Gambia tries seven journalists for seditious publication, other offences July 3, 2009 The trial of seven Gambian journalists, who were arrested on charges of seditious publication on June 15, began today at a High Court in Banjul. According to the Media Foundation for West Africa, the journalists, who were originally slated to appear in court on July 7, were informed two days ago that their trial would […] Read more »
Tortured, then murdered: journalist found in shallow grave near Acapulco, Mexico June 30, 2009 IPI calls on the Mexican authorities to act immediately to stem the systematic killing of reporters, following the brutal murder of radio journalist Juan Daniel Martínez Gil near Acapulco on the evening of Monday 27 July. Gil’s murder is another example of the grave danger the media face in Mexico, which is the Western Hemisphere’s […] Read more »
Resolutions adopted at the World Congress and 58th General Assembly June 9, 2009 IPI Resolution on the Sentencing of US Journalists by North Korea IPI Repeats Call for Justice for Journalists Murdered in East Timor in 1975 IPI Resolution Against Efforts to Weaken Independent Media Councils Stay informed. Stay engaged. Join thousands of journalists who receive the IPI Weekly Digest—press freedom news, opportunities, and media innovation insights delivered […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2009: UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Meeting in their General Assembly on 9 June 2009 in Helsinki, Finland, IPI members called on the member countries of the United Nations Human Rights Council to respect the independence of its Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue. He has recently come under verbal attack by representatives to the Council […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2009: Venezuela Meeting at their annual General Assembly on 6 June 2009 in Helsinki, Finland, IPI members expressed concern at the worsening press freedom climate in Venezuela, and in particular at the ever more frequent harassment of television network Globovision and its employees. Venezuela’s independent and largely pro-opposition media have long been subjected to extreme pressure from […] Read more »
IPI Congress honours Russia’s Novaya Gazeta June 7, 2009 The International Press Institute today presented its annual Free Media Pioneer Award to Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper that has withstood mounting government efforts to control the media and has paid dearly for its intrepid reporting over the last decade. The award was presented to Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov as IPI opened its World Congress and 58th General Assembly, an […] Read more »
Congress to show footage of new film on Balibo killings May 25, 2009 Balibo, a powerful film that relates the events surrounding the slaying of five journalists by Indonesian soldiers in East Timor in 1975, will be showcased at the upcoming IPI World Congress in Helsinki. The political thriller is told through the eyes of Roger East (played by Emmy Award-winning actor Anthony LaPaglia), an Australian who went […] Read more »
A newspaper ‘to serve society, not the state’: Russia’s Novaya Gazeta wins IPI Pioneer Award April 29, 2009 Novaya Gazeta, the crusading Moscow newspaper that has paid a deadly price for its reporting during a period when the Kremlin has sought to rein in independent media, has been named winner of the International Press Institute’s 2009 Free Media Pioneer Award. The award, announced to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, […] Read more »
Malaysia arrests bloggers, bans newspapers in fresh assaults on expression April 2, 2009 The International Press Institute today expressed concern about recent arrests of bloggers, restrictions on news organisations and other breaches of free expression in Malaysia. In the past month, the authorities arrested six bloggers, denied several news organisations access to the dominant political party’s general assembly, and banned two opposition newspapers, according to IPI sources in […] Read more »
Six years after ‘black spring’, Cuba must free jailed journalists March 17, 2009 Six years after Cuba’s notorious “Primavera Negra” (Black Spring) crackdown on journalists and other accused dissenters, the country continues to trample on free expression and remains a leading jailer of journalists, with more than 20 reporters and news managers behind bars. On the eve of the Primavera Negra anniversary, the International Press Institute’s Justice Denied Campaign urged […] Read more »
IPI urges EU leaders to underscore importance of free press in Turkey March 9, 2009 The International Press Institute today appealed to European Commission leaders to make press freedom a priority in ongoing membership talks with Turkey amid concern over verbal attacks on news organisations and continued legal hurdles to free expression in the country. IPI Director David Dadge held meetings with Ollie Rehn, the enlargement commissioner, and other officials […] Read more »
