New York, May 5, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about criminal defamation charges recently filed by Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong against politicians responsible for the production of an opposition-run newspaper, The New Democrat. The Lees’ lawyer also threatened to file defamation charges against Melodies…
AFGHANISTAN: 1 Ali Mohaqqiq Nasab, Haqooq-i-Zan (Women’s Rights) Imprisoned: October 1, 2005 The attorney general ordered editor Nasab’s arrest on blasphemy charges after the religious adviser to President Hamid Karzai, Mohaiuddin Baluch, filed a complaint about his magazine. “I took the two magazines and spoke to the Supreme Court chief, who wrote to the attorney…
Freedom of expression is on trial in the young democracy of Thailand, where state agencies, politicians and politically connected businesses have targeted the news media with an alarming string of criminal and civil court actions that seek prison terms and exorbitant monetary damages.
May 10, 2005 The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the police investigation of independent documentary filmmaker Martyn See who is being questioned under Singapore’s stringent Films Act. On May 6, Assistant Superintendent of Police Chan Peng Khuang called See to inform him that police had received a copy of his film…
MAY 6, 2005 Posted: May 17, 2005 Martyn See, freelance HARASSED Police were investigating See, an independent documentary filmmaker, under Singapore’s stringent Films Act. On May 6, Assistant Superintendent of Police Chan Peng Khuang called See to inform him that police had received a copy of his film “Singapore Rebel” and had initiated an investigation,…
New York, May 5, 2005—The threat of legal action has prompted Singaporean blogger Jiahao Chen to shut down his site and post an apology for comments criticizing a government agency and its chairman. The Committee to Protect Journalists said today it is alarmed that the threat of defamation lawsuits is being used to inhibit criticism…
SingaporeSworn in as prime minister in August, Lee Hsien Loong announced that he would relax Singapore’s strict regulations on expression and invited critical observers to “plant 100 flowers and let the flowers bloom.” But this seemingly encouraging message from Lee, the third prime minister in 39 years and the eldest son of Singapore’s first leader,…