Ugandan security personnel arrest, assault journalists covering electoral unrest

Authorities in Uganda should immediately drop charges of incitement and malicious damage to property against two journalists and investigate allegations that security personnel on August 13 and August 14 assaulted members of the press reporting on political unrest in northern Uganda's Arua District, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Herbert Zziwa and Ronald Muwanga, journalists with the privately owned NTV Uganda, were on the night of August 13 assaulted by security personnel and arrested during their live coverage of unrest in Arua District, according to a report by the press rights group…Read more

Nigerian media lobby groups call for immediate release of journalist Samuel Ogundipe

This statement was originally published on mediarightsagenda.net on 15 August 2018. Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Samuel Ogundipe, a Premium Times newspaper reporter who was arrested yesterday and is being detained by the Nigerian Police at the Force headquarters in Abuja for refusing to disclose the source of his information for a news report. In a statement issued today by its Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, MRA said: "We are dismayed by this increasing resort by the Buhari Administration to tactics of intimidation and…Read more

Pakistan Press Foundation launches mechanism to report election-related violence

The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) today launched a reporting and monitoring mechanism for election related violence directed against media personnel and institutions. The reporting mechanism will facilitate journalists and other media personnel to report violence directed against them in the month leading up to the General Elections on July 25, to elect members of the national and provincial assemblies. The monitoring system is being established to ensure that election related attacks against media personnel and institutions do not go unnoticed, as well as to monitor the response of the state machinery to such…Read more

President Museveni of Uganda hurls insults at the media

This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 18 June 2018. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni should stop making statements that denigrate and threaten the press, and ensure that his government does not take actions that conflate journalism with terrorism or national security threats, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 11, while attending the funeral of ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) legislator Ibrahim Abiriga, Museveni and NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba publicly called for the need to censor radio and social media, according to a report by NTV Uganda. Abiriga…Read more

Bangladeshi ‘secularist’ blogger-publisher Shahzahan Bachchu shot dead

Unknown assailants shot dead writer, blogger and publisher Shahjahan Bachchu in Munshiganj district in central Bangladesh on June 11, 2018. In addition to running his own publishing house Bishakha Prokashoni, Shahjahan Bachchu, 55, was acting editor of the weekly Amader Bikrampur. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the cold-blooded murder of the writer-publisher and demands urgent action to arrest and punish the attackers. The IFJ also urges the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure safety for publishers, journalists and bloggers who face horrifying consequences of expressing their views online. Shahjahan Bachchu, a blogger known…Read more

Death of Renowned Commonwealth Journalist

It is with great sadness that we learnt today of the death of Derek Ingram.  Derek - who had been unwell for the past few months - died peacefully at home on 17 June 2018, just three days short of his 92 birthday. Throughout the Commonwealth Derek has been a familiar and much loved figure for decades.  An outstanding journalist with a distinguished career in the UK newspaper industry before he embraced  the Commonwealth, he was deeply committed to press freedom and encouraging and mentoring young journalists.  He was also well known for his…Read more

Journalists Asad Kharal and Gul Bukhari attacked on the same day in Lahore

Pakistan Press Foundation Asad Kharal, a Pakistani investigative journalist was assaulted by unknown persons in Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province on the night between 5 and 6 June 2018. He received multiple injuries and was rushed to a hospital. In his tweet Kharal said: "I have been attacked by some person wearing masks, I am in hospital." Kharal, who is also an anchorperson at BOL TV, is known for his stories about corruption in Pakistan. Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantonment Lahore Bilal Zafar said they have received a complaint that some…Read more

Lesotho Constitutional Court applauded for declaring criminal defamation unconstitutional

On 21 May the Lesotho High Court, sitting as the Constitutional Court, declared criminal defamation as unconstitutional. The decision has been lauded across the globe by advocates campaigning against criminal defamation, insult, false news and sedition laws across the African continent. Kicking off on home ground, MISA Lesotho applauded the landmark judgement for its "contribution to an enabling environment for media operations." “We commend the Lesotho Constitutional Court bench for its brave decision, which makes a significant contribution to freedom of expression jurisprudence in the region”, said Anneke Meerkotter, litigation director of the…Read more

Pakistani authorities disrupt distribution of Dawn newspaper

Pakistani authorities should immediately halt any restrictions on the distribution of Dawn newspaper in Pakistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Distribution of the newspaper has been disrupted in many parts of the country in recent weeks, Dawn editor Zaffar Abbas told CPJ. Pakistan Today reported May 17 that distributors in Balochistan province were told not to distribute the newspaper because it ran an interview with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier in May in which he made a controversial statement. According to a source who asked to remain anonymous for fear of…Read more

Acquittal of “Fiji Times” sedition case hailed as victory for press freedom in Oceania

The Fiji Times, its three executives, and an opinion columnist were cleared of the sedition charges filed by the Fiji government after a High Court judge concurred with the 'not guilty' ruling of the court's three assessors. On April 27, 2016, weekly indigenous-language newspaper Nai Lalakai published a letter by Josaia Waqabaca which tackled the need for a national reconciliation between the country's indigenous population and Muslim minority groups. Nai Lalakai is part of Fiji Times Ltd. Two months later, charges of inciting communal hatred were filed by the Fiji government against Waqabaca,…Read more