By Anonymous
Arthur Mutambara and Morgan Tsvangirai should set aside their differences and concentrate on real issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans if their credibility in the Zimbabean political stage is anything to go by.
Ordinary Zimbabweans from Dotito to Esigodini are searing in the flames of whithering injustice at the expense of the sitting government which is showing no remorse in the suffering of the country's Jack and Jill.
Leaders like Mutambara and Tsvangirai should stand up for the people they purport to represent and this can only be done in the pending elections in 2008. Their threat to boycott the (harmonized) presidential and parliamentary elections due next year shows that these two are fighting for their own selfish interests. At a tinme when inflation is hovering around 3 700 percent - more than Iraq that is at war - arthur and Morgan should go back to the drawing board.
the only hope for Zimbaweans is for the two to participate in the elections. All they need to do is to agree on who will stand against President Mugabe.
Several journalists have seized to function, for example Nunurai Jenawho had his name struck off the Media and Information Commission's roll of journalists.
Political parties and civic groups cannot hold rallies freely. The state continues to use the fascist Public order and Security Act as well as the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to curtail people's freedoms enshrined in the tattered Constitution of Zimbabwe.
It is only participation in the 2008 polls that will take the people out of the mayhem.
This article was written by a Zimbabwean who requested anonymity
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
NewZimbabwe.com to print
NEW Zimbabwe Limited, publishers of New Zimbabwe.com, has announced the imminent arrival of a print edition of the website to be published weekly, starting in early July.
In a statement this week, the company also announced the formation of a separate company, known as New Zimbabwe Media Limited which will publish the print newspaper, to be known as The New Zimbabwe.
A limited distribution dummy edition of the newspaper was published early May.
New Zimbabwe.com editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu said: “It has been a long held ambition to venture into print publishing. This couldn’t come early enough.”
Mathuthu is a director of New Zimbabwe Media, alongside Jeff Madzingo, currently boss of Destiny Financial Services Limited.
New Zimbabwe.com went online in June 2003, and was the first commercial Zimbabwean news website. With an average 500 000 hits per day, the website has grown to command the biggest market share after toppling the state-run Herald newspaper in late 2005, according to the web traffic site, Alexa.com.
Mathuthu said: “New Zimbabwe.com has been an emotionally and physically draining adventure, but everyone who works or contributes to the site has worked their socks off in an honest fashion.
“Where others have been cushioned by funding by wealthy foreign organisations and governments, we have had to scrap using very limited resources. It is true that God rewards honest effort, because New Zimbabwe.com’s continued success is living proof of that.”
Mathuthu paid tribute to New Zimbabwe.com readers and advertisers, calling their support “humbling”.
He said: “As a natural progression, we have reached that stage where we need to explore opportunities in the print industry. The growth of Zimbabwean companies in the Diaspora affords us a unique opportunity to reach out to them and deliver their products and services to their target market in a way that was previously never imagined.
“We want to be part of the development of Zimbabwean businesses in the Diaspora, and the professional advance of Zimbabweans in every step of the way. The paper will celebrate the success of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, and raise the profiles of our new heroes and heroines. That’s what New Zimbabwe is all about, raising hope from the decaying politics of our current rulers.”
New Zimbabwe will be published and distributed right across the United Kingdom. Mathuthu said there were no immediate plans to publish the paper in Zimbabwe, although limited copies would be made available to subscribers. Publishing in Zimbabwe, he said, was not commercially viable under the current economic climate.
“The situation will be constantly under review, and hopefully, we will get it to Zimbabwe one day. Zimbabwe is ultimately where the dawn of the New Zimbabwe will crack, and we want to be part of that process.”
The first edition of the paper will be rolled out on Thursday, July 7. The paper will be mainly free, although it could be sold in some areas, Mathuthu said.
New Zimbabwe.com will continue publishing as normal, with separate content from the paper which will have a separate editorial team and editor, the company said. An announcement will be made on the paper’s editor shortly.
