks to pressure Mexican authorities into bringing the killers of
> journalists to justice and raising awareness of impunity. Local participating
> groups include the Centre for Journalism and Ethics (Centro de Periodismo y
> Ética Pública, CEPET), Freedom of Information Mexico (Libertad de Información
> México, LIMAC) and the Manuel Buendía Foundation.
> 
> Since 1987, 48 journalists have been killed in Mexico, according to the Inter
> American Press Association (IAPA). Only a handful of those cases have been
> properly investigated. In the past month, two journalists have been murdered
> in Mexico, while a third has disappeared. All of them were known for reporting
> on the activities of powerful drug cartels (see:
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/65942/).
> 
> See: 
> - Campaign Website: http://www.cepet.org/cndeclara.htm
> - PEN Canada: http://www.pencanada.ca/news/newsdetail.php?newsitem=43
> - PEN Canada Report on Impunity:
> http://www.pencanada.ca/publications/PEN_imp_report_E.pdf
> - IAPA Report: http://www.sipiapa.org/pulications/report_mexico2005.cfm
> - IFEX Alerts on Mexico: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/97/
> --------------------------------------------------------
> "IN OTHER NEWS"`
> 
> 10. INSI LAUNCHES GLOBAL INQUIRY INTO JOURNALISTS' DEATHS
> 
> The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has launched an inquiry aimed
> at examining the reasons behind the rising death toll of journalists
> world-wide and offering solutions for reducing violence against news
> gatherers. 
> 
> Headed by Richard Sambrook, Director of BBC Global News, the Inquiry will
> assess the legal, professional and practical issues related to the protection
> of journalists in dangerous situations. It will hear from journalists around
> the world who have been personally targeted by violence while reporting in
> their home countries and during foreign assignment. It will also seek
> information from governments, military and non-governmental organisations. A
> report detailing the Inquiry's findings is expected to be completed at least
> one year from now.
> 
> Members of the Inquiry include representatives of IFEX members, such as the
> Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, the
> Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the International Federation of
> Journalists and the World Association of Newspapers.
> 
> The Inquiry will hold its first hearings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10 May
> 2005 and in Doha, Qatar on 23 May. Future sessions are planned for Latin
> America, Africa, the United States and Europe.
> 
> INSI invites anyone with information on, or has experience of attacks on
> journalists and other news media workers to contact the following members of
> the Inquiry: Richard Sambrook: (richard.sambrook /at/ bbc.co.uk) (Tel. +44 20 7557
> 2057) or INSI Director Rodney Pinder: (rodney.pinder /at/ newssafety.com) (Mobile +44
> 7734 709 267).
> 
> Visit: http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/inquiry02.htm
> 
> 11. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY EVENTS ELSEWHERE
> 
> The following is a list of links to 3 May events held by other organisations
> around the world:
> 
> - International Network of Street Papers: http://www.street-papers.org
> - Internews: http://www.internews.org/wpfd/2005/wpfd_2005.html
> - South East Europe Media Organization: http://www.seemo.org/
> - National Union of Journalists of the Philippines: http://www.nujp.org/
> - Central Asia and Southern Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network:
> http://www.cascfen.org
> - Freedom of Expression Week in Romania:
> http://www.cji.ro/html/en/html/zlp.htm
> - Bangladesh Seminar on Media and Good Governance: http://www.bnnrc.net/
> - Observatorio Control Interamericano de los Derechos de los Migrantes:
> http://www.observatoriomigrantes.org
> --------------------------------------------------------
> AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
> 
> 12. CANADIAN REPORTER, ROMANIAN CARTOONIST WIN PRESS FREEDOM AWARDS
> 
> The National Press Club of Canada today presented its World Press Freedom
> Award to Juliet O'Neill, an "Ottawa Citizen" reporter whose home was raided by
> police in January 2004 after she wrote about the controversial deportation to,
> and alleged torture of, a Canadian in Syria.
> 
> O¹Neill had written a front-page story about a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
> (RCMP) investigation of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian deported by the
> United States to Syria, where he was imprisoned and, he states, tortured.
> Police were seeking the identity of a source who allegedly leaked classified
> documents to O'Neill from Arar¹s security file.
> 
> The NPC says the nature of the searches, a dramatic and invasive showcase
> involving 20 RCMP officers, "shattered the assumption of press freedom in
> Canada." 
> 
> The NPC also awarded Romanian cartoonist Mihai Ignat first prize in its annual
> International Competition for Editorial Cartoonists. Chosen from 425 submitted
> cartoons under the theme "Freedom of Expression and the Electoral Process,"
> Ignat's winning entry illustrates how women, in many situations, still are
> frustrated in their attempts to vote. Second and third prizes were
> respectively awarded to Issam Hassam of Syria and Bernard Boutin of France.
> 
> For more information, see: http://www.pressclub.on.ca/
> 
> 13. ZIMBABWEAN RADIO STATION NAMED FREE MEDIA PIONEER
> 
> SW Radio Africa, a London-based radio station, has won the International Press
> Institute's (IPI) 2005 Free Media Pioneer Award in recognition of its efforts
> to give a voice to the voiceless in Zimbabwe.
> 
> Launched in December 2001, the station is a rare and independent source of
> information for the listeners in Zimbabwe and half a million Zimbabwean exiles
> in London, says IPI. SW Radio Africa's main aim is to give a "voice to the
> voiceless" by fostering a dialogue with its Zimbabwean audience, who call in -
> often at great risk - to air their opinions and give first-hand accounts of
> the deteriorating situation in the country.
