West Asia - North Africa

The Tunisian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday adopted a bill that reinforces an existing arsenal of legislation used to silence critical journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). President Ben Ali is expected to sign the bill after its anticipated approval by the Chamber of Councilors. The change is unconstitutional since it violates freedom of expression as guaranteed by...

A Moroccan court passed a prison sentence Friday to Taoufik Bouachrine, editor of independent daily Akhbar al-Youm, on politicised criminal charges, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). A court in Rabat sentenced Bouachrine to six months in prison on charges of real estate and sales fraud, the editor told New York-based CPJ. He was also fined 500 Moroccan dirhams (US$56) and...

A Yemeni court specialising in press cases on June 8 abandoned eight prosecutions against 33 journalists in line with a previously announced amnesty by President Abdullah Saleh to mark the 20th anniversary of the unification of north and South Yemen. In his June 8 announcement, justice minister Ghazi Chaif Al-Agbari said the decision to suspend legal proceedings concerned journalists prosecuted on...

Two newspapers in sudan failed to appear on newsstands over the weekend, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Sudanese authorities blocked printing of the opposition weekly Al-Maidan late Saturday after its staff failed to provide security personnel with an advance copy of the paper, Al-Maidan journalist Abdelgadir Mohammed Abdelgadir told CPJ. Abdelgadir said government...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has denounced Israel’s editing and distribution of footage confiscated from foreign journalists aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla that was raided on Monday. On Wednesday, the Israel Defence Forces spokesman’s office released edited portions of confiscated video on its YouTube channel, where the footage was labeled as “captured.” The Foreign Press Association...

Israeli forces arrested 20 journalists aboard the humanitarian flotilla on Monday; three have since been released, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). “We condemn the arrests of these journalists, who were on the boats reporting an unfolding news event,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Programme Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem. “Israel must give a full accounting of all...

Censorship attempts that accompanied Monday's deadly assault by Israel on a flotilla that was carrying humanitarian aid, 750 pro-Palestinian activists and several journalists to the Gaza Strip, according to Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). “We deplore this assault, which left a heavy toll of dead and wounded,” Paris-based RSF said. “The journalists who were on the flotilla to cover the...

Three Palestinian journalists have been physically attacked by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank in the past 10 days while a Palestinian journalist and an Israeli journalist have been arrested, according to Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). “The incidents are increasing,” Paris-based RSF said. “More than 30 journalists have been physically attacked and injured by members of the Israel Defence...

Sudanese authorities have charged an opposition journalist with terrorism and espionage and allegedly tortured him while in custody, according to local news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of Abu Zar al-Amin, deputy editor of the opposition daily Rai al-Shaab. Khartoum’s prosecutor-general charged al-Amin with “undermining the constitution,”...

The Press and Publication Court in Yemen handed down suspended jail sentences to an editor and four reporters on Monday, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The sentences come just a few days after local media reported that President Ali Abdullah Saleh pardoned all journalists being tried or convicted of press offenses to mark the 20th anniversary of Yemen's unification. On...