"We will be a proper red top tabloid, with a lot of celebrity, human interest, business and sports stories and a sprinkling of political stuff. We will focus mainly on Southern Africans based in the UK. South Africans and Zimbabweans will get special attention," Mathuthu said.
The launch ceremony would be announced in due course, said Mathuthu. - www.newzimbabwe.com
In a statement this week, the company also announced the formation of a separate company, known as New Zimbabwe Media Limited which will publish the print newspaper, to be known as The New Zimbabwe.
A limited distribution dummy edition of the newspaper was published early May.
New Zimbabwe.com editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu said: “It has been a long held ambition to venture into print publishing. This couldn’t come early enough.”
Mathuthu is a director of New Zimbabwe Media, alongside Jeff Madzingo, currently boss of Destiny Financial Services Limited.
New Zimbabwe.com went online in June 2003, and was the first commercial Zimbabwean news website. With an average 500 000 hits per day, the website has grown to command the biggest market share after toppling the state-run Herald newspaper in late 2005, according to the web traffic site, Alexa.com.
Mathuthu said: “New Zimbabwe.com has been an emotionally and physically draining adventure, but everyone who works or contributes to the site has worked their socks off in an honest fashion.
“Where others have been cushioned by funding by wealthy foreign organisations and governments, we have had to scrap using very limited resources. It is true that God rewards honest effort, because New Zimbabwe.com’s continued success is living proof of that.”
Mathuthu paid tribute to New Zimbabwe.com readers and advertisers, calling their support “humbling”.
He said: “As a natural progression, we have reached that stage where we need to explore opportunities in the print industry. The growth of Zimbabwean companies in the Diaspora affords us a unique opportunity to reach out to them and deliver their products and services to their target market in a way that was previously never imagined.
“We want to be part of the development of Zimbabwean businesses in the Diaspora, and the professional advance of Zimbabweans in every step of the way. The paper will celebrate the success of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, and raise the profiles of our new heroes and heroines. That’s what New Zimbabwe is all about, raising hope from the decaying politics of our current rulers.”
New Zimbabwe will be published and distributed right across the United Kingdom. Mathuthu said there were no immediate plans to publish the paper in Zimbabwe, although limited copies would be made available to subscribers. Publishing in Zimbabwe, he said, was not commercially viable under the current economic climate.
“The situation will be constantly under review, and hopefully, we will get it to Zimbabwe one day. Zimbabwe is ultimately where the dawn of the New Zimbabwe will crack, and we want to be part of that process.”
The first edition of the paper will be rolled out on Thursday, July 7. The paper will be mainly free, although it could be sold in some areas, Mathuthu said.
New Zimbabwe.com will continue publishing as normal, with separate content from the paper which will have a separate editorial team and editor, the company said. An announcement will be made on the paper’s editor shortly.
"We will be a proper red top tabloid, with a lot of celebrity, human interest, business and sports stories and a sprinkling of political stuff. We will focus mainly on Southern Africans based in the UK. South Africans and Zimbabweans will get special attention," Mathuthu said.
The launch ceremony would be announced in due course, said Mathuthu. - www.newzimbabwe.com
Zim Journalists To Launch Voluntary Media Council
Zimbabwean journalists will next Tuesday finally launch the Voluntary Media Council (VMC) that had been deferred twice this year, www.zimonline.co.za has reported.
Abigail Gamanya, the co-ordinator of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) an association of media groups pushing for the setting up of the council, said the launch will go ahead next week with or without government approval.
“We are going ahead with the launch of the council on 29 May and everything is so far according to plan. So come Tuesday, the council will be in place as we do not need government approval to launch this council,” Gamanya told the online paper.
Gamanya said the media council, just like the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), did not need a government statute to enable it to be set up since it was a voluntary council.
“The media council is a voluntary council and we do not need government approval for launching a voluntary body for journalists,” she said.
The MAZ groups together media organizations operating in Zimbabwe. Among some of these are the ZUJ, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe and the Federation of African Media Women of Zimbabwe.
