30 Mar 2010 | Index Index, minipost
Hürriyet newspaper journalist Nurettin Kurt and editorial manager Hasan Kılıç face between one and three years imprisonment for publishing photographs of Colonel E.Y.B. The photographs were taken during the ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç. Kurt and Kılıç have been charged under Anti-Terror Laws for “identifying officials on anti-terrorist duties as targets of terror organizations”. The court has not yet stated which terror organisations Kurt and Kılıç supposedly identified as targeting the Colonel.
23 Mar 2010 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized
EU foreign ministers have described the current situation in Iran as “unacceptable”, in a joint statement they call for an end to the jamming of satellite broadcasts from international news networks. In the crackdown since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election, dozens of journalists and campaigners have been arrested, including Ali Kanturi, a young student activist who fled Iran and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in his absence, and journalist Emadeddin Baghi who has been detailed by the Iranian authorities. See the “Our Society Will Be a Free Society” campaign for more information.
15 Feb 2010 | Azerbaijan News, Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Laws were revised late last Friday forbidding journalists from filming, recording or photographing subjects without their express permission. Parliamentarian Panah Huseynov claims this is a move to restrict the freedom of press and announced he would appeal to the courts regarding the law. Several prominent newspaper editors, including the former editor of the Russian-language weekly Real Azerbaijan, Eynulla Fatullayev, are now serving prison sentences on charges that critics claim are politically motivated.
11 Feb 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolved parliament on Tuesday, and announced general elections as the opposition called for nationwide protests over the arrest of defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief. Fonseka was arrested on Monday night, Rajapaksa won the presidential poll on January 26 amid opposition claims of widespread electoral fraud. Yesterday, government supporters clashed with thousands of opposition protesters over the arrest. The opposition accused the President of ordering Fonseca’s arrest on fabricated coup charges to prevent a further challenge from him in parliamentary polls. According to the Civil Rights Movement (CRM), demonstrators were physically attacked by government supporters who were prepared with sticks and large stones. Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, has expressed concern over the arrest, as has the US. “Democracy today in Sri Lanka is nonexistent,” said Ravi Rajakarunanayake, a member of Parliament from an opposition party that had backed General Fonseka. “It is very tense here today.”
The Free Media Movement (FMM) and other IFEX members report that Sri Lankan journalists continues to be arrested and intimidated as part of a post-election crackdown. The authorities have detained and questioned many journalists, blocked websites and attempted to expel a foreign journalist, fostering a climate of fear. Five Sri Lankan media organisations have expressed concerns about attacks on the media and this week two journalists from the MTV television network were assaulted.
