Unidentified gunmen have shot dead an Afghan journalist in north-west Pakistan. Janullah Hashimzada was bureau chief in Peshawar for Afghanistan’s Shamshad television channel. The attackers in a Toyota Corolla car intercepted the bus, then they went inside and shot him dead then left. Hashimzada was an outspoken critic of the militants. Read more here
Leading Chinese human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong has been released from his three-week detainment on charges of “tax evasion”. Zhiyong’s arrest was viewed as part of a wider crackdown on Chinese activists in the run-up to the 60th anniversary of Communist rule. Xu Zhiyong’s colleague Zhuang Lu and Uighur Internet activist Ilham Tohti were also released.
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Zuhra Bahman assesses media coverage of the election in Afghanistan and reports on how many dared defy government censorship (more…)
Hanevey Ould Dehah, editor of the website Taqadoumy has been convicted on a charge of “offending public decency” and given a six month prison sentence after he questioned politician, Ibrahima Moctar Sarr’s financial dealings. Dehah was also fined 30 000 ouguiyas and ordered to pay 21 000 ouguiyas in legal costs. He is set to appeal the verdict. Read more here