MAZ said it had so far received 30 names of individuals who have been recommended by media organizations to sit on the 12-member board to be elected into office next Tuesday.
Among some of the individuals that have been recommended are retired judges, George Smith and Justice Ibrahim, publishers Raphael Khumalo (Zimbabwe Independent) and Jacob Chisese (Financial Gazette), Justin Mutasa (Zimpapers), Father Nigel Johnson, lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa and media lecturer Lawton Hikwa.
Zimbabwe does not have a voluntary media council but has a statutory body, the Media and Information Commission, that was set up by the government under the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).
The MIC has banned four newspapers including the biggest selling Daily News, over the past four years. Prresident Robert Mugabe's government's government stands accused of masterminding the bombing of the Daily News printing press and the offices of the Voice of the People (VoP) private radio station. VoP has since switched base to Capr Town, South Africa. - ZimOnline and additional reporting by Zimscoop
Abigail Gamanya, the co-ordinator of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) an association of media groups pushing for the setting up of the council, said the launch will go ahead next week with or without government approval.
“We are going ahead with the launch of the council on 29 May and everything is so far according to plan. So come Tuesday, the council will be in place as we do not need government approval to launch this council,” Gamanya told the online paper.
Gamanya said the media council, just like the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), did not need a government statute to enable it to be set up since it was a voluntary council.
“The media council is a voluntary council and we do not need government approval for launching a voluntary body for journalists,” she said.
The MAZ groups together media organizations operating in Zimbabwe. Among some of these are the ZUJ, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe and the Federation of African Media Women of Zimbabwe.
MAZ said it had so far received 30 names of individuals who have been recommended by media organizations to sit on the 12-member board to be elected into office next Tuesday.
Among some of the individuals that have been recommended are retired judges, George Smith and Justice Ibrahim, publishers Raphael Khumalo (Zimbabwe Independent) and Jacob Chisese (Financial Gazette), Justin Mutasa (Zimpapers), Father Nigel Johnson, lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa and media lecturer Lawton Hikwa.
Zimbabwe does not have a voluntary media council but has a statutory body, the Media and Information Commission, that was set up by the government under the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).
The MIC has banned four newspapers including the biggest selling Daily News, over the past four years. Prresident Robert Mugabe's government's government stands accused of masterminding the bombing of the Daily News printing press and the offices of the Voice of the People (VoP) private radio station. VoP has since switched base to Capr Town, South Africa. - ZimOnline and additional reporting by Zimscoop
Monday, May 21, 2007
Zim reporter gets 'taste of state medicine'
A reporter with one of Zimbabwe's official newspapers got "a taste of state medicine" last week when police angrily confiscated his camera and press card after a Cabinet minister accused him of spreading falsehoods, it was reported on Friday.
Samuel Kadungure, a reporter with the state-controlled Manica Post weekly, was covering a tour of a diamond-mining area in Chiadzwa, eastern Zimbabwe, last Thursday.
He was in the company of National Security Minister Didymus Mutasa, said the Manica Post, which is based in the border city of Mutare.
"When Mutasa introduced the reporter to Mines and Mining Development Minister Amos Midzi, all hell broke loose," Kadungure said.
In an unusual show of discord between senior government ministers, Midzi accused the reporter of gate-crashing a protected zone. He told police to seize Kadungure's state-issued press card and camera, the reporter claimed.
Zimbabwe is a notoriously difficult place for reporters to work in, unless they are employed by the state-controlled media.
Reporters for official radio and newspapers are normally able to work without harassment.
Reporters for the independent press are frequently arrested under Zimbabwe’s tough press law, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which stipulates that all media workers must hold a valid licence.
Licences are rarely issued to those working for the independent press.
The clampdown on the private press has steadily worsened in the last two months, with at least four reporters beaten, a Time magazine correspondent from Britain arrested and forced to leave the country and an ageing local cameraman abducted and killed.
