Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express great concern about the recent harassment of Alexander Kim, chief editor of the independent daily Vecherny Bishkek. On August 24, representatives from the Kyrgyz State Tax Police attempted to arrest Kim on charges of tax evasion and ordered him to provide a number of the newspaper’s financial documents. Kim argued that Vecherny Bishkek had successfully passed a tax audit in December, and that, according to Article 13 of the Kyrgyz Tax Code, no additional review could be performed for another year.
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by official Russian, Dagestani, and Chechen efforts to restrict media coverage of the conflict in Dagestan. On August 17, the new Russian Ministry for the Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting, and Media Affairs issued a formal warning to Russia’s national television networks barring them from broadcasting interviews with any of the Islamist rebel leaders now waging a separatist war against Russia in the Caucasus region of Dagestan. The warning was delivered to ORT Russian Public TV, the All Russia State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company, Russian TV, NTV, and TV-6.
August 18, 1999 To all who respect basic human rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and the press, all who respect the rights of every person to due process, and all who are concerned about democratic development around the world: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in partnership with The Trade Union of Journalists…
June 8,1999 His Excellency Hikmet Sami T&uuulm;rk Minister of Justice Ankara, Turkey Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply alarmed by the recent arrest and indictment of Hasan Deniz, editor of the daily &Oulm;zg&uuulm;r Bakis. On June 4, state prosecutors at the Istanbul State Security Court charged Deniz with violating Article 169…
August 6, 1999 His Excellency Heidar Aliyev President of Azerbaijan 19 Istiglaliet Street Baku, Azerbaijan 370066 Via fax: 011-9412-920-625 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by a recent series of violent attacks against journalists in Azerbaijan, including the August 6 assault on Mirjavid Rahim, a reporter with the Uch Noqte…
August 6, 1999 His Excellency Leonid Kuchma President of Ukraine vul. Bankivska 11 Kyiv, Ukraine Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly troubled by your government’s recent suspension of all broadcasts by four independent television stations on the Crimean peninsula. On July 26, your government’s frequency inspection agency ordered the state-run Crimean…
July 29, 1999 His Excellency Alexander Lukashenko President of Belarus Republic House of Government Minsk, Belarus 220020 VIA FAX: 011-375-172-23-58-25 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by the alarming number of recent defamation cases filed against independent newspapers in Belarus, and by the ongoing harassment of journalists there.
July 26, 1999 His Excellency Petar Stoyanov President of the Republic of Bulgaria VIA FAX: 011 359 2 875 601/011 359 2 822 574 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly alarmed by the June 28th assault on journalist Alexei Lazarov in Sofia. Lazarov, a media reporter for the popular independent weekly…
Istanbul, Turkey, July 23, 1999–The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a report today documenting Turkey’s continuing use of criminal prosecutions to silence journalists who report on sensitive topics, such as the Kurdish question and the role of Islam in politics. At a press conference in Istanbul, a CPJ delegation expressed its concern…
María Cristina Caballero, Colombia In July of 1997, I covered a terrible massacre in the town of Mapirip‡n. Right wing paramilitaries cut many of the inhabitants into pieces during five days. As I was leaving, a very old man without shoes ran to me and said, “Wait! Wait!” He told me, “All of my sons…