20 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called for all presidential candidates standing in the Filipino general election in May to make pledges protecting journalists and to overturn the “country’s culture of impunity”. This move comes after the government dropped the murder charges against Zaldy and Akmad Ampatuan on Saturday, who were linked to the Maguindanao massacre in November 2009. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has today named the Philippines as one of the 12 countries on its 2010 Impunity Index.
20 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Internal CIA e-mails show the former agency head, Porter Goss, approved a decision by one of his top aides to destroy 92 videotapes documenting the brutal interrogation of two detainees. The emails were released in a document by the American Civil Liberties Union, as part of a freedom of information lawsuit. “These documents provide further evidence that senior CIA officials were willing to risk being prosecuted for obstruction of justice in order to avoid being prosecuted for torture”, ACLU lawyer Ben Wizner said.
20 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A Paris court has fined the France 24 news channel for repeating rumours that first lady Carla Bruni was having an affair with a French pop singer. Judges ordered the publicly-funded channel to pay 3,000 euros to the singer in question, Benjamin Biolay, following a ruling that the coverage violated his privacy. On April 6, it was reported that President Sarkozy has ordered a “campaign of terror” to punish those responsible for rumours which circulated last month on supposed extra-marital affairs by the French first couple reported in Britain and Switzerland. Lawyers for France 24 argued that it that exceptional level of international coverage made it a legitimate story to include in their press review. The court rejected this defence.
20 Apr 2010 | Azerbaijan News, Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
On April 14, 47 members of the opposition Musavat (Equality) Party were detained for participating in a demonstration in Baku, in the first political rally ahead of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary elections in November 2010. Demonstrators carried placards calling for freedom of speech, association and assembly, and one called for President Ilham Aliyev to resign. Article 19 has called on the government to ensure that international standards are upheld in the conduct of the elections. “Journalists must also be able to exercise their profession unimpeded and must have the freedom to report on political events”, said Dr Agnès Callamard, Article 19’s executive director.
