Articles Written By: Lindsay Ross

The Gambia must implement judgment on missing journalist Ebrima Manneh

Media Foundation for West Africa June 5 marks seven years since the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice ordered the government of The Gambia to release “Chief” Ebrima Manneh, a journalist who has been missing since July 2006, and pay his family damages of US$100,000. Unfortunately, Manneh's whereabouts remain unknown and the government has not paid the mandated compensation.Ebrima Manneh, a journalist with the Daily Observer, was arrested by plainclothes officers from the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) at his newspaper's office on July 7, 2006. The NIA officers asked Manneh to come to…Read more

Commonwealth Secretariat celebrates 50 years

The Commonwealth Secretariat this year celebrates 50 years since it was established, and on 25 June will mark the 50th anniversary of the day in 1965 on which Arnold Smith assumed office as the first Secretary-General. The decision to establish the Secretariat had been taken a year before at a meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London to carry forward the innovative suggestion of setting up an impartial, independent, intergovernmental ‘central clearing house.’ It was to be ‘a visible symbol of the spirit of co-operation which animates the Commonwealth’ with core values of…Read more

Indian journalist beaten and dragged behind motorbike

Committee to Protect Journalists An Indian journalist was beaten by a group of men and dragged behind a motorcycle in Uttar Pradesh state on June 13, in apparent reprisal for his critical reporting, according to reports. The attack comes days after freelance journalist Jagendra Singh was killed in the same state in a case that local police and a minister are accused of being involved in, according to local news reports. Haider Khan, a stringer for a local TV news channel in Pilibhit district, told reporters he was attacked while following up on…Read more

Rwandan journalist arrested in Burundi, charged with spying

Committee to Protect Journalists A Rwandan journalist who was arrested in Burundi on Monday has been charged with espionage, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Burundian authorities to release the journalist and drop the charge immediately. Etienne Mivumbi Besabesa is a reporter for community radio stations Radio Izuba and Radio Flash and also works as a correspondent for the independent news website Igihe, according to news reports. He was arrested in Giteranyi, a commune in the northeastern Burundian province of Muyinga, and charged today with espionage, according to…Read more

Journalists assaulted while covering protest in western Kenya

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an attack on Tuesday against four journalists covering a peaceful protest in western Kenya and calls on authorities to investigate the attacks and hold the assailants to account. Four journalists--Saka Richards, a reporter for the privately owned radio station Milele FM; Duncan Wasa, a reporter for the privately owned faith-based station Imani TV; Leonard Wamalwa, a reporter for the independent station West FM; and David Sirengo, a reporter for the private national broadcaster Citizen TV--were attacked by a mob of residents in the western town…Read more

Ugandan radio journalist murdered, husband arrested as suspect

Human Rights Network for Journalists - Uganda Police in Gulu district have arrested a man in connection with the murder of a 23-year old freelance journalist, Scovia Anena, who was working with a Christian based radio station, Favor FM. Residents discovered Anena's decomposing body on Monday, 15 June 2015, lying in clotted blood in her rented house, at Kolo quarters in Layibi Division, Gulu Municipality, in Northern Uganda. The Gulu District Police Commander, Martin Okoyo, told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that Anena's husband was arrested in connection with the murder, “We…Read more

Bangladeshi journalists and bloggers among 24 named in death threat

International Press Institute The International Press Institute (IPI) today called on Bangladeshi authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into a banned Islamist group's death threat against 24 people, including five journalists, and to take steps to ensure the safety of those threatened. The group, Ansarullah Bangla Team, made the threat in a letter issued yesterday that specifically targeted IPI Vice Chair Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists-JFUJ and editor-in-chief and CEO of Boishakhi Television, as well as Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and senior journalists, academics, bloggers and…Read more

Indian journalist beaten, dragged after another burned to death

International Press Institute The International Press Institute (IPI) called on Indian authorities to conduct thorough probes into two recent incidents in the state of Uttar Pradesh in which one journalist was beaten and dragged behind a motorcycle and another was burned to death during a police raid on his home. Journalist Haider Khan said that on Saturday [June 13] he was lured by a false tip to the scene of a recent robbery in Pilibhit, where four or five men then surrounded him and beat him before tying him to a motorcycle and…Read more

Call for investigation into journalist’s burning death; police accused

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an independent investigation into the death of Jagendra Singh, an Indian freelance journalist who died from burn injuries in a hospital in Lucknow on Monday [June 8,2015], the Press Trust of India reported. Before he died, Singh alleged that police set him on fire, according to news reports. Singh was left with burns covering 60 percent of his body after a police raid at his home on June 1, local reports said. While being treated in hospital, Singh made a statement to…Read more

At least four journalists attacked in Nigeria in one week

Committee to Protect Journalists At least four journalists have been attacked in Nigeria, and one forced to flee his state, in the past week, according to news reports and one of the journalists. The attacks occurred in the same week that the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote an open letter to new President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office on May 29, calling on him to take steps to ensure journalists are able to work freely without the fear of reprisal. "President Muhammadu Buhari's administration has an early opportunity to follow through on its…Read more