CATEGORY: minipost

Swaziland: Police disrupt activist’s funeral

The funeral of an anti-government activist who died in police custody has been postponed following the intervention of Swaziland's security forces. Sipho Jele, who was found hanged in his jail cell on May 4, was a member of the proscribed People's...

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Venezuela: Opposition leader freed pending trial

On 13 May, opposition figure Oswaldo Alvarez Paz, a critic of President Hugo Chavez, was freed on parole until his trial on charges of spreading false information. Álvarez Paz was arrested on 22 March for claiming the government had links to drug...

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Malta bans Irvine Welsh novel

A book by the Scottish author Irvine Welsh has been banned in Malta. The University of Malta has taken Walsh’s novel Porno off its library shelves. Malta’s censorship laws state that “obscene or pornographic” literature should not be available to...

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Cuba: Blogger released from jail

On 14 May, a Cuban appeal court reduced a blogger's 20 months jail sentence to a fine of 300 pesos (12 dollars). Dania Virgen, who writes El Blog de Dania, was charged with abuse of authority for mistreating her 23-year-old daughter, who...

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Chilean president sells his TV Station

President Sebastián Piñera, who took power in March, agreed on 15 May to sell his TV Station, Chilevisión, to a local investment group for $130m USD. One of Piñera's campaign promises was that he would divest his business holdings, including...

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Thailand: Four journalists shot

Four journalists have been shot amidst clashes between Red Shirt protestors and the military in the past week. One Canadian reporter and three Thai press workers were wounded whilst covering the escalating protests in Bangkok. Meanwhile Maj-Gen...

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Obama to sign Freedom of Press Act

President Obama is to sign the Daniel Pearl Freedom of Press Act today. The bill is designed to identify countries where press freedom is being violated, as well as promoting, protecting and “strengthening the independence of journalists and media...

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Eady blocks Sikh libel case

Mr Justice Eady today put a permanent stay on a libel case brought by an Indian holy man against British journalist Hardeep Singh. Mr Eady ruled that a 2007 article in the UK-based Sikh Times, in which Singh implied Sikh holy man Sant Baba Jeet...

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Egyptian author faces jail for insulting Copts

Egyptian author Youssef Ziedan faces a five-year jail term after being accused of insulting Christianity in his prize-winning novel Azazeel (Beelzebub).  Set in 5th-century Egypt, Alexandria and northern Syria, Ziedan's novel tells the story of an...

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