Kadungure was rescued by a senior police officer, according to the Manica Post. His equipment and press card were only returned a day later. The reporter described the altercation as "sad." -- Sapa-dpa
Samuel Kadungure, a reporter with the state-controlled Manica Post weekly, was covering a tour of a diamond-mining area in Chiadzwa, eastern Zimbabwe, last Thursday.
He was in the company of National Security Minister Didymus Mutasa, said the Manica Post, which is based in the border city of Mutare.
"When Mutasa introduced the reporter to Mines and Mining Development Minister Amos Midzi, all hell broke loose," Kadungure said.
In an unusual show of discord between senior government ministers, Midzi accused the reporter of gate-crashing a protected zone. He told police to seize Kadungure's state-issued press card and camera, the reporter claimed.
Zimbabwe is a notoriously difficult place for reporters to work in, unless they are employed by the state-controlled media.
Reporters for official radio and newspapers are normally able to work without harassment.
Reporters for the independent press are frequently arrested under Zimbabwe’s tough press law, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which stipulates that all media workers must hold a valid licence.
Licences are rarely issued to those working for the independent press.
The clampdown on the private press has steadily worsened in the last two months, with at least four reporters beaten, a Time magazine correspondent from Britain arrested and forced to leave the country and an ageing local cameraman abducted and killed.
Kadungure was rescued by a senior police officer, according to the Manica Post. His equipment and press card were only returned a day later. The reporter described the altercation as "sad." -- Sapa-dpa
Monday, May 7, 2007
IPI calls on South Africa to ensure Zimbabwean government properly investigates journalist’s murder
Zimbabwe is an IPI Watch List Country
PRESS RELEASE
Vienna, 17 April 2007
IPI Calls on South Africa to Ensure Zimbabwean Government Properly
Investigates Journalist’s Murder
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 journalist may have been murdered because of his suspected
involvement in providing foreign news services with footage of opposition
members being attacked by the security services during recent strikes.
On 11 March, Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), was badly beaten by the security forces. Pictures of his
injuries were later shown on the BBC and CNN.
In recent weeks, there have been rumours that the Zimbabwean government is
employing so-called “hit squads” to carry out abductions and beatings of
opposition members and their supporters.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has also issued statements about the
right of the security services to attack people and these statements have
fuelled an aggressive and violent environment, particularly in Harare.
Chikombo’s murder was not the only serious press freedom violation to occur
recently. On 11 March, photojournalist Tsvangirai Mukwazhi was seriously
assaulted while in police custody, and Gift Phiri, chief reporter for The
Zimbabwean, was apparently tortured on 1 April.
Commenting on Zimbabwe, IPI Director, Johann P. Fritz said, “These brutal
attacks on journalists are a sign of the extraordinary lengths that the
government will go to hide the true state of affairs in Zimbabwe.”
“Given its important role in Southern African affairs and its influence
over Zimbabwe, I would call on the South African government to issue a
strongly worded statement reminding the Zimbabwean government of its duty
to uphold the rule of law and urging it to carry out an open and
transparent investigation into the death of Chikombo, and the assaults on
Mukwazhi and Phiri.”
“In doing so, I would remind the South African government that assaults and
murders of journalists are often an indication that other serious human
rights breaches may be occurring or are about to occur.”
“For this reason, the time to act on Zimbabwe is now and there are real
risks that a failure to do so will only exacerbate the current situation
and further encourage the Zimbabwean government to believe that it can
suppress the work of journalists and commit human rights violations with
impunity,” added Fritz.
_______________________________________
International Press Institute (IPI)
Spiegelgasse 2
1010 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel: (+43 1) 512 90 11
Fax: (+43 1) 512 90 14
E-mail: ipi@freemedia.at
http://www.freemedia.at
IPI, the global network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists, is dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press
freedom, the protection of freedom of opinion and expression, the promotion
of the free flow of news and information, and the improvement of the
practices of journalism.
