CNN producer freed in Gaza City
New York, September 28, 2004—CNN producer Riad Ali was freed and in the custody of Palestinian police today, a day after being abducted by gunmen on a main street in Gaza City, CNN reported. CNN President Jim Walton said the station was “enormously relieved” that Ali had been released. “His ordeal serves to highlight the…
CNN producer kidnapped in Gaza City
New York, September 27, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the kidnapping this evening of a CNN producer in Gaza City by unknown gunmen. CNN reported that Riad Ali, a veteran producer for the station, was seized at gunpoint from a car in which he was a passenger with CNN colleagues, including…
CPJ urges Rumsfeld to probe U.S. strike that killed civilians, including TV reporter
Dear Mr. Secretary, The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the U.S. military strike on Haifa Street in Baghdad on September 12, which killed at least 13 civilians and injured another 100 civilians.
Al-Arabiya reporter killed, two other journalists wounded in Baghdad fighting
New York, September 12, 2004—A reporter for Al-Arabiya television was killed and two other journalists were wounded today after a U.S. helicopter fired missiles and machine guns to destroy a disabled American vehicle, international news reports said. Mazen al-Tumeizi, who was taping a report today during some the heaviest fighting in the capital in weeks,…
Interim government imposes indefinite ban on Al-Jazeera
New York, September 7, 2004—Iraq’s interim government has imposed an indefinite ban on newsgathering by Al-Jazeera, extending a temporary suspension and saying the satellite news channel had failed to properly explain its coverage. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Iraqi leaders to reverse the ban immediately, saying it “amounts to censorship that further…
CPJ CALLS FOR RELEASE OF FRENCH JOURNALISTS ABDUCTED IN IRAQ
New York, August 30, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the abduction of two French journalists in Iraq and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. In a videotape aired on Saturday, August 28, by the Qatar-based Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera, a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for abducting Christian…
CPJ CONDEMNS MURDER OF ITALIAN FREELANCE JOURNALIST
New York, August 27, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned as “senseless and reprehensible” the murder of Italian freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni, who disappeared while traveling to the southern city of Najaf last week and was kidnapped by a militant group. The Qatar-based news channel Al-Jazeera reported late yesterday that it received a video…
POLICE STORM NAJAF HOTEL, DETAIN AND THREATEN DOZENS OF JOURNALISTS
New York, August 26, 2004—Iraqi police, some masked and firing weapons, threatened and detained dozens of journalists Wednesday night at a hotel in the southern city of Najaf, where U.S. forces have battled with Shiite insurgents for several weeks. The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by this “thuggery,” Executive Director Ann Cooper said today.…
Italian journalist kidnapped; two French reporters still missing
New York, August 24, 2004—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is very concerned about the reported abduction in Iraq of Italian freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni, the 12th journalist kidnapped by an armed group in Iraq this year. A group calling itself the “Islamic Army in Iraq” claimed responsibility for the abduction and called on Italy…