Uncategorized

Cartoonist Rights Network International Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar has been charged in Kuala Lumpur with nine counts of sedition for tweets posted following a controversial court ruling. Zunar could be sentenced to 43 years in prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at 13,500 RM (US$6,207.00). Zunar (Zulkifi Anwar Ulhaque), known for cartoons lampooning the excesses and questionable practices of the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak, was previously charged with sedition in 2010. Over the years, his cartoon books have been periodically confiscated and bookstores banned from selling his…Read more

Reporters Without Borders have published the 2015 World Press Freedom Index, the annual analysis of media freedom throughout the world.  Unsurprisingly, the top three slots are filled by Scandinavian countries Finland, Norway and Denmark - with Finland in first place for the fifth consecutive year - while the bottom three countries Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea represent the worst places on earth to be a journalist. According to RSF, "The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state…Read more

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists today calls on Bangladeshi authorities to release a detained journalist and probe allegations that he was mistreated in custody. Mizanur Rahman has been in jail since March 17, according to news reports and Rahman's coworker. Local police arrested Rahman, a correspondent for the privately owned Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo, in the southwestern Patuakhali district, according to news reports and Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor at Prothom Alo, who spoke to CPJ. Rahman was charged with assaulting an officer and obstructing government duties, according to reports…Read more

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the arrest on Sunday [March 29,2015] of a teenage video blogger in Singapore and calls on authorities to release him immediately. Singapore police arrested Amos Yee, a teenage video blogger, according to a statement released by authorities on Monday. According to the government-aligned daily newspaper Straits Times, at least 20 public complaints had been filed to the police since Friday that called for Lee to be investigated. The complaints were in connection with an eight-minute video Yee posted on YouTube on…Read more

Committee to Protect Journalists Authorities in the Maldives should immediately release three journalists detained this week while covering political demonstrations in the archipelago nation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Earlier this month, Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the country, was sentenced to 13 years in prison following a trial on terrorism charges, according to news reports. In recent days, Nasheed's supporters organized protests across the country to call for his release, reports said. On Wednesday evening, police arrested Mohamed Wisam, a journalist for the private pro-opposition broadcaster Raajje TV, and Adam…Read more

Media Rights Agenda On 24 March 2015, Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa, two Nigerian correspondents of the Doha-based satellite television channel, Al Jazeera, were arrested, questioned and detained by Nigerian military officials. They had their equipment seized and then were detained in their hotel rooms in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for allegedly operating without "protection, accreditation or due clearance." They were detained after they returned from covering the Nigerian forces fighting Boko Haram in the state. According to Al Jazeera, they had "just completed filming with the cooperation of the military." Al…Read more

Reporters Without Borders is appalled to learn that a Kigali court has sentenced religious radio station director Cassien Ntamuhanga to 25 years in prison for allegedly conspiring against the government. Cassien Ntamuhanga, who ran Amazing Grace radio, was convicted on 27 February of forming a criminal gang, conspiracy against the established government or president, complicity in a terrorist act and conspiracy to murder. He pleaded not guilty on all charges when the trial began last November. His lawyer said he will appeal. “We are outraged by the Kigali court's decision to sentence the…Read more