**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole
responsibility of IPI**
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PRESS RELEASE
Vienna, 17 April 2007
IPI Calls on South Africa to Ensure Zimbabwean Government Properly
Investigates Journalist’s Murder
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 journalist may have been murdered because of his suspected
involvement in providing foreign news services with footage of opposition
members being attacked by the security services during recent strikes.
On 11 March, Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), was badly beaten by the security forces. Pictures of his
injuries were later shown on the BBC and CNN.
In recent weeks, there have been rumours that the Zimbabwean government is
employing so-called “hit squads” to carry out abductions and beatings of
opposition members and their supporters.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has also issued statements about the
right of the security services to attack people and these statements have
fuelled an aggressive and violent environment, particularly in Harare.
Chikombo’s murder was not the only serious press freedom violation to occur
recently. On 11 March, photojournalist Tsvangirai Mukwazhi was seriously
assaulted while in police custody, and Gift Phiri, chief reporter for The
Zimbabwean, was apparently tortured on 1 April.
Commenting on Zimbabwe, IPI Director, Johann P. Fritz said, “These brutal
attacks on journalists are a sign of the extraordinary lengths that the
government will go to hide the true state of affairs in Zimbabwe.”
“Given its important role in Southern African affairs and its influence
over Zimbabwe, I would call on the South African government to issue a
strongly worded statement reminding the Zimbabwean government of its duty
to uphold the rule of law and urging it to carry out an open and
transparent investigation into the death of Chikombo, and the assaults on
Mukwazhi and Phiri.”
“In doing so, I would remind the South African government that assaults and
murders of journalists are often an indication that other serious human
rights breaches may be occurring or are about to occur.”
“For this reason, the time to act on Zimbabwe is now and there are real
risks that a failure to do so will only exacerbate the current situation
and further encourage the Zimbabwean government to believe that it can
suppress the work of journalists and commit human rights violations with
impunity,” added Fritz.
_______________________________________
International Press Institute (IPI)
Spiegelgasse 2
1010 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel: (+43 1) 512 90 11
Fax: (+43 1) 512 90 14
E-mail: ipi@freemedia.at
http://www.freemedia.at
IPI, the global network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists, is dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press
freedom, the protection of freedom of opinion and expression, the promotion
of the free flow of news and information, and the improvement of the
practices of journalism.
**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole
responsibility of IPI**
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To unsubscribe from this list visit
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Press Freedom Backsliders
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: mkeita@cpj.org
New York, May 2, 2007—To mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists released today a report calling attention to the erosion of press freedoms in 10 countries worldwide during the last five years. Ethiopia, the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are among the nations topping CPJ’s list of the “Top Ten Backsliders” of press freedom. The report, based on CPJ analysis of case data worldwide for the years 2002 through 2007, is available online at: http://www.cpj.org/backsliders/.
Backsliders
A World Press Freedom Day report from CPJ: The 10 countries where press freedom has most deteriorated
New York, May 2, 2007—Three nations in sub-Saharan Africa are among the places worldwide where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors, leads CPJ’s dishonor roll. The African nations of the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo join Russia and Cuba among the world’s worst “backsliders” on press freedom.
“Democracy’s foothold in Africa is shallow when it comes to press freedom,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “These three African nations, as diverse as they are, have won praise at times for their transition to democracy—but they are actually moving in reverse on press issues. Journalists in Ethiopia, Gambia, and DRC are being jailed, attacked, and censored, a picture far worse than what we saw only a few years ago.”
In issuing its report to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, CPJ is calling attention this year to long-term erosion in press conditions. Rounding out CPJ’s “Top 10 Backsliders” are Pakistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Thailand.
The backsliders reflect a mixture of relatively open countries that have turned increasingly repressive and traditionally restrictive nations where press conditions, remarkably, have worsened. Nations such as Thailand and Morocco have been considered press freedom leaders in their regions but have charted sharp declines over the past five years. Other countries such as Cuba have long had poor records but have ratcheted up press restrictions through widespread imprisonments, expulsions, and harassment.
