Legal Action

The is deep concern in Bahrain over the aggressive attitude of the local authorities towards journalists, writers and columnists, as many of them are prosecuted for exercising their professional right to report on issues of public interest. Lamees Dhaif, a well known columnist, journalist and reporter, was recently summoned to the Public Prosecutor's Office on charges brought by the Supreme...

The High Court of Swaziland has dismissed an E500,000 (approx US$50,000) lawsuit against the privately-owned Times of Swaziland newspaper. Tom Mkhatshwa, a local businessman, had sued the newspaper for defamation. High Court Judge Mbutfo Mamba said on March 6 that he would provide reasons for dismissing the case later. He then ordered Mkhatshwa to pay the costs of the suit. In papers before the...

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has expressed great concern over the trial of the Omani journalist and internet activist Ali al-Zwaidi who allegedly violated article 61 of the Omani communications law. The crime carries a sentence of up to a year in prison and a fine of one thousand Omani riyals (approx US$2,600). In August 2008, al-Zwaidi, a supervisor of the discussion...

Mfomfo Nkambule, a weekly columnist with the privately-owned Times of Swaziland newspaper, was fined on february 28 an undisclosed number of cattle by his chief for criticising King Mswati III in his articles as the authorities continue to harass the writer for his views, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has reported. Once Nkambule pays the imposed fine, the cattle would be given to...

An Algerian court has fined Abdelouahab Souag, a journalist for the daily El Watan, 50,000 DA (approx 500 euros) for publishing articles on a Muslim cleric, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). According to press reports, Souag was fined 20000 DA (Eur 200) by a court in Mascara which also ordered him to pay 30000 DA (Eur 300) compensation to an Imam at Aïn Kahla Mosque...

On February 27, an Accra High Court exonerated Western Publications Limited, publishers of the Accra-based privately-owned Daily Guide newspaper, on libel charges brought against it by Ghana's Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni. The court, presided over by Justice KA Acquaye, awarded 1,000 GH Cedis (approx US$800) each in favour of the defendants, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)...

The Almaty appeal court has been accused by press freedom groups of seeking to ruin an independent newspaper by imposing a fine that it and its journalists would find impossible to pay. A case for defamation was brought by parliament deputy, Ramin Madinov, against the editor of the weekly newspaper Tasjargan, Bakyttoul Makimbai and a journalist, Almas Koucherbayev after it carried an article on...

A Dakar appeal court has upheld the three-year jail sentence passed on El Malick Seck, the editor of the Dakar-based daily 24 Heures Chrono, on September 12 last year for a vaguely-sourced report claiming the president and his son Karim were involved in money laundering in Côte d’Ivoire. Arrested on August 28, Seck was convicted of “disseminating false news.” The sentence was upheld on February 23...

The Tanzanian minister of information, sports and culture has ordered three newspapers to provide reasons why they published what he calls "defamatory" news reports. The newspapers in question are Taifa Letu, Sema Usikize and Taifa Tanzania. The minister on February 13 accused the three newspapers of writing defamatory reports against three prominent figures, namely Reginald Mengi, the executive...

Two journalists, the daily Milliyet's Gokcer Tahincioglu and Vatan newspaper's Kemal Goktas, are on trial in Turkey over allegations related to articles revealing the unlawful authorization of security forces, police, the gendarmerie and the national intelligence service to monitor all electronic communication between citizens. Tahincioglu and Goktas are accused of "acquiring classified...