Ethics and Freedom

The State of Carabobo's Court of Appeals (in north-central Venezuela) has annulled the ruling that sentenced journalist Francisco "Pancho" Pérez to three years and nine months in prison, disqualified him professionally and politically for the same period of time, and ordered him to pay 1,250 Tax Units (approx. US$18,900). Pérez began practicing journalism again for the newspaper El Carabobeño on...

The Lebanese news website Al-Akhbar is being harassed after it published US diplomatic cables that were first disclosed by WikiLeaks. The website was hacked last week by unknown attackers, while the Tunisian government blocked domestic access to the site. Saudi officials blocked access to the independent website Elaph, which also published some of the cables. "We condemn efforts to restrict news...

There have been a number of cases of police violence in Greece against journalists during the demonstrations of the past few weeks, according to Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). The level of violence employed by the police has been outrageous, it reported. Journalists said they were thrown to the ground and beaten, or were prevented from working by use of physical...

New York-based press freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the release of journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu after visiting him in prison in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura. CPJ made the call at a press conference marking the end of a four-day mission to Burundi. CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney and East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes on Thursday met Kavumbagu, editor of...

New York-based press freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Saudi authorities to immediately release Mohamed al-Abdulkarim, an Islamic law professor, human rights activist, and the editor-in-chief of an online magazine. He was arrested on Sunday, two weeks after an article he wrote was published online. Al-Abdulkarim wrote critically about the Saudi Arabian royal family...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the government of Cambodia to ensure the release of Japanese photographer Go Takayama. According to the English-language Phnom Penh Post and the online magazine for the National Press Photographers Association, Takayama was arrested on November 23 after photographing a married couple inside a home. Undercover police detained him and he was...

A court in Jendouba is expected to rule Wednesday in a criminal case against Mouldi Zouabi, a senior reporter for the online Tunisian news outlet Kalima, according to New York-based press freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The journalist faces assault charges related to an April 1 episode. Zouabi told CPJ he was assaulted by Khalil Maaroufi, a ruling party member who called the...

A climate of hostility towards the French news media is being encouraged by Côte d’Ivoire’s state-owned radio and TV stations and certain privately-owned newspapers in Abidjan that support President Laurent Gbagbo, such as Le Temps and Notre Voie, Paris-based press freedom group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. “Our priority is respect for the safety of journalists,” RSF secretary...

Some 40 people – including Radio Nizkor journalist Claudia Julieta Duque – on November 30 filed complaints against former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe linked to his alleged responsibility in the “Dasgate” illegal phone-tapping, threats and sabotage laid at the door of the intelligence services. Uribe is due to appear before a special congressional committee which will allow him to escape more...

Zimbabwean journalist Nqobani Ndlovu was released on November 25, more than a week after he was arrested in connection with a report alleging that the police force was allowing former war veterans and retired officers to take up senior posts without sitting for promotional examinations. His lawyers are now challenging the constitutionality of the law under which Ndlovu was charged. “We feel it...