6 Jun 2012 | Azerbaijan News, Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
An Azerbaijani blogger who had spent 15 months in prison for criticising the government was granted an early release by the supreme court on Monday. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was arrested in March 2011 after calling on social networks for an anti-government protest, but was convicted and sentenced on a charge of evading military service. He will not be able to travel abroad without special permission for another nine months, until the period of his two-year jail sentence is over.
1 Jun 2012 | Africa, Index Index, minipost
A vote in the Malawi Parliament has led to the repeal of an amendment to the country’s penal code which banned any news “not in the public interest”. Though amendment to Article 46 of the penal code was introduced in 2010, and was passed last year, it was never implemented after challenges from press freedom groups. The sweeping amendment would have allowed the government to ban anything deemed not to be in the public interest for an unspecified amount of time. Only one member of parliament voted against the repeal.
1 Jun 2012 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
Ten suspects have been arrested as part of the investigation into the murder of Alfredo Villatoro in Honduras, including one policeman. Villatoro was kidnapped earlier this month, and his body was found dumped, dressed in police uniform. He had been shot twice in the head. On Sunday five suspects were arrested, and a number of weapons were seized from their homes. Police also seized two cars believed to be linked to the kidnapping. Other arrests have been made, and two prison inmates are being questioned, after a call from a mobile phone traced back to the prison was made to Villatoro’s family.
1 Jun 2012 | Index Index, minipost
Burma’s heavy censorship rules are set to be lifted later this month, it has been announced. Tint Swe, head of the Press Scrutinisation and Registration Department (PSRD) has said that the iron grip currently experienced by the Burmese press will be lifted in a significant reform. Until recently, everything from newspapers to fairy tales were subject to scrutiny from the country’s censors. Tint Swe has said “it is the right time” and added “When we have parliament and government working on democratic process, how can censorship work at the same time?”
