9 Feb 2012 | Middle East and North Africa, Uncategorized
On 10 February, Abdel Aziz Al-Jaridi, director of two daily newspapers, Al-Hadath and Kul-Anas, will appeal a defamation conviction. Al-Jaridi was sentenced to four months in prison by the first instance court on 13 June 2011 for defaming Al-Jazeera news anchor Mohamed Krichen.
Krichen lodged a complaint against Al-Jaridi in April of last year. On 6 February, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), called on Tunisian authorities to drop the jail term given to Al-Jaridi.
“Tunisian appeals court should throw out the prison sentence against journalist Abdel Aziz al-Jaridi at a 10 February hearing and authorities should use his case as an opportunity to break from the repressive practices of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s era,” said the CPJ.
Journalists in Tunisia can face up to six months in prison for defamation.
Al-Jaridi, considered to be a supporter to the former regime, is known for his articles defaming opposition figures and dissident voices during the rule of Zeine El Abidin Ben Ali.
18 Oct 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
A cameraman for Al-Yemen TV, Abd Al-Ghani Al-Bureihi, was killed when Yemeni security forces opened fire at a demonstration in Sanaa calling for the president to step down on 16 October. Two other cameramen were also allegedly injured at the same demonstration, including Salah Al-Hatar of Al-Jazeera.
30 Sep 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Egyptian police raided the offices of Al Jazeera yesterday, for the second time in a month. Around 25 plain clothed police officers stormed the affiliate office, detaining journalist Mohamed Suleiman and roughing up other members of staff. The officers broke down the front door of the office, claiming they had a warrant, which they later failed to present. They also seized staff identification cards and confiscated office equipment. Suleiman was released a few hours after the raid. Police also raided the channel’s former office on 11 September, when they detained an engineer and shut down live broadcasts on the channel.
9 Sep 2011 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Military rulers in Egypt have frozen licenses for new private satellite TV stations, claiming they are inciting violence in an “increasingly chaotic media scene.” Activists are claiming that these restrictions on freedom of expression are similar to those put in place under President Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak’s previous governments had imprisoned journalists for their coverage of his health and other sensitive issues. During the protests that led to Mubarak’s downfall, authorities banned Al-Jazeera TV and revoked the press credentials of its journalists. Communication Minister Osama Heikal said the freeze was temporary.
