The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) in raising serious concerns over the labor reforms that the government of Rajasthan state of India has recently approved.
Last week, the state cleared major changes to the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, the Factories Act of 1948 and the Contract Labor Act of 1971 and proposed to present the relevant bills in the Legislative Assembly next month. The changes need to be passed by the Assembly and assented by the India’s president Pranab Mukherjee before implementation. The changes, among other things, make it easier for the private companies to hire and fire employees.
The DUJ described the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in condemning an attack on a journalist on Sunday, June 7.
Thakur Gurung, the news editor of Radio Bihani in Dhading district, was attacked in Bansathali, Kathmandu by an unidentified group while he was returning from a program that he attended in the capacity of a journalist.
He sustained serious injuries on his head, right hand and chest; and was rushed to the Janamaitri Hospital, where he is continuing to receive medical treatment.
The FNJ General Secretary Ujir Magar said: “An attack on a journalist is an activity against the press freedom and freedom of…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) today commended the ruling of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, sitting in Abuja, Nigeria on 10 June, concerning the case of Deyda Hydara versus The Gambia.
According to independent sources, the defendant state produced Captain Lamin K. Saine as their witness. Captain Saine was a senior official at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and was tasked by Presidential orders to head the investigations. He is now a nominated member of the National Assembly.
During his cross examination in chief, Captain Lamine K. Saine explained his background in the Gambian security services, where he said he was trained by the US FBI (Federal Bureau of…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) today commended the ruling of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, sitting in Abuja, Nigeria on 10 June, concerning the case of Deyda Hydara versus The Gambia.
According to independent sources, the defendant state produced Captain Lamin K. Saine as their witness. Captain Saine was a senior official at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and was tasked by Presidential orders to head the investigations. He is now a nominated member of the National Assembly.
During his cross examination in chief, Captain Lamine K. Saine explained his background in the Gambian security services, where he said he was trained by…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged collective action to promote media safety during a panel discussion on the safety of journalists organised by the UN Human Rights Council during its 26th Session which opened yesterday, Tuesday 10 June, in Geneva.
The debate was opened by the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who denounced the lack of accountability for violence against journalists around the world. She called for a legal framework for the protection of journalists and its implementation at national level to ensure that “there is zero tolerance and full accountability for violence against journalists.”
In a statement, delivered by Ernest…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned that Macau’s public broadcaster, Teledifusão de Macau S.A. (TDM), allegedly imposed self-censorship during the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4 and tried to deprive journalists of their right to choose their on-screen clothing.
On the eve of the 1989 anniversary last week, supervisors at Teledifusão de Macau S.A. demanded that all journalists remain political neutral and wear “decent” clothing when they were presenting programs. When presenters Chan Ka-Chon and Io Hao-Kei wore black overcoats while hosting the program Macau, Good Morning on June 4, they were reportedly scolded by their…
To IFJ Asia-Pacific affiliates and friends
Welcome to IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly Press Freedom in China Campaign e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent in mid-July 2014, and contributions are most welcome.
To contribute news or information, email [email protected]. To visit the IFJ’s China Campaign page, go to www.ifj.org.
For the English version, click here.
For the traditional Chinese version, click here.
For the simplified Chinese version, click here.
1) Crackdown escalates for 25th anniversary of Tiananmen massacre
2) Eight charged, six media outlets closed after “fake” news campaign
3) Tencent journalist sacked after discussing censorship with US Secretary of…
On 11 June 2014, it will be one year since the Greek government has stunned the nation and the journalism community by shutting down the public broadcaster. On the eve of the anniversary, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has backed the protests to be held by Greek journalists to mark the day and reminded the government that it has failed to fulfil its promise to restore an independent public broadcaster for the Greek public.
“One year on, we have seen no efforts from the government to restore an independent public broadcaster to serve the public interest,” says Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, EFJ President. “Yet, we have witnessed ERT journalists who are doing their utmost to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has vigorously condemned the seizure of at least four prominent newspapers in Nigeria. According to IFJ affiliate, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Friday, 6 June, Nigerian military seized a number of newspapers including Nation, Leadership, Daily Trust and Punch.