“The behavior of all of these countries is deeply troubling, but the rapid retreats in nations where the media have thrived demonstrate just how easily the fundamental right to press freedom can be taken away,” Simon added.
To determine trends in press conditions, CPJ analyzed case data worldwide for the years 2002 through 2007. Its staff judged conditions in seven categories: government censorship, judicial harassment, criminal libel prosecutions, journalist deaths, physical attacks on the press, journalist imprisonments, and threats against the press. CPJ staff excluded from consideration major conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia, which lack conventional governance and newsgathering.
Patterns that emerge from CPJ’s analysis include:
Authorities in several countries are silencing critical coverage by imprisoning journalists. Cuba and Ethiopia became two of the world’s leading jailers of journalists in the past five years. Morocco, often cited as a regional model for press freedom, is now tied with Tunisia for the dubious distinction of sentencing the most journalists to prison in the Arab world.
Violent attacks are going unpunished in many of these countries. In Pakistan, eight journalists have been slain in the last five years, but arrests and convictions have been won in only one case. In Russia, 11 journalists have been murdered in the last five years, but no case has been solved.
Judicial harassment is being used increasingly in many of these nations. In Egypt, 85 criminal cases were launched against journalists between 2004 and 2006. In DRC and Azerbaijan, criminal defamation prosecutions are rising. And in Morocco, politically motivated lawsuits have effectively sidelined a number of the country’s most outspoken editors.
Censorship orders and restrictive legislation are being used in several nations. In Thailand, the new military junta issued broad censorship orders for broadcast outlets. In the Gambia, authorities have shut down a leading independent newspaper. And in Russia, the president signed a law equating critical coverage with “extremism.”
Escalating government attacks in Morocco and Egypt have coincided with increasing assertiveness on the part of independent publications.
Here are CPJ’s “Top 10 Backsliders.” The figures cited are annual unless noted.
1. ETHIOPIA
Leader: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Indicators: Imprisonments rise from two to 18. Dozens forced into exile. In 2006 alone, authorities ban eight newspapers, expel two foreign reporters, and block critical Web sites.
Key fact: Only a handful of private newspapers now publish, all under intense self-censorship.
2. GAMBIA
Leader: President Yahyah Jammeh
Indicators: Editor Deyda Hydara murdered in 2004. The Independent, a leading newspaper, is targeted by arsonists and closed by the government. Criminal penalties instituted for defamation.
Key fact: Eleven journalists jailed for extended periods in 2006.
3. RUSSIA
Leader: President Vladimir Putin
Indicators: All three national television channels now under state control. Eleven journalists murdered in the last five years; no cases solved. Imprisoned journalists rise from one to three.
Key fact: New law defines “extremism” as including “public slander toward figures fulfilling state duties.”
4. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Leader: President Joseph Kabila
Indicators: Two journalists slain since 2005. Attacks increase from three to nine. Criminal libel cases rise from none to nine. Imprisonments climb from three to 11.
Key fact: Leaders of press freedom group Journaliste en Danger forced into hiding in 2006.
5. CUBA
Interim leader: Gen. Raúl Castro Ruz
Indicators: Twenty-nine journalists imprisoned in massive 2003 crackdown. Four foreign journalists expelled after covering 2005 opposition meeting. Another 10 barred entry when Fidel Castro becomes ill in 2006.
Key fact: Cases of government harassment increase in the past year.
6. PAKISTAN
Leader: President Pervez Musharraf
Indicators: Eight journalists killed in the last five years. At least 15 journalists abducted in that time. Government security agents interrogate reporters who interview Taliban figures.
Key fact: Government’s own Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence is suspected in some abductions.
7. EGYPT
Leader: President Hosni Mubarak
Indicators: Government agents assault reporters covering demonstrations. Editor Reda Helal disappears in 2003. First Internet blogger sentenced to prison. Top editor Abdel Halim Kandil abducted and assaulted in 2004.
