India: Peaceful protest becomes persona non grata
After police used tear gas and batons to stop a celebrity on hunger strike, what hope is there for non-violent protest in India? Leo Mirani reports.
Central Africa Republic: Editor charged with “inciting hatred and violence”
The editor of an independent weekly newspaper in the Central African Republic was jailed on 6 June. Faustin Bambou’s arrest on 27 May followed a series of articles he wrote on embezzlement cases. In one article he suggested that defence minister Jean-Francis Bozizé, President François Bozizé’s son, had embezzled funds donated by the European Union. The court claimed that Bombou’s reports “incited hatred and violence” by encouraging violent demonstrations by former soldiers demanding to be paid.
Azerbaijan: President admits censoring festival art
Government officials in Azerbaijan have admitted that the President Ilham Aliyev had a hand in censoring the country’s entries to the Venice Biennale festival. The artwork of Aidan Salakhova included a replica of the Black Stone, a sacred Muslim relic, surrounded by a vagina-shaped marble frame. Aliyev, reportedly asked for several of Salakhov’s pieces to be covered by a black veil because he felt they might be considered “offensive to Islam”. Curators had previously claimed that Salakhov’s pieces were not on display because they had been damaged in transit.
Endgame at News International
According to News International the latest allegations in the phone hacking affair, made by Nick Davies in the Guardian and Labour MP Tom Watson in the Commons are “wholly inaccurate”. For four years the company told us much the same thing about similar allegations relating to private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, and it was wrong — so wrong that it is now ready to pay out compensation running into millions, while a police investigation is under way involving 45 officers. On balance, I know who I am inclined to believe. (more…)