Censored

Journalists from various media outlets in Ecuador have protested the new security measures that have been implemented since October 22 by the National Assembly's Legislative and Auditing Commission, better known as the "Congresillo". According to the new regulations, journalists may only occupy the press room and cannot access the offices of the General Secretariat, the Presidency or any upper...

The National Communications Council (CNC), the media regulatory body in Guinea, has ordered the management of Familia FM, a community radio station in Conakry, to cease transmission for allegedly broadcasting information that the CNC claimed could "disturb the public peace" of the country. The Media Foundation for West Africa's (MFWA) correspondent reported on November 4 that following the...

Israel has barred foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip for a week. The move is being seen as a serious violation of press freedom. According to media reports, military officials in Israel said only humanitarian aid workers and Palestinian patients are allowed to enter or leave Gaza as a result of the resumed shelling of rockets into Israel by Palestinians militants from Gaza. Israeli...

The Indian embassy in Sweden has denied visas to journalists for writing critical reports about social issues in the country, including trafficking of women in Mumbai and changing gender roles in India. Freelance journalist Ulrika Nandra and foreign correspondent of daily Göteborgs-Posten, Marina Malmgren, are two of the Swedish journalists whose visa applications have been rejected, according to...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has condemned a Brussels court ruling on November 4 ordering weekly Humo to immediately withdraw all copies of its latest issue from sale on penalty of paying a fine of 250 euros for each copy left on sale. The summary judgment was issued in response to an action brought by the federal police chief about a satirical photo-montage showing his head, and that of his...

Britain's security agencies and police would be given unprecedented and legally binding powers to ban the media from reporting matters of national security, the Independent newspaper has reported. The Intelligence and Security Committee, the parliamentary watchdog of the intelligence and security agencies which has a cross-party membership from both Houses, wants to press ministers to introduce a...

Moderate Iranian weekly Shahrvand Emrouz has been suspended at the behest of the country's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance after publishing four issues in a row with portraits of politicians seen as potential presidential candidates, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported. In a separate development, an online journalist has been sentenced to six months in prison on a national...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has condemned Sri Lankan government pressure that led to the debate programme “Ira Anduru Pata” being cut short as it was being broadcast live on the evening of November 4 on state TV station Rupavahini. It ended a discussion of a new broadcasting law by three guests, including Free Media Movement convenor Uvindu Kurukulasuriya. The presenter announced a break for...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) and the Burma Media Association have obtained a copy of a directive (attached file) which the military government’s censorship office recently sent to the Burmese media spelling out 10 rules for editors and the sanctions they will incur for not respecting them. "The directive is a paragon of news control inasmuch as editors are threatened with punishments ranging up...

Sudanese journalists have launched a mass hunger strike and three independent newspapers stopped work for three days in the country's biggest organised media protest against censorship. Over 150 journalists began a 24-hour hungerstrike and the Ajras al-Hurriya, Al-Maidan and Rayal al-Shab newspapers halted production, saying they could no longer accept government restrictions over editorial...