Boay Roeuy, journalist working for Khmer Machas Srok, a Cambodian newspaper with ties to the Sam Rainsy Party, has alleged that he has been receiving death threats from bodyguards working for the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Hang Chakra, the editor for Khmer Machas Srok was recently released from prison after serving a 10 month sentence for disinformation. He published a series of articles accusing deputy prime minister An Sok of corruption.
On 16 April an independent photojournalist, was killed at his home in Ibagué. Arsenio Zambrano Ocampo, 62, was stabbed to death by two attackers, who were later arrested. One of the arrested was in possesion of Ocampo’s laptop. The photojournalist is the second media worker killed in Tolima within a week. Mauricio Medina was murdered on 11 April.
Journalists were assaulted by police officers while covering protests in Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan on 17 and 20 April. On Saturday, media employees were obstructed from reporting clashes between security forces and students following a ministry of education’s decision to change schools grading system. Soran Ahmed, reporter for the independent biweekly Hawlati, who told CPJ: “They beat me, seized my camera and my phone, handcuffed me and forced me into a police van.” On Tuesday, journalists were again prevented from covering protests in front of the General Directorate of Education.
President Viktor Yanukovych has said he will support journalists’ right to free expression. Yanukovych was responding a police attack on journalists at the Ekspres newspaper in the town of Lviv last week. This was the fourth such attack since Yanukovych assumed office in February.