CPJ DISTURBED BY TALIBAN ACCUSATIONS AGAINST DETAINED JOURNALIST
New York, October 3, 2001—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by comments reportedly made by a senior official in Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia, accusing British journalist Yvonne Ridley of “ill intentions” and suggesting the reporter may be working as a “special forces” agent.
Journalists arrested, paper censured over Bin Laden article
New York, October 3, 2001—Patrick Adjamonsi, Titus Folly, and Nicole Lindagba, publisher, editor-in-chief, and secretary, respectively, of the independent daily L’Aurore, were detained by police over a September 27 article by Adjamonsi alleging that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network had links in Benin. Adjamonsi’s piece also alleged that U.S. intelligence services were investigating Benin in…
Jailed journalist asks United Nations for justice
New York, October 2, 2001—After trying unsuccessfully for three years to secure his release from prison, Gao Qinrong, a reporter for the official Xinhua News Agency, has asked the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR) to intercede with the Chinese government on his behalf. Gao has been imprisoned since 1998 on trumped-up charges…
Inter-American Court of Human Rights grants relief to local paper
New York, October 3, 2001—In an unprecedented decision, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued provisional measures granting a Costa Rican newspaper relief in a freedom of expression case. On September 7, the court, which is based in San José, Costa Rica, issued “provisional measures” ordering Costa Rican authorities to stay certain sections of a…
CPJ mourns deaths of four journalists in plane crash
New York, October 3, 2001—CPJ mourns the tragic deaths of our colleagues Anju Sharma of the Hindustan Times; Sanjiv Sinha of the Indian Express; Ranjan Jha of the television news channel Aaj Tak; and Gopal Bisht, cameraman for Aaj Tak. All four journalists were killed on September 30 when their chartered plane crashed during a…
Government cracks down on coverage of America’s new conflict
New York, October 2, 2001—The day after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., the Chinese government notified all media, including Internet portals, that they should refrain from publishing anti-American reports, according to international news reports. A few days later, on September 16, the Central Propaganda Department issued another directive ordering all domestic…
CPJ Demands Release of British Journalist and Colleagues Held in Afghanistan
New York, October 1, 2001—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia’s recent arrest of Yvonne Ridley, a reporter for London’s Sunday Express newspaper, and two male guides. Soldiers arrested the group on September 28 near the eastern city of Jalalabad and detained Ridley on suspicion of spying, according to news reports.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SHOT DEAD IN NORTHERN IRELAND
New York, October 1, 2001—Martin O’Hagan, a 51-year-old investigative journalist with the Dublin newspaper Sunday World, was shot dead outside his home in the Northern Irish town of Lurgan late Friday, CPJ has confirmed. O’Hagan was shot several times from a passing car while walking home from a pub with his wife, who was not…
SYRIA LEGALIZES PRIVATE NEWSPAPERS
New York, September 28, 2001—The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by harsh content restrictions contained in the new press decree announced by President Bashar al-Assad on September 22. “While CPJ welcomes the legalization of private media in Syria, which had been banned since 1963, the aggressive restrictions appear to negate the positive aspects of…
CPJ congratulates press freedom awardee Shamsolvaezin on his release
New York, September 27, 2001—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today welcomed the release from prison of Iranian editor Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, who was freed on September 12 after spending 17 months in prison. In an e-mail sent to Shamsolvaezin, CPJ executive director Ann Cooper wrote: “We were happy to learn of your release from prison…