State regulator suspends two television stations on slander charges

Pakistan Press Foundation Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the broadcast media regulatory body, has suspended and imposed fines on two television channels and fined another channel for slandering the superior judiciary of Pakistan. Pemra had issued show cause notices to Neo News, Din News and Sach TV on November 19, 2016 and asked to submit reply by November 26, 2016. All three TV channels submitted their responses, but Pemra found them to be unsatisfactory. Pemra suspended the license of Din News for 30 days, and Neo News for seven days. The…Read more

Uganda: Former police commander charged with assaulting journalist

This statement was originally published by Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda On 18 November 2016, the Buganda Road Court ordered the former Old Kampala District Police Commander, Joram Mwesigye, to defend himself against charges of assaulting a Wavah Broadcasting Services (WBS) TV journalist, Andrew Lwanga. The Presiding Grade One Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu ruled that she perused the evidence of the six (6) prosecution witnesses and found it sufficient to warrant the Assistant Superintendent of Police Mwesigye to defend himself. Mwesigye faces three (3) counts including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and two…Read more

Investigatory Powers Bill passed by UK Parliament

Society of Editors (UK) The House of Lords has voted to pass the Investigatory Powers Bill (IP) meaning that the legislation is now likely to be implemented within weeks. The Bill, which was passed earlier this week by the House of Commons without proposed amendments relating to costs orders in phone hacking cases, replaces the widely discredited Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill (RIPA). The Society of Editors, alongside other media organisations, had opposed the use of RIPA by police officers to access the communications data of journalists and their sources. Although the government…Read more

Independent Malaysian news website faces threats, harassment

Malaysia's government should cease harassing independent news site Malaysiakini, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the website, and a government-linked pressure group has threatened to "tear down" the website's office. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar informed Malaysiakini'snews editor, RK Anand, by text message on November 3 that police had launched an investigation into the news group's financing under section 124C of the Penal Code, a provision that criminalizes activities authorities deem "detrimental to parliamentary democracy," news reports said. Maximum penalties under the law allow for 15-year…Read more

Indian journalist murdered in Bihar

Authorities in India's Bihar state should credibly investigate and swiftly bring to justice all those responsible for the murder of journalist Dharmendra Singh, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Three men on November 12, 2016 shot Singh, a reporter for the national, Hindi-language newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, near his home in Sasaram, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Ajit Kumar, a local journalist and a friend of Singh's, told CPJ. Singh died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital in the city of Benaras, Kumar said. Singh's colleagues said the journalist's…Read more

TV journalists attacked in Bangladesh

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) in condemning the attack on two television journalists in Chawkbazar, Dhaka on November 6, 2016. The IFJ demands immediate action from authorities to arrest and punish the attackers. A dozen people assaulted reporter Shakil Hasan and cameraperson Shahin Alam of Jamuna TV as they were reporting on illegal polythene factories. The gang, including owners of two polythene factories, also tried to burn the reporter with kerosene. "Soon after we went there to report, a few men told us to steer…Read more

UK Government extends protections for journalists’ sources in IP Bill

Society of Editors The UK Government has extended protections for journalists and their sources to the Investigatory Powers Bill. The Bill, currently in the House of Lords for its third reading, has been widely criticised by the Society of Editors and other media organisations for its failure to protect journalistic material. The amendments will now see protections for journalists’ sources apply across the bill rather than just to applications to view telecoms records as was the case in previous drafts. The government has so far refused to allow prior notficiation to media organisations of…Read more

Travel ban imposed on leading Pakistani journalist after his story on the military

Pakistan Press Foundation Cyril Almeida, reporter and columnist for Dawn, Pakistan's leading English daily newspaper, was placed on an "Exit Control List (ECL)" to prevent him from leaving the country, after the publication of his story on a meeting between the top civil and military leadership of the country on international pressures on Pakistan to curb militant organisations. The government action was taken on October 10, 2016, four days after his story "Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military" on a meeting in which "blunt, orchestrated and unprecedented warning," was given by the…Read more

Pakistan: TV channel reporter injured in attack in Balochistan

Pakistan Press Foundation Mujeeb Tareen, a reporter for the Aaj News television channel, was attacked by three armed men on the night of 6 October 2016, in the town of Pishin in Balochistan province. According to Tareen, he was working in his office when the accused Abdullah who had a metal clip and two other individuals armed with knives entered and struck him several times with these weapons. He was seriously injured in the attack and required 14 stitches to his chin, ear, neck and arms. He is now stable and has been…Read more

Secretary-General statement on Maldives decision to leave the Commonwealth

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “I have received news that the Maldives Government has today decided to leave the Commonwealth. “The Commonwealth family at large – its member governments and its peoples worldwide – will share my sadness and disappointment at this decision. “The Commonwealth Charter reflects the commitment of our member states to democracy and human rights, development and growth, and diversity. We will continue to champion these values and to support all member states, especially small and developing states, in upholding and advancing these practically for the enduring benefit of their…Read more