> 
> In the run-up to the March 2005 parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe, the
> government tried to prevent SW Radio Africa from being heard in the country,
> jamming their signals on several frequencies.
> 
> The Free Media Pioneer Award is given annually to individuals or organisations
> that have fought against great odds to ensure freer and more independent media
> in their country or region. The award is co-sponsored by Freedom Forum.
> 
> Visit: http://www.freemedia.at/Protests2005/pr_SWRadioAfrica.htm
> --------------------------------------------------------
> ALERTS ISSUED BY THE IFEX CLEARING HOUSE DURING THE PAST WEEK
> 
> 25 APRIL 2005
> Iraq - AP cameraman killed, photographer wounded (RSF) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66198/
> Togo - Radio station suspended for one month (CPJ) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66200/
> Greece - Austrian author acquitted on appeal in blasphemy case (WiPC/IPA) -
> press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66201/
> Iran - Several journalists summoned and charged; journalist Akbar Ganji
> gravely ill after five years in prison (RSF) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66202/
> Algeria - Several journalists sentenced to prison; IFJ condemns repression of
> the independent press (IFJ) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66213/
> Bangladesh - French filmmaker released (RSF) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66221/
> 
> 26 APRIL 2005
> Iraq - Cameraman detained without charge; AP photographer released from
> hospital (CPJ) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66223/
> Kazakhstan/Russia - Exiled editor of Kazakh opposition weekly detained for two
> days (CPJ) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66225/
> Ghana - Radio reporter brutally beaten (MFWA) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66226/
> Uzbekistan - Journalist severely beaten; IPI worried by claims of government
> "black list" (IPI) - press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66227/
> Vietnam - Dissident writers Nguyen Thanh Giang and Tran Khue harassed (CPJ) -
> press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66228/
> Fiji Islands - PINA concerned over police action against television station
> (PINA) - alert http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66229/
> Saudi Arabia - Human Rights Watch calls on Bush to press for Saudi dissidents'
> release (Human Rights Watch) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66230/
> United States - Federal Appeals Court confirms earlier ruling against two
> journalists (RSF) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66231/
> 
> 27 APRIL 2005
> Norway - Oslo-based Tamil journalist victim of death threats and harassment
> (RSF) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66252/
> Nepal - Publisher arrested (CPJ) - press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66254/
> Pakistan - Pakistani journalist acquitted of treason charges (CPJ) - press
> release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66255/
> Democratic Republic of Congo - Six journalists abducted by militiamen in
> Katanga province (JED) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66256/
> Colombia - Ibagué radio journalist receives death threats (FLIP) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66259/
> Kazakhstan - Newspaper, journalists convicted of defamation and fined (Adil
> Soz) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66258/
> Sudan - American photographer detained (CPJ) - press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66260/
> Serbia and Montenegro - SEEMO alarmed over Foreign Affairs Ministry's analysis
> of media situation in Montenegro (IPI) - press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66262/
> 
> 28 APRIL 2005
> China - Internet writer tried on anti-state charges (CPJ) - press
> release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66263/
> Iraq - Five journalists arrested in past two weeks (RSF) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66264/
> Belarus - Two Russian journalists jailed after opposition rally (CPJ) - press
> release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66265/
> International - IPI names SW Radio Africa "Free Media Pioneer 2005" (IPI) -
> press release
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66267/
> Tunisia - IFEX members call on Tunisian government to stop confiscating books
> at airport (IFEX-TMG) - press release
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66269/
> Nigeria - Two journalists assaulted by thugs (MRA) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66273/
> Latvia - IPI concerned over draft Latvian Law on Public Service Broadcasting
> Organisations (IPI) - action alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66275/
> Bahrain - RSF denounces new website registration measure as threat to free
> expression (RSF) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66276/
> Peru - IAPA calls for action in unpunished murder of American journalist
> (IAPA) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66278/
> Sri Lanka - Tamil net editor abducted (FMM) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66280/
> Iraq/United States - IFJ angered over reports that US soldiers have been
> cleared of responsibility in Italian secret agent's death (IFJ) - press
> release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66281/
> 
> 29 APRIL 2005
> Sri Lanka - Body of abducted journalist found (FMM) - press release/update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66282/
> Nepal - CPJ special report: Nepal after the coup, a country silenced (CPJ)
> press release
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66283/
> International - Freedom House study finds decline in global press freedom
> (Freedom House) - press release
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66284/
> Australia - MEAA releases first report into Australia's press freedom record
> (MEAA) - press release
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66285/
> Philippines - Five officials named as new suspects in columnist's murder
> (CMFR) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66286/
> Iran - Journalist arrested and jailed; Reza Alijani's health deteriorating
> sharply after two years in prison (RSF) - alert update
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66287/
> Turkmenistan - IFLA/FAIFE alarmed over closure of libraries (IFLA/FAIFE) -
> press release/alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66289/
> Sierra Leone - Reporter manhandled, harassed (MFWA) - alert
> http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66290/
> -------------------------------------------------------
> The "IFEX Communiqué" is published weekly by the IFEX Clearing House. IFEX is
> managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) on behalf of the
> network's 64 members.
> 
> The views expressed in the "IFEX Communiqué" are the responsibility of the
> sources to which they are attributed.
> 
> The "IFEX Communiqué" grants permission for its material to be reproduced or 
> republished as long as it is credited as the source.
> 
> Contact: "IFEX Communiqué" Editor: Geoffrey Chan: (communique /at/ ifex.org)
> 
> Mailing Address: 489 College St. #403, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A5 Canada, Tel: 
> +1 416 515 9622; Fax: +1 416 515 7879.
> 
> 


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