20 Jul 2010 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The 14th hearing in the trial of the three men accused of murdering journalist Hrant Dink has revealed a lack of police cooperation and investigation. Reporters San Frontieres reports that various pieces of evidence for the trial had not been submitted by the investigating detectives, thus considerably holding up the trial’s progression. Missing evidence includes data from the computer used by one of the suspects after the murder, and information from a phonecall between a police officer and one of the accused. The former police intelligence chief, Sabri Uzun, also revealed that a report evaluating the likelihood of Dink’s murder was archived instead of sent to him. Uzun said in court, “If I had been informed of the existence of this report, Hrant Dink would still be alive today”.
19 Jul 2010 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
Earlier today British author Alan Shadrake was arrested in Singapore for alleged criminal defamation and contempt of court .The state run Media Development Authority filed a complaint against Shadrake’s book, which examines the death penalty in Singapore, accusing it of questioning the impartiality of the judiciary. Last year Singapore ejected British journalist Ben Bland and charged the Wall Street Journal with contempt of court . Last week the authorities banned a film containing a speech made by an ex political prisoner.
16 Jul 2010 | Index Index, minipost
The editor, managing editor and publisher of an Ivory Coast newspaper have been arrested and charged with theft of official documents. The senior managers of the Nouveau Courrier d’Abidjan were arrested after they printed details of a classified government report into corruption in the cocoa and coffee industries. When the managing editor, well known blogger Théophile Kouamouo, refused to give the details of his sources he was placed in custody and later charged. In a separate incident, the National Press Council (NPC) has imposed a fine of three million CFA francs on the publisher of the newspaper, Le Temps, for publishing the results of election opinion polls.
25 Jun 2010 | Middle East and North Africa, News and features
Irena Maryniak talks to Sadeq Saba, head of BBC Persian service, about the channel’s future, signal jamming and impartiality
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