SEEMO/IPI concerned about physical attack on journalist Abdulhalim Dede during live broadcast February 25, 2009 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about the physical attack on journalist Abdulhalim Dede on 19 February while he was on-air during the morning programme, Kalimera Ellada, broadcast […] Read more »
Nepal grants compensation to journalist for detention and torture February 12, 2009 More than six years after her detention and torture, Nepalese journalist Meena Sharma Tiwari has been granted compensation of 15,000 Nepalese rupees (150 euros) by the Appellate Court. Tiwari is the fourth Nepalese journalist to receive compensation in connection with detention and mistreatment by the authorities. “IPI welcomes the judgment as an important sign of […] Read more »
“They cannot control the sky,” defiant Kalima Editor-in-Chief Sihem Bensadrine tells IPI January 30, 2009 The IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG), of which IPI is a member, on 29 January deplored the aggressive interference by police with the Tunis-based offices of Radio Kalima, an independent media outlet in Tunisia that runs an online news site and web-based radio station. Editor-in-Chief Sihem Bensadrine, who is also the founder of the Conseil […] Read more »
Two years after Dink killing, IPI urges Turkey to repeal repressive law January 19, 2009 Two-years ago today, a self-professed Turkish nationalist-extremist killed renowned journalist Hrant Dink in an Istanbul street. Prior to the killing, the courts had found Dink guilty of insulting “Turkishness,” and therefore of breaching the country’s infamous Article 301. Turkey’s leaders admitted that problems exist with the highly contentious law in the wake of Dink’s murder. […] Read more »
Slovak broadcaster fined for paraphrasing Interior Minister November 24, 2008 Bratislava Regional Court has ordered Slovak broadcaster Radio Viva to pay over EUR 30,000 in libel damages to a Slovak judge, in connection with a 2004 report on fraud charges brought against him. The report – an item in a regular evening news broadcast – was based on comments made by then Interior Minister Vladimír […] Read more »
IPI condemns sentencing of journalist by Yemeni court June 11, 2008 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, condemns the six-year sentence imposed on Abdelkarim Al-Khaiwani, former editor-in-chief of the Al-Shoura newspaper, in Yemen. According to information before IPI, on 9 June a Yemeni State Security Court sentenced Al-Khaiwani to six years in prison, […] Read more »
IPI disappointed at Azeri Supreme Court decision upholding conviction of Eynulla Fatullayev June 6, 2008 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, expresses its disappointment at the Azeri Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the conviction of newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev. According to information before IPI, on 3 June 2008, the Azeri Supreme Court upheld the eight and a […] Read more »
On World Press Freedom Day, IPI calls for all governments to reject attempts to limit press freedom May 2, 2008 “On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2008, IPI calls upon all governments to combat limitations on press freedom and to work harder at ensuring that the media is able to report on issues of public interest,” said IPI Director David Dadge. “We are very worried that, while there is a growing […] Read more »
Free expression groups call on Burmese junta to allow referendum campaigners the right to say “No” May 2, 2008 Freedom of expression groups from Asia and around the world say a planned 10 May 2008 referendum on a new Burmese constitution is turning into a “sham”, with Burma’s military rulers banning campaigns against the proposed charter and threatening media that are less than supportive of the referendum. “Critics have been threatened with jail if […] Read more »
Letter: IPI requests president of Slovakia to reject disputed press act April 15, 2008 Vienna , 15 April 2008 Your Excellency, We the undersigned, representing the International Press Institute and the international media, are writing to urge you to return the disputed Press Act (“the Act”) to the Slovak Parliament for further consideration and discussion. The Act contains controversial changes to Slovakia’s current media legislation and was approved on […] Read more »
IPI urges the United Nations to grant equal access to Taiwanese journalists April 11, 2008 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, expresses concern regarding the refusal by the United Nations (UN) to grant press passes to journalists carrying Taiwanese passports or working for Taiwanese media outlets. According to information before IPI, for the past four years, Taiwanese […] Read more »
