CPJ condemns killing of Al-Nahar columnist and manager
New York, December 12, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the assassination today in Beirut of Gebran Tueni, a journalist and member of parliament who was a fierce critic of Syria and its policies in Lebanon. Tueni, 48, was managing director of Lebanon’s leading daily Al-Nahar. A parked car exploded as Tueni’s armored vehicle drove…
Journalist attacked twice in a week amid worsening press freedom crisis
New York, December 9, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the beating and intimidation of Mohammad Sadiq al-Odaini, head of a Yemeni independent press freedom group. Al-Odaini, secretary-general of the Center for Training and Protecting Journalist Freedom, told CPJ that earlier this week he was threatened at gunpoint by a man he recognized as a…
Soldiers intimidate newspaper
New York, December 7, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by an apparent government attempt to intimidate journalists from the independent daily Al-Ayyam by sending elite Yemeni Republican Guards to its Aden office. Around 1 a.m. on December 5, five soldiers in a gray-blue Mercedes circled Al-Ayyam’s headquarters several times before asking to meet…
CPJ mourns devastating plane crash
New York, December 6, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is shocked and saddened by the crash today of an Iranian military plane that claimed the lives of more than 100 people, mostly journalists. An Iranian C-130 military transport plane crashed into a Tehran apartment building, killing its 10 person crew and all 84 passengers, who…
Journalists covering elections harassed and attacked
New York, December 2, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the assault and harassment by Egyptian authorities of journalists covering parliamentary elections. CPJ sources and press reports confirm over a dozen cases in which journalists have been attacked, detained, or prevented from working since the first round of voting in the three-round election began on…
Authorities crack down on opposition papers
New York, December 1, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the legal harassment of opposition and independent newspapers over the past month by the Yemeni authorities, including the closure of one newspaper and a barrage of defamation lawsuits against others. The legal actions come amid a broader government crackdown on the media. Several…
YEMEN
NOVEMBER 19, 2005 POSTED: December 2, 2005 Al-ThawryFikri Qassim, Al-Thawry Salahaddin al-Dakkak, Al-Thawry LEGAL ACTION A Sana’a court fined the opposition weekly Al-Thawry one million Yemeni riyals ($5,500) for defaming two government officials. The newspaper already faced 13 defamation charges for criticizing the authorities and risked being closed down if convicted on any one of…