IPI kicks off Oil, Gas & Media Conference September 18, 2012 The International Press Institute (IPI) today kicked off its two-day “Oil, Gas and Media Conference” by calling on the Azerbaijan government to support a free media and to promote greater transparency in the oil and gas sector. More than 170 journalists from 27 countries gathered at Gulustan Palace to open the first-of-its-kind event, which began […] Read more »
International groups express alarm over deteriorating media freedom in Turkey September 17, 2012 Steven M. Ellis The International Press Institute today joined with its Turkish National Committee, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), EFJ affiliate the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası – TGS) and the Freedom for Journalists Platform (Gazetecilere Özgürlük Platformu – GÖP) to issue a statement expressing alarm over the continuing deterioration of media freedom in Turkey. […] Read more »
As Cairo undergoes democratic transition, media remains at center of struggle for control September 12, 2012 Fatma Elshhati Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s Freedom and Justice Party said, as part of its party platform, that it would uphold freedom of the press through the “elimination of government-controlled press institutions.” It also guaranteed that press laws would be amended and the Information Ministry would be abolished along with the statutory Supreme Press Council, whose powers […] Read more »
IPI welcomes announced pardon of Swedish journalists in Ethiopia September 10, 2012 Naomi Hunt The International Press Institute welcomed early reports that two Swedish journalists who have spent more than a year in an Ethiopian prison are to be pardoned, according to news reports. Freelancer Martin Schibbye and photojournalist Johan Persson were arrested in July 2011 while travelling with rebels in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, where separatist insurgents […] Read more »
OP-ED: Criminal defamation laws in the Caribbean are ripe for repeal September 7, 2012 Alison Bethel McKenzie Early this year, Dominican journalist Johnny Alberto Salazar was sentenced to six months in jail for slander and libel. The charges stemmed from Salazar’s on-air comments accusing Pedro Baldera, a local Human Rights Committee official, of “protecting delinquents and people linked to organised crime.” Salazar, an elected council member and well-known local gadfly, said prior […] Read more »
Colombian Supreme Court withdraws defamation charges against two columnists August 28, 2012 Scott Griffen The International Press Institute (IPI) today welcomed the announcement by Colombia’s Supreme Court that it would not pursue criminal defamation charges against two journalists who had written opinion columns critical of the Court. In a statement released yesterday, the Court reiterated its rejection of the criticism contained in the columns, but said “for the sake […] Read more »
Charges dropped against critical Ethiopian editor August 28, 2012 The International Press Institute (IPI) on Tuesday welcomed the news that charges against Ethiopian editor Temesgen Desalegn have been withdrawn, and called for Ethiopia to reform its stance toward the media and free all journalists who are currently in jail for their criticism of official policies, and cease its harassment of Feteh newspaper. Prosecutors sent […] Read more »
Egypt’s President Morsi issues law against media detention August 24, 2012 Fatma Elshhati In his first legislative move as president, Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi passed a law on Thursday banning the pre-trial detention of journalists accused of “publishing offences”. The move came hours after a Giza criminal court decided to place Islam Afifi, chief-editor of Al Dustour newspaper, in preventative custody. Afifi was held last week on charges of […] Read more »
IPI calls for immediate release of Turkish cameraman held in Syria August 24, 2012 The International Press Institute (IPI) today reiterated its call for the immediate release of Turkish journalist Cüneyt Ünal, who was reportedly captured by Syrian loyalist forces on Aug. 20. Ünal, a cameraman with the US-funded Arabic-language satellite station Al Hurra, was reportedly travelling near Aleppo alongside Japanese reporter, Mika Yamamoto, who was killed on Aug. […] Read more »
GUEST BLOG ENTRY: The Media Cold War August 23, 2012 Anne-Marie Slaughter An information war has erupted around the world. The battle lines are drawn between those governments that regard the free flow of information, and the ability to access it, as a matter of fundamental human rights, and those that regard official control of information as a fundamental sovereign prerogative. The contest is being waged institutionally […] Read more »
Egypt prosecutes journalists for ‘insulting’ and ‘inciting murder against’ President Morsi August 16, 2012 Naomi Hunt Egypt will prosecute two journalists for their criticism of newly-elected President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to news reports. Tawfiq Okasha, owner of Al Faraeen TV station, is to be tried for “incitement to murder” of the president, while Islam Afifi, chief editor of Al Dustour newspaper, is charged with publishing “false information” […] Read more »
Gambia closes Teranga FM for the second time August 16, 2012 The Gambian authorities have closed Teranga FM for the second time after warning the radio station to stop a program that translated reports from local newspapers into local languages. The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed its dismay at the news, and called on the authorities to recognise citizens’ right under the Universal Declaration of Human […] Read more »
Syrian free speech advocate to be tried in secret August 10, 2012 Gunes Yildiz Syria’s Air Force Intelligence has decided to try Syrian human rights lawyer Mazen Darwish, head of the Damascus-based Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), behind closed doors before a Military Field Court, Reuters reported yesterday. The news agency said that the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) expressed concern that Darwish might […] Read more »
Kazakh journalist hospitalised after attack August 9, 2012 Steven M. Ellis The International Press Institute (IPI) today called on authorities in Kazakhstan to investigate an attack that reportedly left a journalist in the capital city of Astana hospitalised with severe injuries. Unknown assailants beat Ularbek Baitailaq– a Kazakh National Archive employee, who has contributed articles to the opposition Dat weekly, the Chetvyortaya vlast (Fourth Estate) newspaper […] Read more »
GUEST BLOG: Imprisoned Turkish journalist Soner Yalçın July 30, 2012 Soner Yalçın SILIVRI, Turkey, July 30, 2012 – YOU ARE MY PARTNER IN CRIME “Is there anybody out there?” Every now and then, in my prison cell, where there is a water shortage for 17 hours, the lights are on for 24 hours, and where I am being monitored by two different cameras at all times, I find […] Read more »
SEEMO condemns attack against Bosnian and Herzegovinian journalist July 20, 2012 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), condemns the physical attack against the Bosnian and Herzegovinian journalist Stefica Galic, editor-in-chief of the web portal tacno.net. Galic was beaten on 18 July 2012 in Ljubuski, a small town 170 kilometres south of Sarajevo by a group of […] Read more »
