H.E. Vaira Vike-Freiberga President of Latvia Pils laukums 3 Riga, LV-1050 Latvia Fax: +371-709 21 57 Vienna, 27 April 2005 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives in over 120 countries, is writing to express its concern about the draft Latvian Law on Public Service […]

Ulugbek Haidarov, a journalist and human rights activist, was severely beaten on 23 April in the Jizzakh region, central Uzbekistan. According to IPI’s information, an unidentified assailant was waiting for Haidarov outside his home on the evening of 23 April. During the attack one of Haidarov’s collar-bones was broken and he was later hospitalised. Haidarov […]

According to information provided to IPI, Hurriyat weekly journalist Sobirdjon Yakubov was detained on suspicion of religious extremism on 11 April in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Three days later, Yakubov was charged under Article 159 of the Criminal Code and accused of anti-constitutional activity, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The arrest was later […]

According to information provided to the International Press Institute (IPI), on 31 March, the Turkish government announced plans to postpone the implementation of the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The new TCK was to go into effect on 1 April and has now been postponed until 1 June. Adopted last year, the new TCK was […]