The leader of a small Turkish nationalist party and the editor of a left-leaning newspaper have been detained in a probe into a shadowy ultra-nationalist gang, Reuters reported quoting Turkish media on Friday. Thirty-nine people have already been charged in the police investigation into the far-right group, known as Ergenekon, over allegations that it sought to engineer a coup against the country...
The first-ever detailed report on the plight of Iraqi journalists who have been forced into exile was released by Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) today, the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq. Most of these journalists fled to Jordan or Syria after receiving threats or surviving murder attempts. Hundreds are trying to live a normal life again in Amman or...
Journalists are being used to an unprecedented degree by the main political factions in the Palestinian Territories. Around 10 have been arrested since the start of the year, acording to Reporters sans Frontières (RSF). The media is at the centre of the dispute between the Islamist party Hamas, controlling the Gaza Strip and President Mahmoud Abbas’ party, Fatah, in the West Bank. “Relations...
Deported US freelance journalist William Nessen left Aceh province for Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, according to Indonesian news agency Antara. Nessen who was barred from entering the province for having allegedly violated immigration rules left the Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport at Blang Bintang for the Malaysian capital at 02.37 p.m. by a chartered plane, an Antara journalist observed. Nessen arrived...
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has welcomed the release on March 8 of reporter Khalil Khosa of Azadi, a daily based in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Khosa had been missing for eight days, after failing to return from a news conference in Nasirabad, in the south of the province, on February 29. Khosa has not described the circumstances of his abduction but he said his...
The news editor of a prominent Shiite-run television station in Iraq was released Friday afternoon from US custody, two weeks after a raid aimed at disrupting Iranian-backed militia groups, a producer for the station told the Associated Press. The AP report said: Hafidh al-Beshara, the news editor and manager of political programming for Al-Forat TV, and his son were taken into custody after...
The air transport office (ATO) prevented aerial news coverage by a local television news network of one of the largest protest rallies against Phillipines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently. ATO declared the air space above Makati City, where the rally was held, a "no fly zone" on February 29, according to the Manila-based Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility. The news helicopter of...
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed concern at the safety of tabloid newspaper reporter Jet Sinocruz after death threats were sent to his mobile phone via text message. Sinocruz, a reporter for Abante, received a text message from an unknown sender on his birthday, warning him to enjoy his birthday celebrations as they would be his last. According to the National Union...
The government of Niger has refused to provide Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) secretary-general Robert Ménard with a visa for a trip he was to have made to Niamey to participate from there in a special day of solidarity with the organisation’s imprisoned correspondent, Moussa Kaka, which Radio France Internationale is organising on March 10. After submitting a visa application to Niger’s embassy...
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has protested at the arrest two days ago of Aboubacar Gourouza, editor of the independent bi-monthly L’Eveil Plus, by judicial police in Niger's capital Niamey in connection with two articles, one relating to an alleged plot against the former prime minister. He was brought to court Thursday, after being held by Niamey police, charged with “defamation” and “contempt...
