7 May 2010 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized
Freelance journalist Sardasht Osman was found dead yesterday in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Osman, who was abducted on 5 May, had been tortured and shot twice. His family believe he was targeted because of a critical article he wrote about a high-ranking Klocal official. Osman’s brother, Bashdar told CPJ “In the last few months my brother received a number of phone threats, demanding that he stop meddling in government affairs”. Earlier this week, Reporters Sans Frontières accused the two parties that control the region — the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan — of creating a “tacit strategic accord” to restrict press freedom.
7 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Veteran broadcast journalist Sheik Nur Mohamed Abkey was shot dead by Islamic insurgents on Tuesday. Abkey, in his early 60s, was returning from work at the state-run Radio Mogadishu when three gunmen abducted him. Al-Shabaab insurgents called Radio Mogadishu to claim the murder. Abkey started out as a reporter in 1988, colleagues claim refused to bow to intimidation from Mogadishu’s warring factions. Although he was encouraged to live at the station for security reason, he continued to live in an area controlled by insurgents.
7 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Mervyn Silva has resigned as media minister just 13 days after he was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has been replaced by former defence minister Keheliya Rambukwella, Reporters Sans Frontières claim like Silva, Rambukwella has a reputation for using violence and intimidation to silence journalists.
7 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Police in Angola have threatened the local media after they reported about a senior police officer charged with rape. The 21-year-old woman’s rape occurred on 19 April but the story was made public after Jose Tiaba da Costa, the sub-inspector of Benguela province’s transport police, handed himself 10 days afterwards. The police said the reporting of the alleged crime had damaged their image. A spokesman stated: “This is a common crime and the fact he’s a policeman is not relevant”.
