Egyptian authorities sentence three journalists to lengthy prison terms June 23, 2014 Grayson Harbour Egyptian authorities have sentenced three Al Jazeera reporters to lengthy prison terms based on ungrounded and extraordinary claims, the International Press Institute (IPI) said today. Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed, reporters for Al Jazeera English, were sentenced today on charges they were conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to broadcast false reports of civil […] Read more »
Zimbabwe court issues initial ruling against criminal defamation June 18, 2014 Alison Graham, IPI Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court ruled on June 12 that the country’s criminal defamation law violates a constitutional safeguard on freedom of expression. The ruling came in a case against two journalists charged with criminal defamation following a complaint by Munyaradzi Kereke, a member of the ruling Zanu PF party. Kereke filed the complaint in 2011 against […] Read more »
Israel halts printing of Gaza papers in West Bank May 30, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned an Israeli security forces raid on a Palestinian printing plant in an apparent effort to halt publication of several newspapers. Security forces stormed the Al-Ayyam daily and stopped its printing operations, according to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms and IPI sources. The Ramallah-based newspaper prints […] Read more »
Court orders Bolivian newspaper to reveal sources May 28, 2014 Lea esta historia en español A Bolivian judge earlier this month ordered a journalist and editor in chief* to reveal the sources behind a recent investigative article, despite provisions guaranteeing source confidentiality in the country’s press law. “A source has never been revealed in this country,” said Juan León Cornejo, president of the National Press Association […] Read more »
Syrian journalist focuses on the human side of conflict May 28, 2014 Alison Graham As the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned into a nationwide civil war in 2011, a group of university students gathered in a friend’s basement in Aleppo to write articles and design the cover of their new magazine, Rebel. The Syrian revolution was becoming increasingly violent, but the danger didn’t stop the students in […] Read more »
IPI condemns censorship amid Thai military coup May 23, 2014 Alison Graham, IPI All independent television and radio broadcasts in Thailand, including transmissions from foreign stations such as the BBC, Fox and CNN, have been suspended since Thursday’s military coup, replaced by a military-run TV and radio broadcast that has been playing throughout the country. Print media, Internet and news apps are still running and available, but social […] Read more »
Caribbean journalists mark World Press Freedom Day May 3, 2014 Caribbean media workers from 12 island nations today joined in downtown Kingston to sign the Declaration of Emancipation Park in observance of World Press Freedom Day 2014. The signers acknowledged the role of independent media in promoting good governance, empowerment and the eradication of poverty, and they pledged to monitor and influence the rule of […] Read more »
Groups mark Europe’s support on World Press Freedom Day April 30, 2014 The European Commission’s support for projects addressing violations of media freedom and pluralism, and providing practical support to journalists, gives European Union countries reason to celebrate this year on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, media freedom watchdogs said today. However, new research into defamation law and practice – one of four, one-year projects launched […] Read more »
Ethiopia arrests journalists, bloggers April 28, 2014 Ethiopian authorities have arrested nine journalists and bloggers on allegations that they worked for foreign human rights groups or used social media to incite violence, sources told the International Press Institute (IPI) today, saying they feared additional detentions. IPI condemned the arrests, which targeted some individuals who met with the organisation’s representatives during a press […] Read more »
Tanzania press freedom plunges into unprecedented crisis April 15, 2014 Sanna Pekkonen, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Journalism Fellow at IPI Since Tanzanian President John Magufuli took office in late 2015, the weekly newspaper Mawio has been forcibly shut down not just once, but twice. Most recently, the paper was banned after it published an article in June 2017 detailing problems in Tanzania’s mining industry and attaching pictures of two former presidents to the story. Using […] Read more »
IPI members call for court review of South African bill Leading global journalists are urging South African President Jacob Zuma to send controversial legislation to the Constitutional Court for review amid concerns that the bill could block reporters’ access to sensitive public information. The General Assembly of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting in Cape Town yesterday, unanimously called on Zuma to submit the Protection […] Read more »
World Press Freedom Hero urges Iran to free journalists Iranian journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, the International Press Institute’s newest World Press Freedom Hero, called publicly on his country’s government to unconditionally release the 48 journalists it holds behind bars. Accepting his award yesterday at IPI’s 2014 World Congress in Cape Town, Shamsolvaezin said of Iran’s government: “They have the power and they have control over the […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2014: Iran The members of the International Press Institute, meeting at their 63rd Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on April 14, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the Islamic Republic of Iran to change its policies towards media outlets, journalists and media associations, and therewith ensure full […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2014: Swaziland The members of the International Press Institute, meeting at their 63rd Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on April 14, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the Swaziland government to release unconditionally the editor of the independent news magazine The Nation, Bhekitemba Makhubu, and human […] Read more »
Sudan targets independent newspapers April 1, 2014 Sudanese security forces have carried out routine attacks on the country’s newspapers through confiscations of press runs in an apparent attempt to financially cripple independent media. Journalists and human rights advocates have told the International Press Institute that the seizure of newspapers has gone on for months but has intensified in recent weeks with no […] Read more »
Why Europeans should care about Ethiopia’s repression of journalists April 1, 2014 The following commentary by IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie was published on April 1, 2014 byEurActiv.com, the Brussels-based news and policy website. It is reprinted with permission. With European elections looming and a host of crises here at home dominating the political debate, there is the risk that challenges abroad – including Ethiopia’s disturbing […] Read more »
Guest Blog: The verdict on Somalia’s draft media law March 25, 2014 Annisa Omar It is not everyday that UK Somali journalists meet in London to discuss a draft law in Somalia – a country known for its lawlessness and for being the epitome of a failed state. But this is not any law, but a law which could potentially be a pillar for democratic progress in Somalia. Somalia’s […] Read more »
