20 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A leading Sudanese journalist is facing a lengthy prison term after being charged with “waging war against the state”. The National Press Council’s lead attorney has brought charges against Al-Haj Ali Warrag, after the opposition party member advocated an election boycott in an opinion piece published in the independent newspaper Ajras al-Huriya on 6 April. Speaking to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Warrag said that the case was “political persecution and nothing to do with the law”.
19 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost
Geovanni Acate, director of Radio Televisión Oriente, is facing a 10-year prison sentence after being charged with disrupting public tranquility and instigating the public to commit the crime of rebellion. Geovanni Acate, as Radio La Voz and other radio stations in the region, has been persecuted after reporting on the protests that took place in Bagua Grande in 2009.
14 Apr 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A prominent member of Gambia’s main opposition party has been sentenced to a year of hard labour on charges of “unlawful assembly”. The Media Foundation for West Africa suggested that the imprisonment of Femi Peters, campaign manager for the United Democratic Party, was an attempt by the government to weaken the opposition ahead of next year’s election. Peters vehemently denied the charges, which followed a meeting organised by the defendant without the approval of the country’s inspector general. Meanwhile, an exiled Gambian journalist claims he received death threats last week from the African country’s feared National Intelligence Agency. Yusupha Cham says he was threatened by the presidential security agency after criticising President Yahya Jammeh in a series of articles on Gambian news websites.
14 Apr 2010 | Academic Freedom, Events
In collaboration with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics will be running a series of panel discussions at UK universities throughout the 2009/2010 academic year. These will focus on the important role of academics and academic freedom in society and the specific problems faced by academics in trying to carry out their work under repressive conditions.
15th April, 5-6.30pm – Academic Freedom in the 21st Century
Lawyer Mark Stephens, Chair of UEL Governors and trustee of Index of Censorship will chair a panel discussion by three academic refugees from Cameroon, Iraq and Rwanda covering the personal threats and difficulties they faced as academics.
The event will be held at the University of East London, East Building, G08
To RSVP to any CARA/BIS Academic Freedom Discussion please email [email protected]
