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Henry Ochieng, editor of the Daily Monitor news magazine and Angelo Izama, a senior reporter were charged with criminal libel yesterday after a complaint from President Yoweri Museveni about an article that compared him to Ferdinand Marcos, former leader of the Philippines. The journalists have been released on bail, pending the trial on 25 February.
Five people were arrested on 3 February after a group of men assaulted Victoire Ingabire; her assistant Joseph Ntawangundi was badly beaten in the attack in the capital, Kigali. Ingabire who intends to run for president returned to Rwanda in January after 16 years in the Netherlands. She has been criticised for highlighting the deaths of Hutus in the genocide and for claiming that the current government is dominated by a Tutsi elite. Gregory Mthembu Salter, a research associate at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the attack may reflect a need for Rwanda to better uphold freedom of speech.
The Media Institute was founded to advance and defend freedom of expression and promote journalistic excellence in Kenya. It monitors media performance and conducts training and research. The Institute stands at the intersection of media, democracy and human rights in Kenya and is the most visible campaigner for press freedom.