IPI calls for Sri Lanka to allow access to news websites March 25, 2014 Carolin Dürkop The International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed concern at press freedom restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan government, in particular the blockage of the Colombo Telegraph and other news websites in Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka must ensure that the website of the Colombo Telegraph and other news websites are not blocked in the country, as […] Read more »
IPI deeply disappointed by Turkey Twitter ban March 21, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), today expressed deep disappointment at efforts by Turkey to shut down access to Twitter ahead of local elections. Reuters said that Twitter users in Turkey reported widespread outages today, with some browsers displaying a statement by Turkey’s telecommunications provider citing […] Read more »
IPI Nigerian chapter protests trial of journalists in Egypt March 20, 2014 A high-level delegation of the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) met yesterday with the Egyptian ambassador to Nigeria, Ashraf Salama, to protest the continued detention of Al Jazeera journalists in his country. Kabiru Yusuf, chairman of the national committee and a member of the IPI executive board, led the delegation that […] Read more »
IPI calls for end to media pressure in Crimea March 13, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today called for an end to violence, harassment, intimidation and other pressure on journalists and media outlets in Ukraine. IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie, in an open letter to authorities in Crimea, urged them to bring to justice those responsible for a number of recent incidents in the region […] Read more »
Amid protests, IPI urges Venezuela’s government to end media pressure February 28, 2014 Vanessa I. Garnica Venezuela’s government must put a stop to threats made against the media in recent weeks and allow information to flow freely without censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI) said yesterday, joining an international campaign. IPI made the call in a letter sent to Venezuela’s ambassador to Austria, adding its voice to a number of human […] Read more »
Flagrant attacks on journalists continue in Nicaragua February 27, 2014 IPI contributor Monika Martinovic Lea esta noticia en español. Earlier this month, five journalists in Nicaragua were assaulted while covering the funeral of one of the country’s most prominent poets and liberation theologians, Ernesto Cardenal. The attack on March 3 was carried out by supporters of country’s political leader Daniel Ortega and saw two of the journalists taken to […] Read more » Taggedattacks on journalists censorship International Press Institute IPI Ortega press freedom
Uganda journalist says anti-gay law denies rights of expression, privacy February 27, 2014 Timothy Spence Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s approval of a harsh Anti-Homosexuality Law has stirred considerable attention, including a rebuke from top United Nations’ officials and an array of human rights groups. But for veteran Ugandan journalist Peterson S. Ssendi, the government’s campaign against homosexuals is nothing new. A decade ago, when Ssendi was working at Radio Simba […] Read more »
Watchdogs register several attacks on journalists in Venezuela February 19, 2014 Vanessa I. Garnica At least 27 different violations against journalists covering demonstrations have been recorded by press freedom and human rights groups in Venezuela, as marches continued across the country today. The International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed concern about the recent physical attacks on journalists and the confiscation of their equipment. “IPI condemns any violence against members […] Read more »
Journalists await start of trials in Egypt February 19, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today urged Egyptian judges to dismiss terrorism-related charges against 20 Al Jazeera journalists and to immediately release those who remain in detention. Three weeks after their indictment by Egyptian prosecutors, the news photographers and correspondents are due to appear in a Cairo criminal court tomorrow on charges that include reporting […] Read more »
Costa Rican reporter endures months of police monitoring February 18, 2014 Costa Rica may suffer a blow to its image as one of Latin America’s beacons of democracy after a government agency was accused of spying on one of the country’s most popular daily newspapers. Diario Extra reported that the Investigative Police Body in Costa Rica, or the OIJ, had been monitoring and recording the telephone […] Read more »
IPI calls for release of Moroccan editor February 17, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined more than 40 freedom of expression organisations in an appeal to Moroccan authorities for the immediate release of editor Ali Anouzla. Anouzla was arrested on Sept. 17, 2013 and faces terrorism-related charges in connection with a news article published on the Arabic edition of Lakome.com. The article included […] Read more »
IPI urges Turkish president to reject Internet law amendments February 17, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), today urged Turkey’s president to veto changes to the country’s Internet law that could have severe implications for freedom of expression. President Abdullah Gul has until Feb. 25 to decide whether to reject the package, which critics say would, among […] Read more »
Venezuelan journalists protest newsprint shortage February 14, 2014 Vanessa I. Garnica On Feb. 11, more than 1,000 journalists and supporters marched from Plaza Venezuela to the offices of the Centro Nacional de Comercio Exterior (CADAVI), the commission responsible for administering the currency in Venezuela, in a protest organised by journalist associations to demand access to newsprint. Carlos Correa, executive director for Espacio Público (Public Space), a […] Read more »
Court: Finnish journalist’s conviction for disobeying police was no rights violation February 7, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today expressed disappointment in a European Court of Human Rights’ decision that a Finnish journalist’s arrest and conviction for ignoring police commands during a violent protest did not violate his right to free expression. A divided panel on Tuesday ruled that the interference with weekly Suomen Kuvalehti photographer Markus Pentikäinen’s […] Read more »
Austrian asylum advocate faces prison time over op-ed February 5, 2014 An Austrian man who argued in an op-ed that some human smugglers perform a public service could spend up to two years in prison in a case that has chilling implications for free expression, the International Press Institute (IPI) said today. Michael Genner, the chairman of Asyl in Not (Asylum in Need), a Vienna-based group […] Read more »
IPI welcomes acquittal of Egyptian cameraman February 3, 2014 The International Press Institute (IPI) today welcomed the acquittal of Egyptian television cameraman Mohammed Badr more than six months after he was detained by security forces for allegedly carrying a weapon. Badr was acquitted yesterday along with 60 others arrested during a clash with security police on July 16, 2013. However, it was unclear when […] Read more »
