28 Apr 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Burundi’s state-run media regulator, the National Communications Council, suspended a popular talk show on Monday (25 April) after a caller accused the President of wrongdoing. The show, Kabizi, was ordered off the air for an initial four-day period. The caller insinuated that the President had committed war crimes during Burundi’s civil war, the show’s host had immediately stopped the caller and asked him to refer his allegations to the Burundi Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
28 Apr 2011 | Index Index, minipost
The Thai government forced the closure of 13 radio stations on Tuesday (26 April) and issued them with court warrants for broadcasting a speech by an opposition leader in which the monarchy was criticised. In Thailand, Les majeste, or offence against the monarchy, carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. It is as yet unclear whether the stations will face such a charge. According to rights organisations most of the sanctioned stations are openly aligned with the opposition. Local reports have also claimed that police plan to raid additional radio stations.
28 Apr 2011 | Index Index, minipost
The Chinese government has refused author Liao Yiwu an exit visa to attend the PEN World Voices Festival in New York. Authors at the event, led by Salman Rushdie, issued a protest on Friday (22 April) and called on the Chinese authority to overturn their ban. Liao is best known for his poem Massacre about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown for which he spent four years in jail. The festival has vowed to set up an empty chair to represent Liao.
28 Apr 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Yesterday (27 April) a Bahraini military court has sentenced four protestors to death and a further three to life in prison. The seven people were convicted of killing two policemen during protests in the country last month. While the foreign press was barred from entering the courtroom, selected journalists from the state-run media were allowed to attend. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemned the verdict and called on the authorities to reverse their decision.
