Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has launched an appeal and a petition for the immediate release of six journalists thrown into prison in Yemen and Algeria for reprinting the controversial prophet cartoons as part of informing their readers. "Whatever one thinks of the cartoons or whether they should be published, it is absolutely unjustified to jail or prosecute journalists, threaten them with death or shut down newspapers for this reason," RSF said.
At least eleven journalists are being prosecuted in five countries and six have been jailed. Some face long prison sentences if convicted. Two editors in Jordan have been charged with provocation and encouraging disorder. Four journalists have been jailed in Yemen and charged under article 103 of the press law, which bans publication of anything that "harms Islam, denigrates monotheistic religion or a humanitarian belief." RSF called for all criminal cases among these to be dropped. Thirteen publications have been closely temporarily or permanently in Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia for reprinting the cartoons. RSF demanded that these bans be lifted.
A conference to discuss the cartoons crisis on February 9 in Paris stressed that nothing could justify the imprisonment of journalists. More than a dozen journalists, intellectuals and religious officials from Western and Arab/Muslim countries attended the meeting, organised by RSF and the Arab Commission for Human Rights, and appealed for calm and dialogue. A similar conference will be held in Cairo on February 25.
RSF urged everyone to take a stand in support of the imprisoned journalists, who were simply doing their job and passing on news that made headlines around the world.
