Uncategorized

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan Press Foundation Journalists in the town of Badin in Pakistan's southern Sindh province have been protesting against the police for falsely involving ten journalists in criminal complaints. Three of the journalists have been charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The journalists said that they are being victimized for covering the activities of Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, a dissident politician and former member of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the ruling party in Sindh province. Tanveer Arain, President of the Badin Press Club, said that journalists were preforming their duties during a police siege…Read more

Media Rights Agenda Political thugs suspected to be working for Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti state in southwest Nigeria, assaulted Mr. Kamarudeen Ogundele, the state correspondent of the dailyPunch newspaper while he was taking pictures of the unfolding political drama in the state. Ogundele was in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, to cover the ongoing political crisis in the state, following attempts by 19 state lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress to impeach the governor and the governor's frantic efforts to frustrate the move. Ogundele was taking photographs of women praying…Read more

WAN/IFRA The Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom award of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has been dedicated in 2015 to all Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty. “Since 1992, more than 1,100 journalists have been killed just because they brought the truth to light or manifested their points of view,” said World Editors Forum President, Marcelo Rech, in dedicating the award during the opening ceremony of the 67th World News Media Congress, 22nd World Editors Forum and 25th World Advertising Forum in Washington D.C. “The…Read more

Pakistan Press Foundation The Special Security Unit (SSU) of the police beat up journalists, reporters, photographers and cameramen while they were performing their professional duty outside the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday, 23 May 2015. The media personnel were covering the appearance of former home minister Sindh Dr Zulfiqar Mirza at the SHC for his bail application when they were subjected to violence. Police used wooden staffs to beat them and also damaged their equipment. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Rana Azeem and Secretary-General Mohammad Amin Yousuf condemned the police…Read more