Key fact: Egyptian Organization for Human Rights says 85 criminal cases launched against press between 2004 and 2006.
8. AZERBAIJAN
Leader: President Ilham Aliyev
Indicators: Editor Elmar Huseynov slain in 2005. Criminal defamation cases rise from one to 14. Imprisonments climb from none to five. Two top journalists kidnapped in 2006.
Key fact: Editor Eynulla Fatullayev receives death threats after investigating Huseynov murder.
9. MOROCCO
Leader: King Mohammed VI
Indicators: Morocco joins Tunisia as Arab world’s leading jailer of journalists, with three sentenced to prison terms. Authorities banish three top journalists through politically motivated lawsuits. State media and government incite protests against independent press.
Key fact: Editor Ali Lmrabet barred from profession for 10 years.
10. THAILAND
Leader: Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont
Indicators: New military junta nationalizes Thailand’s only private television station and orders radio stations to broadcast military-prepared news. Foreign news broadcasts blocked when former prime minister is mentioned.
Key fact: New constitution is being drafted. Press guarantees uncertain.
To learn more about this project, hear an audio report from CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. To learn more about these backsliding countries, read CPJ’s annual report on press freedom, Attacks on the Press in 2006.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: mkeita@cpj.org
New York, May 2, 2007—To mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists released today a report calling attention to the erosion of press freedoms in 10 countries worldwide during the last five years. Ethiopia, the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are among the nations topping CPJ’s list of the “Top Ten Backsliders” of press freedom. The report, based on CPJ analysis of case data worldwide for the years 2002 through 2007, is available online at: http://www.cpj.org/backsliders/.
Backsliders
A World Press Freedom Day report from CPJ: The 10 countries where press freedom has most deteriorated
New York, May 2, 2007—Three nations in sub-Saharan Africa are among the places worldwide where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors, leads CPJ’s dishonor roll. The African nations of the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo join Russia and Cuba among the world’s worst “backsliders” on press freedom.
“Democracy’s foothold in Africa is shallow when it comes to press freedom,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “These three African nations, as diverse as they are, have won praise at times for their transition to democracy—but they are actually moving in reverse on press issues. Journalists in Ethiopia, Gambia, and DRC are being jailed, attacked, and censored, a picture far worse than what we saw only a few years ago.”
In issuing its report to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, CPJ is calling attention this year to long-term erosion in press conditions. Rounding out CPJ’s “Top 10 Backsliders” are Pakistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Thailand.
The backsliders reflect a mixture of relatively open countries that have turned increasingly repressive and traditionally restrictive nations where press conditions, remarkably, have worsened. Nations such as Thailand and Morocco have been considered press freedom leaders in their regions but have charted sharp declines over the past five years. Other countries such as Cuba have long had poor records but have ratcheted up press restrictions through widespread imprisonments, expulsions, and harassment.
“The behavior of all of these countries is deeply troubling, but the rapid retreats in nations where the media have thrived demonstrate just how easily the fundamental right to press freedom can be taken away,” Simon added.
To determine trends in press conditions, CPJ analyzed case data worldwide for the years 2002 through 2007. Its staff judged conditions in seven categories: government censorship, judicial harassment, criminal libel prosecutions, journalist deaths, physical attacks on the press, journalist imprisonments, and threats against the press. CPJ staff excluded from consideration major conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia, which lack conventional governance and newsgathering.
Patterns that emerge from CPJ’s analysis include:
Authorities in several countries are silencing critical coverage by imprisoning journalists. Cuba and Ethiopia became two of the world’s leading jailers of journalists in the past five years. Morocco, often cited as a regional model for press freedom, is now tied with Tunisia for the dubious distinction of sentencing the most journalists to prison in the Arab world.
Violent attacks are going unpunished in many of these countries. In Pakistan, eight journalists have been slain in the last five years, but arrests and convictions have been won in only one case. In Russia, 11 journalists have been murdered in the last five years, but no case has been solved.
