British man faces jail under homophobic Ugandan law

November 21st, 2012

Tomorrow theatre producer David Cecil will go back to court — he could spend two years in a Ugandan jail for staging a play about homosexuality
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Djibouti: Radio journalist threatened and tortured for 24 hours

February 7th, 2012

A radio journalist was abducted and tortured by police last week in Djibouti, Africa. Farah Abadid Hildid of radio station La Voix de Djibouti, was forced into a car by one uniformed police officer and one plain clothed officer on Thursday morning. The journalist was blindfolded and taken to a cell, where he was forced to remove his clothes, and was beaten with pieces of rubber. Hildid’s abductors told him: “We’ve had enough of you. You must stop broadcasting information about us. You must stop bothering the police and the Department for Investigation and Documentation. It will be the worse for you if you continue.”

Ivory Coast: Journalists taken into custody

November 29th, 2011

Three journalists in the Ivory Coast were taken into police custody on Thursday. César Etou, Boga Sivori and Didier Dépry from daily newspaper Notre Voie were taken in for police questioning on suspicion of insulting the head of state and harming the national economy. Publisher Etou and Chief Political correspondent Sivori were questioned about an article that appeared in the newspaper about 40 new Mercedes official cars made available to members of the government, while the assistant editor Dépry was questioned about an article from the newspapers front page regarding the value of the CFA franc.

Central Africa Republic: Editor charged with “inciting hatred and violence”

June 9th, 2011

The editor of an independent weekly newspaper in the Central African Republic was jailed on 6 June. Faustin Bambou’s arrest on 27 May followed a series of articles he wrote on embezzlement cases. In one article he suggested that defence minister Jean-Francis Bozizé, President François Bozizé’s son, had embezzled funds donated by the European Union. The court claimed that Bombou’s reports “incited hatred and violence” by encouraging violent demonstrations by former soldiers demanding to be paid.

DR Congo: Radio station closed for reporting crime spree

February 9th, 2011

Local authorities have shut down a community radio station, Radio du Peuple Oïcha, after callers to a phone-in show criticised the local security situation following a spate of murders and robberies in the area. On 3 February, a day after the phone-in broadcast, the deputy administrator of the area ordered the radio station’s closed until further notice.

Senegal: Journalist assaulted after lovechild accusations

July 13th, 2010

Senegalese journalist Najib Sagna has been attacked by four people after claiming that Coumba Gaye, the country’s Deputy Minister for Justice and Human Rights, had recently given birth to an illegitimate son, the result of an extramarital affair with a fellow government minister. Sagna, who identified two of his attackers as relatives of Gaye, was assaulted whilst working to work at Walf Grand Place, a privately-owned newspaper in Dakar.

Gambia: Newspaper website blocked

June 9th, 2010

Editors of the US-based newspaper Gambia Echo have seen access to their website from within Gambia blocked by the country’s government. In a letter sent to the US State Department on June 4, the imprint’s editor-in-chief claims the move is part of a trend under President Yahya Jammeh towards restricting press freedom. Gambia Echo’s website, and that of Freedom Newspaper, another independent imprint, were previously blocked in 2008.

Somaliland: Journalists arrested over opposition flag

June 8th, 2010

Police in Somaliland arrested three journalists and six others last Wednesday (2 June), after activists leased a house next to that of the region’s president and used it to display a flag in support of the opposition Kulmiye party. Speaking from prison, one of the journalists, Mohamed Said, claimed that he was arrested after he filmed police beating a group of opposition supporters. The arrests come during the run-up to a presidential election scheduled for 26 June.