Afghanistan / Asia

  

U.S. military frees Afghan journalist from Bagram

New York, September 22, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the U.S. military’s release of imprisoned journalist Jawed Ahmad from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Sunday, 11 months after he was first detained. But CPJ calls again on the U.S. military to end its practice of holding journalists without charge on an open-ended basis.…

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CPJ to honor five international journalists

IPFA Awards 2008 To Attend the Awards Dinner (PDF) Bilal Hussein Danish Karokhel and Farida Nekzad Andrew Mwenda Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez Beatrice Mtetwa New York, September 16, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists will honor courageous journalists from Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Cuba with its 2008 International Press Freedom Awards at a ceremony in November. Bilal…

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Danish Karokhel and Farida Nekzad, Director and Deputy Director, Pajhwok Afghan News

To Attend the Benefit Dinner (PDF) | Awards 2008 |Announcement of the Awardees | Bilal Hussein| Andrew Mwenda |  Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez  |  Beatrice Mtetwa Karokhel and Nekzad are journalists and media rights activists in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the press. Karokhel is director and Nekzad is managing editor and deputy director of…

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Press Freedom Awardees draw attention

We announced the 2008 International Press Freedom Award recipients on Tuesday, and the news has been well-received worldwide. Bilal Hussein of Iraq, Danish Karokhel and Farida Nekzad of Afghanistan, Andrew Mwenda of Uganda, and Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez of Cuba will all be honored by CPJ on November 25 for their courageous work. Beatrice Mtetewa, of Zimbabwe will…

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Parwez Kambakhsh in court in June. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Sitting on death row in Afghanistan

The BBC published an interview today with imprisoned Afghan journalism student Parwez Kambakhsh in Kabul’s main prison. The interview was also broadcast on the BBC’s “Today” program.  Kambakhsh told BBC journalist Alastair Leithead: “The whole trial was unfair from the beginning.” Security officials detained Kambakhsh in October 2007 on blasphemy charges and a closed court…

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AFGHANISTAN: TV reporter detained, program yanked off the air

New York, July 29, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Afghan television reporter Mohammad Nasir Fayyaz was detained one day after his television station aired a documentary that was critical of some cabinet members and their ministries. The program was cut short while being broadcast, apparently at the demand of the…

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Journalists in Exile: 2008

More than 80 journalists flee their home countries in the last year. Iraq and Somalia are the hardest hit. By Elisbeth Witchel and Karen Phillips

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As Karzai seeks aid, a call for press freedom

Dear President Karzai, News reports have described your plan to present a $50 billion, long-term development strategy to international donors in Paris on Thursday. Those reports have also noted the concerns of international donors about allegations of widespread corruption in Afghanistan.

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As Karzai seeks aid, a call for press freedom

Dear President Karzai, News reports have described your plan to present a $50 billion, long-term development strategy to international donors in Paris on Thursday. Those reports have also noted the concerns of international donors about allegations of widespread corruption in Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan: BBC reporter gunned down

New York, June 9, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists joins with the family and colleagues of  Afghan journalist Abdul Samad Rohani in mourning his death, and calls on the recently appointed governor of Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, to press investigators to find his killers. Rohani disappeared on Saturday near Lashkar Gah, Helmand’s capital. He was…

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