Index on Censorship » journalist imprisoned

Burundi: Reporter sentenced to life imprisonment

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:25:44 +0000

A High Court in Burundi has sentenced a journalist to life in prison over terrorism charges. Hassan Ruvakuki, a reporter for local radio station Bonesha FM and French government-funded broadcaster Radio France Internationale was found guilty of ”participating in terrorist attacks”, along with 13 other defendants. In November 2011, Ruvakuki recorded a statement from former police officer Pierre Claver Kabirigi, claiming to be the leader of a new rebel group. Upon his return to the capital of Bujumbura he was arrested by security agents and questioned him over his alleged links to the rebel group. The journalist’s lawyer plans to appeal.

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Azerbaijan: Correspondent for Iranian media sentenced to two years in prison

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:33:40 +0000

A journalist and government critic has been sentenced to two years in prison in Azerbaijan. Anar Bayramli, a correspondent for two Iranian media outlets, was sentenced for a drug possession charge following a controversial court case which was said to include contradictory evidence. Bayramli was arrested in February and charged with possession of four grams of heroin. The journalist was previously summoned by police on a number of occasions to disclose his political affiliation. The sentencing comes at a time when tensions between Azerbaijan and neighbouring Iran are particularly heightened.

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Saudi Arabia: Website managers held without charge

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:24:30 +0000

Three Saudi web managers from news websites which cover political unrest are being held in prison without charge. Habib Ali al-Maatiq and Hussein Malik al-Salam from Al-Fajr Cultural Network and Jalal Mohamed al-Jamal from news website Al-Awamia were arrested by security forces in February. The Al-Fajr Cultural Network website, which covers covers pro-reform protests in the predominantly Shia region, was taken down following the arrests. Al-Maatiq and al-Salam are reportedly being held in a prison in Dammam. Al-Jamal is believed to have been accused of “opposing the state” and “inciting” its downfall. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

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China: Online editor detained for reposting

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:19:52 +0000

A web editor was jailed for 10 days for reposting an unconfirmed report that two local officials had been caught with prostitutes in China. Shang Laicheng, an editor at Tiantian Xin news forum was arrested on 17 February as he left work, and his family were informed he had been formally detained for spreading misinformation. The Foshan Procuratorate office said that the information in the post, suggesting two local prosecutors were caught using prostitutes at a sauna, was fabricated and had damaged the reputations of authorities. The original author of the post remains unclear.

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Azerbaijan: Independent editor imprisoned

Alice Purkiss — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:00:07 +0000

The editor-in-chief of an independent daily paper in Azerbaijan has been imprisoned. Avaz Zeynally, from newspaper Khural, was arrested in Baku on Friday on charges of bribery and extortion. The charges follow a complaint filed by Gyuler Akhmedova, a member of parliament who alleged that Zeynally had tried to extort 10,000 manat (7,935 GBP) from her in August. Zeynally denies all charges, saying Akhmedova had offered him money in exchange for his paper’s loyalty to authorities. On Saturday, a court determined that Zeynally should be detained for three months. If convicted, he could face 12 years in prison.

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Mauritius: Editor jailed for contempt

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:37:44 +0000

A Mauritian journalist has been jailed for contempt of court. Dharmanand Dooharika, who works for weekly newspaper Samedi Plus, was sentenced to three months in prison following the paper’s coverage of a fraud case in August. Dooharika was found guilty of publicly scandalising the Supreme Court and bringing the administration of justice into disrepute. Dooharika was taken ill following the ruling, and sent to hospital under police guard. Goindamal Saminata Chetty, head of the firm Contact Press which owns Samedi Plus, was fined 300,000 rupees.

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Tajikistan: Tajik journalist faces 16 years in jail

Alice Purkiss — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:23:49 +0000

A Tajik journalist is facing 16 years in prison, following charges of defamation. Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, a reporter for the independent weekly paper Nuri Zindagi, was arrested for defamation, insult, and incitement following an article in which he criticised government and law enforcement officials in the Asht district in the northern Sogd region of Tajikistan. During his hearing yesterday, prosecutors asked the court to sentence the journalist to 16 years imprisonment, while Ismiolov’s lawyer claimed investigators had failed to prove he was guilty, and called for his release. The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for 3 October.

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Bahrain: Court upholds lengthy prison sentences for journalists

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:39:47 +0000

The lengthy prison sentences of two journalists have been upheld in Bahrain. Journalistic bloggers Abduljalil Alsingace and Ali Abdel Imam were sentenced in June on a series of charges related to “plotting to topple” the regime, along with 19 other people. The court upheld the life sentence for Alsingace and the 15 year sentence to Abdel Imam. Additionally in Bahrain, granting of ID passes to journalists from daily newspaper Al-Wasat was delayed, preventing the journalists from covering the government’s by-elections on Saturday. The passes would allow journalists to enter and report from polling stations.

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Sudan: Journalist jailed for reporting rape case

Index on Censorship — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:34:28 +0000

The Khartoum government’s crackdown on free expression continues. Abdelgadir Mohammed Abdelgadir reports

On 25 July the Khartoum Media Court, headed by the judge Mudathir Al-Rashid, sentenced the female journalist Amal Habani to pay a fine of 2000 Sudanese Pounds (about 660 US dollars). If she did not pay this sum, she knew she would face one month of imprisonment. Amal Habani decided to be sent to prison rather than pay the fine, and she has now been sent to Omdurman Women’s Prison.

Habani was one of the journalists who reported on the case of Safia Ishaq, a Sudanese artist and member of the Grifina Youth Movement (part of 30 January youth movement). Ishaq publicly reported last February that she had been raped by three security agents in Khartoum following her arrest on 13 February.

Hbani is the second female journalist to have been sent to the prison by the same court and the same judge, on the same charges. The sanctions imposed on these journalists show how difficult the situation is when it comes to freedom of expression.

When Habani chose to be imprisoned rather than pay a fine, she followed the example of Lubna Hussein. Hussein is another Sudanese journalist, who refused to pay a fine imposed on her for wearing trousers.

The Sudanese government has created a list of “red lines” which journalists are not allowed to cross. The long list of prohibited issues includes national security and matters which are “sensitive to public morality.” It also precludes reporting on human rights violations and corruption. This list does not have any official mandate, but reporters who refuse to comply risk being punished by the security forces. Journalists face a difficult conflict between following these orders and informing the public. Increasingly, they seem to be choosing the latter option.

When South Sudan gained its independence, the situation in the North grew worse. The Sudanese government continues to violate countless human rights without any concern for national or international law. This begs the ominous question: What will happen next?

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Morocco: Top newspaper editor sentenced to a year in prison

Intern — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:58:32 +0000

Rachid Nini, the editor of one of Morocco’s leading newspapers, has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined 100 euros after he was convicted of compromising “the security and integrity of the nation and citizens”. Nini had been held for over two months before the trial took place and had been refused bail three times. A number of his editorials had attempted to expose the corrupt practices of the Morrocan government.

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