11 Aug 2009 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Saudi authorities have closed an office of an Arab TV station after it broadcast an interview with a man speaking frankly about sex and showing off erotic toys, a government official said today. Abdul-Rahman al-Hazza, spokesman for the ministry of culture and information, said the office of LBC, a Lebanese-based satellite TV station was closed because of the programme and because it was unlicensed. “The closure is indefinite,” Hazza said. The Saudi man, Mazen Abdul-Jawad, has been in detention since last Friday. Read more here
11 Aug 2009 | Index Index, minipost
Ramazan Esergepov, the owner and editor of the weekly Alma Ata Info in Kazakhstan, has been sentenced to three years in prison on charges of gathering and divulging classified documents. The trial, which also banned Esergepov from publishing a newspaper for two years, had been held behind closed doors since it began in April on the grounds that state secrets were involved. Read more here
10 Aug 2009 | Index Index, minipost
Brazillian reporter Fernanda Ezabellahas has been blacklisted by Universal studios after a press conference in Brazil for the new Hollywood movie Funny People, where she asked director Judd Apatow how could he justify spending $1400 for a 9 mile limousine journey to the conference, while the recession is forcing studios to cut staff and budgets. Security removed her microphone whilst Universal Studios did not comment and have blacklisted her from future press conferences. Read more here
10 Aug 2009 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
A government campaign is taking place in Tunisia to discredit Al Jazeera as “the mouthpiece of opposition” to President Ben Ali’s government according to Reporters Without Borders. State owned media and television are being seen to criticise the Doha run news service. Al Jazeera Tunisia correspondent Lofti Hajji has had his activities severely restricted and police have prevented him from interviewing human rights activists and his internet connection has been cut for the past month. Read more here
