21 Jun 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
At least nine Lebanese journalists have been attacked whilst covering ongoing clashes in Syria over the last month in four separate incidents. On 10 June, Ghadi Francis from Beirut-based TV station Al-Jadeed was attacked by the bodyguard of a politician participating in the internal elections of the local Syrian Social Nationalist Party. Francis was punched in the face and kicked several times. Firas Shoufi, another journalist, attempted to intervene, but was also beaten. On 21 May, cameraman Naji Mazboudi was threatened and beaten. Another Al-Jadeed journalist Rona al-Halabi and two cameramen were attacked by a group of unidentified men whilst covering clashes near the northern road of al-Abdanear Tripoli on 20 May. Similarly, a news crew from Russia Today were attacked and had their equipment destroyed on 17 May.
20 Jun 2012 | Index Index, minipost
An Egyptian journalist has been fined for defamation after calling for a changes to the editorial staff of Egypt’s state-run newspapers. Hanan Youssef, deputy editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Al-Messa, was fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds (US$1,654) for defaming the paper’s former editor Khaled Imam. Youssef claimed that many Egyptian news outlets included staff members who maintained links to the ruling military regime, but did not name Imam. The journalist, who has been supportive of the revolution and written critical articles about Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), has said she will appeal the sentence.
19 Jun 2012 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
A journalist has been hacked to death in Bangladesh after reporting on a local drug syndicate. Jamal Uddin from Banglore daily Gramer Kagoj was allegedly kidnapped by syndicate leader Tota Miah and ten other men at 11pm on 15 June. The attackers gauged out one of the journalist’s eyes, slashed veins on his legs and hacked at his body. The group fled the scene after neighbours heard Uddin’s cries for help. The journalist died on the way to hospital. Police later discovered a bloodstained towel and a machete at Miah’s house. It is believed Uddin had previously filed a complaint against Miah after receiving death threats.
18 Jun 2012 | Americas, Mexico
Another journalist from the Mexican state of Veracruz was found murdered on 14 June.
Victor Baez, the Veracruz state crime reporter for the national Milenio newspaper, had been kidnapped on Wednesday outside the offices of website Reporteros Policiacos, where he also worked as an editor. According to police in Veracruz, the drug cartel Zetas claimed responsibility for the murder. Police are now providing security to other staff at the website.
Baez’s body was dumped in downtown Xalapa, a city in the southern state of Veracruz, where seven journalists and one former journalist have been killed in the last six months.
The authorities claim they are following tips linking the murders to local government officials but there have not been arrests over any of the homicides.
The most recent murder comes on the heels of the disappearance of another reporter in the northern state of Coahuila. Stephania Cardoso, 28, a crime reporter for the Saltillo-based daily Zocalo, was reported missing on Friday last week together with her young son. Cardoso was last seen at a party given the previous day in celebration of Mexico’s national freedom of expression day. This week, Cardoso called a national television programme and said she was in hiding fearing for her life. No further information on her whereabouts has been released.
Both the murder and disappearance come within days of the approval by Mexico of landmark legislation that federalises crimes against freedom of expression. The new legislation would allow federal authorities to investigative these crimes over state authorities. Federal procedural and penal codes changes are still pending to make the new law operational.