IPI’s open letter to the Turkish Government on Article 301 January 15, 2008 Your Excellencies, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, would like to express its disappointment at the Turkish government’s failure to initiate reform of the criminal defamation articles laid down in the Turkish penal code, in particular article 301. As you are aware, […] Read more »
IPI urges swift end to Kenyan media blackout January 4, 2008 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, urges the Kenyan government to call an end to the current ban on live news broadcasts in Kenya. Stay informed. Stay engaged. Join thousands of journalists who receive the IPI Weekly Digest—press freedom news, opportunities, and […] Read more »
IPI condemns shutdown of RCTV television station in Venezuela May 29, 2007 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, strongly condemns the shutdown of the privately owned Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), Venezuela’s oldest commercial television station, which was closed at midnight, 27 May 2007. RCTV’s signal was immediately transferred to a new state-backed broadcasting company, […] Read more »
Letter: IPI concerned about sealing of the Mizzima News headquarters in New Delhi April 17, 2007 H.E. Shivraj Patil Indian Minister for Home Affairs Ministry of Home Affairs North Block, Central Secretariat New Delhi – 110 001 India Fax: +91-11-23093750/ +91-11-23092763 CC: H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India South Block, Raisina Hill New Delhi – 110 011 India Fax: +91-11-23019545/ +91-11-23016857 Vienna, 17 April 2007 Stay informed. Stay engaged. […] Read more »
IPI calls on South Africa to ensure Zimbabwean government properly investigates journalist’s murder April 17, 2007 On 31 March, the body of Edward Chikombo, a part-time cameraman for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), was discovered close to the village of Darwendale, outside the capital Harare. Armed men had apparently taken Chikombo from his home in Glenview Township on 29 March. According to information provided to the International Press Institute (IPI), the […] Read more »
IPI concerned by new Polish law April 12, 2007 On 15 March, a new law entered into force that the International Press Institute (IPI) believes may have severe implications for the Polish media. Known as the “Lustration Act,” the new legislation obliges individuals born before 1 August 1972 to submit so-called “Lustration statements” to the authorities regarding their relationship with the Polish security services […] Read more »
IPI concerned about pressure on independent journalists in Uzbekistan March 28, 2007 According to information before the International Press Institute (IPI) the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives in over 120 countries, the Uzbek government is using a new accreditation law to apply pressure on Uzbek journalists working for foreign media. Natalia Bushuyeva, an Uzbek citizen working for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), […] Read more »
IPI condemns Venezuela’s decision to shut down TV station January 8, 2007 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, strongly condemns the decision by President Hugo Chávez not to renew the broadcast license of the privately-owned Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), Venezuela’s oldest commercial television station. According to information before IPI, Chávez made the announcement in […] Read more »
IPI condemns Zimbabwean government’s latest attempt to strip publisher of citizenship January 4, 2007 According to information provided to the International Press Institute (IPI), Trevor Ncube, the publisher of the privately owned Zimbabwe Independent and Zimbabwe Standard, is facing renewed attempts to deny him Zimbabwean citizenship. At present, Ncube is seeking a High Court order compelling the government to renew his application for citizenship after it was initially withdrawn. […] Read more »
Fiji’s Daily Post editor to be deported, other media rights threatened, says IPI December 14, 2006 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is deeply concerned by the ongoing intimidation and censorship of the Fijian press since the military coup d’état of 5 December 2006. In the most alarming development, Fiji’s Daily Post Editor-in-Chief, Robert Wolfgramm, is to be […] Read more »
IPI Board names Anna Politkovskaya one of its World Press Freedom Heroes December 7, 2006 The Executive Board of the International Press Institute (IPI) has decided to name Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya as one of its World Press Freedom Heroes. “Politkovskaya’s nomination as our 51st World Press Freedom Hero is a tribute to her bravery, but also an acknowledgement of the struggles of the many courageous journalists working in Russia,” said […] Read more »