Features

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is being threatened by both state and anti-state powers trying to muzzle free expression in Mexico and silence voices which expose their corruption and illegal activities. Lydia Cacho, 43, correspondent for CIMAC news agency and feature writer for 'Dia Siete' magazine in Mexico. Cacho, a journalist for more than two decades, has endured numerous death threats because of her

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern at the United Nations’ refusal to accredit journalists from states not recognised by the UN General Assembly. In its rigid application of this policy, the organisation has excluded these journalists from entering any UN facility anywhere in the world. Journalists from Taiwan have been particularly affected by this policy and were

Female journalists are increasingly being treated as soft targets by groups wanting to get their message of violence and control across. Two Afghan reporters and an Iraqi journalist who received numerous death threats for their work covering sectarian violence were killed last week, in a string of attacks against women journalists in conflict areas. Sahar Hussein Ali al-Haydari was brutally

The International Press Institute (IPI) has decided to retain Ethiopia, Nepal, Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe on the IPI Watch List. The IPI board, which met in Istanbul on May 12, also voiced serious concerns about press freedom in Sri Lanka and resolved to make a final decision on whether to add Sri Lanka to the IPI Watch List at the IPI board meeting in November 2007. A final decision will be

Azerbaijani authorities have filed a terrorism charge against Eynulla Fatullayev, the imprisoned editor of independent Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan.Fatullayev, a persistent government critic, is already in prison on a specious defamation charge and has received multiple death threats. Over the weekend, government officials sealed his

The Pakistani Supreme Court should immediately withdraw the alarming press directive issued on Wednesday that is designed to stifle coverage of a controversial issue involving the court, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said. The court warned print and electronic media to avoid “any interference” in the high-profile dispute over the ouster of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad

There has been a steady increase in criminal and civil defamation suits in Southern Africa which has created an environment where self-preservation through self-censorship has become common practice, says a new report. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), in its annual publication, "So this is Democracy? State of the Media in Southern Africa", says it however witnessed an overall

A Gambian court handed down criminal charges to a US-based journalist detained since last week by state intelligence agents, and released her on bail in connection with critical commentary of President Yahya Jammeh, according to local journalists. Political commentator Fatou Jaw Manneh of the US-based opposition news website All-Gambian.net was charged with three counts of sedition under Gambiaâ€

Gambia’s has detained a US-based journalist as she arrived home on holiday in connection with stories criticising President Yahyah Jammeh’s government, Reuters has reported quoting relatives and security sources. Fatou Jaw Manneh, political commentator with the US-based opposition news website AllGambian.net and former senior reporter of the private Daily Observer, was arrested by the National

Saudi Arabia admitted an Israeli journalist for the first time. Orly Azoulay, a US-based correspondent for Yediot Achronot, flew to Riyadh this week as part of a press delegation accompanying UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Arab League summit. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (R) talks to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the opening ceremony of the Arab summit in Riyadh March 28, 2007