Former policeman charged in Russia journalist murder July 18, 2012 A.J. Wagner Charges have been brought against former Moscow policeman Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov in the 2006 killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Politkovskaya, an outspoken critic of the Russian government, was shot by an assailant while in the elevator of her Moscow flat. She had sparked official anger through her investigative work, which focused on the war in […] Read more »
Eskinder Nega sentenced to 18 years in prison July 13, 2012 The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly denounced the long prison sentences handed down to journalist and writer Eskinder Nega in Ethiopia today, as well as the punishments given to five other journalists who were tried in absentia, all of whom were convicted of “terrorism” in late June 2012. “We are saddened that despite international condemnation […] Read more »
IFEX-TMG salutes work of INRIC as media freedom body shuts down over obstruction July 11, 2012 The International Freedom of Expression Exchange Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG), a coalition of 21 IFEX members, is deeply concerned by the prevailing uncertainty and obstruction that have led the National Authority to Reform Information and Communication (INRIC) to end its work. IFEX-TMG members are disturbed by the closure of INRIC, the repeated failures of the […] Read more »
Russian lawmaker seeks to re-criminalise libel July 9, 2012 Gunes Yildiz Russian legislators on Friday proposed a bill to recriminalise libel, a move that came just over six months after the crime was downgraded to an administrative offence. The Moscow Times reported yesterday that the bill would introduce maximum fines of approximately 500,000 roubles (approximately 12,324 euros) or up to five years in prison for libel, […] Read more »
Sudanese journalists under attack July 4, 2012 Fatma Elshhati, IPI Staff The International Press Institute (IPI) on Wednesday called on the Sudanese authorities to ensure that media covering demonstrations are permitted to do so without fear of attack or harassment, and that citizens have access to a range of political views including opposition voices. Restrictions on media freedom had worsened since the secession of South Sudan […] Read more »
Security forces raid offices of Turkish news agency July 2, 2012 Gunes Yildiz Turkish security forces on June 26 conducted a raid at the offices of the Istanbul-based Güneş News Agency as part of a large-scale operation against the underground Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), according to news sources. Police units carried out the search at the news agency, which oversees the technical affairs of Etkin News Agency and weekly […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly adopts six resolutions calling for greater press freedom June 28, 2012 Meeting at their annual general assembly on June 25, the members of the International Press Institute (IPI) unanimously passed six resolutions calling on international organisations to rigorously address the issue of journalists’ safety; on the Mexican Federal Government to end impunity for the killers of journalists; on the Ethiopian Government to stop using anti-terror laws […] Read more »
Ethiopia convicts Eskinder Nega for “terrorism” June 27, 2012 The undersigned organizations strongly condemned the conviction of blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega on terrorism charges earlier today. The conviction represents the criminalization of peaceful dissent in Ethiopia and is a clear violation of the rights of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. On June 27, Nega was found guilty of “participation in […] Read more »
SEEMO deplores decision of Kosovo parliament to keep media-unfriendly articles in criminal code June 27, 2012 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), deplores the June 22, 2012 decision of the Kosovo parliament to keep media-unfriendly articles in the Criminal Code. It was the second time in two months that the parliament had voted in favour of the articles, which hold journalists criminally liable […] Read more »
Journalist’s verdict marks yet another dark day for Ethiopia’s press freedom June 27, 2012 Barbara Trionfi “Guilty as charged,” was the verdict pronounced by judge Endeshaw Adane in the trial against Ethiopian blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega that took place in Addis Ababa today. Nega was found guilty of “participation in a terrorist organisation” and “planning, preparation, conspiracy, incitement and attempt of (a) terrorist act.” He faces life in prison. During the […] Read more »
Free expression rapporteurs issue joint declaration June 26, 2012 Steven M. Ellis The world’s four free expression rapporteurs today unveiled a joint declaration calling for international mechanisms to address crimes against freedom of expression. UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Frank La Rue, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Catalina Botero and African Commission on […] Read more »
The Declaration of Port of Spain The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 61st Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress from 23 to 26 June, 2012 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Note that media outlets across the wider Caribbean may be subjected to a panoply of repressive measures, from jailing and persecution to […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2012: South African Secrecy Bill The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 61st annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on June 25 2012 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, by unanimous vote expressed strong support for the call by 10 nation states at a recent meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2012: Source Protection The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 61st Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on June 23, 2012 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution reaffirming the rights of journalists to use leaked information and to protect their sources, and called on governments […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2012: Ethiopia The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 61st Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on 23 June 2012 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the Ethiopian government to stop the use of anti-terror laws to jail journalists for doing their […] Read more »
IPI General Assembly Resolution 2012: Journalist Safety The members of the International Press Institute, meeting at their 61st annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on June 25 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the United Nations and other international and regional organisations to develop and implement a more effective system to […] Read more »
IPI Director’s Report Sunday, 24 June, 2012 See also: Opens internal link in current windowwww.freemedia.at http://www.ipiworldcongress.com/ @IPI_WoCo2012 Excellencies … colleagues … friends … ladies and gentlemen … Welcome again to IPI’s annual World Congress. Today … I am highly concerned … and deeply saddened. It is my unfortunate task to inform you that this year is shaping up […] Read more »
