News

Many journalists have been the target of deliberate physical attacks in the past week as police officers and members of the security forces of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two main parties that form the government in Iraqi Kurdistan, looked on without intervening. In one incident, reporters were attacked by gunmen in civilian dress while covering a fire in a building near the...

Nery Jeremías Orellana, 26, the manager of Radio Joconguera in the town of Candelaria, in the western department of Lempira, was gunned down July 14 morning, bringing the number of Honduran journalists killed since the start of the year to three. A total of 12 journalists have been killed in the past 18 months in Honduras without any of their murders being solved, according to Paris-based press...

Authorities in Tajikistan have released BBC correspondent Urinboy Usmonov, although they have placed him under judicial control. He had been held since June 13. His release was announced yesterday by prosecutor general Sherkhan Salimzade. “We are pleased that Usmonov has been freed and is now back with his family after a month in detention, but we reiterate our call for the withdrawal of all the...

The Belarus information ministry has withdrawn two complaints against independent dailies Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya under which they had been threatened with closure since April 25. The complaints were withdrawn during hearings before the Supreme Economic Court on July 12 and 13, according to Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). The move was a “rare example of good...

An arson attack was carried out on two cars owned by the independent daily Vijesti in the early hours of July 14 in Podgorica. Unidentified individuals dowsed the two parked cars with gasoline before setting them alight and fleeing. The cars were clearly marked with the newspaper’s colours, Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) said. “We firmly condemn this latest attack...

Mashiyul Haque, the correspondent of daily Dainik Samakal and president of the Kalia Press Club, and his wife, Reena Parvin, were badly injured in a bomb attack on their home on July 11 in the southwestern locality of Kalabaria, according to Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). They were taken to a hospital in the capital, Dhaka, where they were reported to be in a...

Iraqi journalists are now often sued by politicians and public figures and, at the same time, are often the targets of physical attacks which, in many cases are carried out by members of the security forces, including the bodyguards of leading politicians. “These practices, which are designed to intimidate journalists and censor the media, constitute serious violations of freedom of expression and...

Angel Castillo Corona, a journalist based in Ocuilan, in the central state of Mexico, was beaten to death on the highway from Ocuilan to nearby Tiaguistenco on July 3. His unidentified assailants also killed his 16-year-old son, Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. The press freedom organisation urged the authorities to react to the seemingly endless...

A risible fine of 15,000 vatu (120 euros) has been imposed by a court in Port Vila, the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, on infrastructure and public utilities minister Harry Iauko on July 8 for a physical attack on Daily Post publisher Marc Neil-Jones in March, Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. “It is unacceptable that a government...

Bangui judge Jules Gaveaux has ordered the release of news media editors Faustin Bambou and Emmanuel Cyrus Sandy after dismissing criminal charges of “inciting violence and hatred” in a case involving defence minister Jean-Francis Bozizé, Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. The judge did however on July 11 fine them 300,000 CFA francs (458 euros) on a...