Judicial harassment is being used increasingly in many of these nations. In Egypt, 85 criminal cases were launched against journalists between 2004 and 2006. In DRC and Azerbaijan, criminal defamation prosecutions are rising. And in Morocco, politically motivated lawsuits have effectively sidelined a number of the country’s most outspoken editors.
Censorship orders and restrictive legislation are being used in several nations. In Thailand, the new military junta issued broad censorship orders for broadcast outlets. In the Gambia, authorities have shut down a leading independent newspaper. And in Russia, the president signed a law equating critical coverage with “extremism.”
Escalating government attacks in Morocco and Egypt have coincided with increasing assertiveness on the part of independent publications.
Here are CPJ’s “Top 10 Backsliders.” The figures cited are annual unless noted.
1. ETHIOPIA
Leader: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Indicators: Imprisonments rise from two to 18. Dozens forced into exile. In 2006 alone, authorities ban eight newspapers, expel two foreign reporters, and block critical Web sites.
Key fact: Only a handful of private newspapers now publish, all under intense self-censorship.
2. GAMBIA
Leader: President Yahyah Jammeh
Indicators: Editor Deyda Hydara murdered in 2004. The Independent, a leading newspaper, is targeted by arsonists and closed by the government. Criminal penalties instituted for defamation.
Key fact: Eleven journalists jailed for extended periods in 2006.
3. RUSSIA
Leader: President Vladimir Putin
Indicators: All three national television channels now under state control. Eleven journalists murdered in the last five years; no cases solved. Imprisoned journalists rise from one to three.
Key fact: New law defines “extremism” as including “public slander toward figures fulfilling state duties.”
4. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Leader: President Joseph Kabila
Indicators: Two journalists slain since 2005. Attacks increase from three to nine. Criminal libel cases rise from none to nine. Imprisonments climb from three to 11.
Key fact: Leaders of press freedom group Journaliste en Danger forced into hiding in 2006.
5. CUBA
Interim leader: Gen. Raúl Castro Ruz
Indicators: Twenty-nine journalists imprisoned in massive 2003 crackdown. Four foreign journalists expelled after covering 2005 opposition meeting. Another 10 barred entry when Fidel Castro becomes ill in 2006.
Key fact: Cases of government harassment increase in the past year.
6. PAKISTAN
Leader: President Pervez Musharraf
Indicators: Eight journalists killed in the last five years. At least 15 journalists abducted in that time. Government security agents interrogate reporters who interview Taliban figures.
Key fact: Government’s own Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence is suspected in some abductions.
7. EGYPT
Leader: President Hosni Mubarak
Indicators: Government agents assault reporters covering demonstrations. Editor Reda Helal disappears in 2003. First Internet blogger sentenced to prison. Top editor Abdel Halim Kandil abducted and assaulted in 2004.
Key fact: Egyptian Organization for Human Rights says 85 criminal cases launched against press between 2004 and 2006.
8. AZERBAIJAN
Leader: President Ilham Aliyev
Indicators: Editor Elmar Huseynov slain in 2005. Criminal defamation cases rise from one to 14. Imprisonments climb from none to five. Two top journalists kidnapped in 2006.
Key fact: Editor Eynulla Fatullayev receives death threats after investigating Huseynov murder.
9. MOROCCO
Leader: King Mohammed VI
Indicators: Morocco joins Tunisia as Arab world’s leading jailer of journalists, with three sentenced to prison terms. Authorities banish three top journalists through politically motivated lawsuits. State media and government incite protests against independent press.
Key fact: Editor Ali Lmrabet barred from profession for 10 years.
10. THAILAND
Leader: Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont
Indicators: New military junta nationalizes Thailand’s only private television station and orders radio stations to broadcast military-prepared news. Foreign news broadcasts blocked when former prime minister is mentioned.
Key fact: New constitution is being drafted. Press guarantees uncertain.
To learn more about this project, hear an audio report from CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. To learn more about these backsliding countries, read CPJ’s annual report on press freedom, Attacks on the Press in 2006.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
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