Ethics and Freedom

The European Court of Human Rights Friday rejected by six votes to one Russian journalist Grigory Pasko’s complaint accusing his government of violating his freedom of expression under articles 7 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights by sentencing him to four years in prison on a spying charge, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. “We share Pasko’s disappointment as we have...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) is very concerned about the consequences that the European Union’s adoption of the so-called Telecoms Package will have for bloggers and other Internet users. “This Telecoms Package undermines the right to equal Internet access,” said RSF, which last month joined more than 80 organisations from 15 EU member countries in signing an open letter voicing concern. “The...

Chadian authorities summarily expelled a Cameroonian-born journalist from the country on Wednesday, a day after he wrote an op-ed in response to a government official’s suggestion that the Nobel Peace Prize should have been awarded to Chad President Idriss Deby, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported. Chadian security service agents took Innocent Ebodé, who arrived...

A Rabat court Thursday imprisoned the managing editor of Al-Michaal newspaper for one year, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported. A Rabat misdemeanour court sentenced Driss Chahtan to a year in jail and Al-Michaal journalists Mostafa Hiran and Rashid Mahameed to three months in prison ‎and‎ a 5,000 dirham (US$655) fine each for “intentionally publishing false...

The editor-in-chief of Zambia’s largest newspaper was criminally charged for the second time on Wednesday after running an op-ed critical of controversial pornography charges against a journalist, according to local journalists and news reports. Magistrate David Simusamba charged Fred M’membe, a 1995 recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award, and the daily Post with contempt of court...

Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has hailed Thursday's release of Rodrigo Angue Nguema, the Malabo correspondent of Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Radio France Internationale (RFI), although a court is insisting that the two French news organisations pay 40 million CFA francs (61,000 euros) in connection with a defamation action that was brought against him. “We welcome his release with a great...

A Russian court has dismissed a libel action brought against the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta by the grandson of Josef Stalin, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. Yevgeny Dzhugashvili had claimed that an article carried in a supplement of the newspaper on 22 April 2009 describing Stalin as a bloody dictator personally responsible for the execution of Soviet citizens and thousands...

Innocent Ebodé, editor of the privately-owned weekly La Voix published in the capital N’Djamena was expelled from Chad Thursday after the authorities accused the Cameroon national of “staying illegally” in the country, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. Ebodé was Thursday taken by Chadian officials to the Cameroon side of the border city of Kousseri, after being summoned in the morning...

Two libel suits have been brought in rapid succession against the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta by Joseph Stalin’s grandson, Yevgeny Dzhugashvili and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. Dzhugashvili is demanding 10 million roubles (229,000 euros) in damages from Novaya Gazeta and journalist Anatoly Yablokov for an article published on...

Eight Vietnamese bloggers received jail sentences last week on charges of anti-government propaganda under article 88 of the criminal code, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. Vu Hung was sentenced to three years in prison in Hanoi on October 7. Pham Von Troi got a four-year sentence the next day. The six other bloggers were given jail sentences on the same charges in Haiphong on October...