New York, March 16, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today sent more than 600 appeals—including more than 50 from some of the most renowned journalists in Latin America—to Cuban President Fidel Castro Ruz calling for the release of jailed Cuban journalist Manuel Vázquez Portal, a recipient of CPJ’s 2003 International Press Freedom Award, and…
By Ted KoppelThis is not a good day. As I write, pop star Michael Jackson has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor. His residence cum theme park, “Neverland,” has been invaded by police, sheriff’s deputies, and a team of forensic specialists. I am not empathizing with Michael Jackson, although this…
By Ann CooperIn real-time images, the war in Iraq splashed across television screens worldwide in March, with thousands of journalists covering the U.S.-led war against Saddam Hussein and his regime. The conflict and its aftermath had a far-reaching impact on the press and its ability to report the news, with the reverberations felt in some…
While violence and repression against the press continued unabated and even increased in some countries, public trust in journalists and the press suffered in much of the Americas, jeopardizing support for reforms of archaic press laws and opening the door for governments to take a more confrontational approach with the media.
There were 138 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2003 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is the same as last year. An analysis of the reasons behind this is contained in the introduction on page 10. At the beginning of 2004, CPJ sent letters of inquiry to…
New York, December 19, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the health of imprisoned Cuban journalist Ricardo González Alfonso, who has been on a hunger strike for the last 12 days. González Alfonso, who is jailed at the Kilo 8 Prison in central Camagüey Province, went on a hunger strike on…
Nova York, 19 de dezembro de 2003—O Comitê para a Proteção dos Jornalistas (CPJ) está muito preocupado com o estado de saúde do jornalista cubano preso Ricardo González Alfonso, que começou uma greve de fome há 12 dias. González Alfonso, que está encarcerado na prisão de Kilo 8, na província central de Camagüey, declarou-se em…
New York, November 18, 2003—Imprisoned Cuban journalist Bernardo Rogelio Arévalo Padrón was released last week after serving his six-year sentence on “disrespect” charges. In a phone interview with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), he described physical and psychological torture at the hands of prison authorities. “The allegations of torture are extremely troubling and warrant…
Nova York, 18 de novembro de 2003 —O jornalista cubano, Bernardo Rogelio Arévalo Padrón, foi libertado na semana passada depois de cumprir sua sentença de seis anos, por acusação de “desrespeito”. Em uma entrevista por telefone ao Comitê de Proteção aos Jornalistas (CPJ) ele descreveu a tortura física e psicológica que sofreu nas mãos das…