A Belfast judge has charged a third man with the 2001 murder of Sunday World journalist Martin O'Hagan. Drew King, 40, is alleged to be a member of the outlawed group the Loyalist Volunteer Force. He offered no plea in court. Read more here
CATEGORY: News
Malaysia: changing the climate of fear
The extension of Raja Petra Kamaruddin's period of detention to two years is another example of the nefarious uses of Malaysia’s Internal Security Act, says Daniel Chandranayagam. But the reaction of ordinary citizens shows the tide may be turning...
Singapore: magazine guilty of defaming leaders
The Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) and it's editor Hugo Restall have been found guilty of defaming Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsein Loong, and his father Lee Kuan Yew. The summary judgement was made without the case going to trial, in...
Malaysia: Raja Petra detained for two years
Raja Petra Kamaruddin, editor of Malaysia Today, is to be detained for two years under Malaysia's Internal Security Act. Read more here
Russia: free speech stalemate
Meeting Garry Kasparov and President Medvedev on a recent trip, John Kampfner found little cause for optimism The setting said it all. We were sitting in the first floor breakfast room of a hotel beyond Moscow’s outer ringroad waiting for Garry...
Guzzanti escapes prosecution over Pope jokes
Italian satirist Sabina Guzzanti will not face charges over alleged insults of Pope Benedict XVI. At a political rally in July, Guzzanti had joked that the Pope would go to Hell when he died, where he would be harassed by 'poofter devils'. Italian...
Blogger arrests continue in Malaysia
Well-known blogger Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz, also known as Kickdefella, was arrested at his home on 17 September under the Sedition Act. The arrest came after he posted blog entries in which he severely criticised the country’s political and...
Northern Ireland: Four charged over journalist’s death
Four men appeared in court in Northern Ireland on 16 September to face charges relating to the 2001 murder of Sunday World journalist Martin O'Hagan. Neil Hyde and Nigel William Leckey were accused of shooting him dead, while Robin Andrew King and...
Nigerian TV station shut down
Channels TV was shut down by Nigerian security services on 16 September, after running a story claiming the president would be resigning due to health reasons. The government claims the story is untrue. News Agency of Nigeria, which had first...
Tunisian journalist sues over Facebook censorship
Blogger and journalist Ziad El Heni last week filed a lawsuit against the Tunisian Internet Agency for blocking the social networking website Facebook. He sees the blocking, which took place on 18 August, as a violation of his rights to freedom of...
