Egyptian authorities have started confiscating existing press cards from journalists and asking them to contact the Ministry of Information to obtain new temporary credentials, it was reported yesterday. Foreign journalists who are trying to cover...
Tunisia’s uprising has transfixed Egypt’s elite but Mubarak’s survival strategy proves he has learnt nothing from Ben Ali’s fall, writes
Kamel Labidi
Journalist Abdul-Elah Haidar Shaye should have been released from prison as part of concessions to protesters in Yemen. But a phone call from the US president has kept him behind bars. Iona Craig reports
Index on Censorship is concerned that leaked documents may be used against opposition activists in Belarus
Last month top columnist Chang Ping lost his job— he says his dismissal was part of crackdown on the domestic media. Here he answers questions from Dinah Gardner
In Sana’a the opposition was outfoxed by President Saleh — but protests in provincial cities show the public’s anger has not abated. Iona Craig reports
Media workers have come under attack from pro-Mubarak forces in Cairo. Index on Censorship’s Egypt regional editor
Ashraf Khalil reports
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Read Ashraf Khalil’s “Uncut” blog here
Index on Censorship condemns the tactics of intimidation and violence being used against peaceful protesters, journalists and human rights activists in Egypt. Over the past 24 hours, there have been reports of both Egyptians and foreigners being injured, detained and intimidated in the beginning of a crackdown. Incidents include: the arrest of three al Jazeera journalists; the disappearance of Swedish reporter Bert Sundström; the harassment of reporters from Daily News Egypt; the beating of Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey; the arrest of Washington Post journalists Leila Fadel and Linda Davidson; the attacks on hotels in Cairo housing foreign journalists; and the detention of foreign and Egyptian human rights workers.
We call on the government and the authorities to release all journalists, human rights workers and protesters who are being unlawfully held and to abide by Egypt’s legal obligations in respecting freedom of expression and the right to protest. We remind President Mubarak that Egypt is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We ask the EU, the, United States and the UN to put pressure on the government to restrain forces acting in their name.
As protests against rising food and living costs continue in Khartoum, six journalists and two media staff have been detained by authorities and one student has died of injuries sustained during clash with police. Mohammed Abdulrahman of Ahlia...