A Defence spokesman, Chris Olukolade, has been quoted by independent sources as saying the search “followed intelligence report(s) indicating movement of materials with grave security implications across the country using the channel of newsprint-related consignments”.
Commenting on the seizure, Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa director, said: “This is clearly a violation of…
Female journalists have been working with their male counterparts for years but even then they have to fight for their basic rights.
By Lubna Jerar Naqvi
Female journalists all over the world are vulnerable to all kinds of threats like harassment - psychological, physical and sexual harm. The most shocking incident was probably the gang-rape of American war correspondent Lara Logan by a mob in Egypt’s Tahrir Square in 2011, which was followed by a similar incident in 2013 when a female Dutch journalist was gang-raped in the same place by a mob.
Lara Logan suffered rape in the worst form; her only crime was that she was too eager to do her work well and get the best story. If local women…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) are saddened to report yet another journalist assassination in the Philippines - the 33rd media worker murder under President Aquino. Nilo Baculo Sr, a radio broadcaster based in Mindoro, was shot dead outside his home in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro on Monday, June 9.
The 67-year-old was the host of Isumbong Mo kay Ka Nilo, a news talk and public service program at radio station dwIM in Calapan City. He was shot at close range by a gunman riding a motorcycle outside his home. The NUJP advised that Baculo had petitioned the court for protection after…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Sri Lankan affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) in condemning the role of security forces in the cancellation of a yet another workshop for journalists’ in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, on June 7.
According to reports, the three-day workshop for Tamil-language media in North-Eastern Sri Lanka was cancelled after a group of miscreants warned to disrupt it. The workshop theme was investigative reporting arising from recommendations from the Reconciliation Commission.
The FMM has advised that instead of ensuring the journalists rights to association and assembly, the police advised the organizer Transparency International Sri Lanka to leave…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in strongly condemning the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PERMA) decision to suspend the Geo News for 15 days and impose a Rs 10 million (approximately USD 100,000) fine. The IFJ has called the suspension a blatant attack on press freedom and called for the ban and the fine to be lifted immediately.
According to reports, PERMA sent a formal letter to Geo News on Friday, June 6 to shut down its transmission and pay the fine. The TV shut its transmission but officials have said the company will consider legal actions against the decision.
The PERMA decision was the…
Cuidad Panamá - La Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe, Fepalc, envió un mensaje de condolencia y solidaridad a la familia del asesinado periodista Napoleón Rojas, quien murió luego de ser asaltado y baleado por supuestos exagentes de la Policía Nacional.
La Fepalc reunida en asamblea regional en la cuidad de Panamá, en donde asiste José Beato secretario general del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa SNTP, condenó el hecho y pidió a las autoridades judiciales aplicar todo el peso de la ley para los asesinos.
Las delegaciones de Brasil, Chile, Panamá, Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina, México, Paraguay,…
(07 June 2014) The EFJ has learned today that RTV Mladenovac's journalist Dragan Nikolic was yesterday detained and interrogated by the Serbian police services following a critical comment published on his Facebook profile about the government handling of the recent floods. According to the EFJ affiliate, the Sindikat novinara Srbije (JUS - Journalists' Union of Serbia), Dragan Nikolic was detained by the Serbian police following a complaint filed by the Serbian MP Milorad Cvetnovic accusing the journalist of “causing damages to the dignity of a high-level official at the ruling party, SNS,named Goran Vesic” (SNS is the ruling conservative Serbian Progressive Party of the Prime…
(Brussels, 4 June 2014) The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has today called on the Serbian government to respect media freedom by allowing journalists to tell the truth about the recent floods in the country that has claimed the lives of over 50 citizens. The call came following recent allegations over the government’s attempt to censors criticism of its handling of the devastating floods. According to media reports, around 30 people have been detained on the grounds of “dissemination of false news and panic”. News portals as such Teleprompter.rs and Drugastrana.rs that have published critical reports about the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, have been hacked…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have joined their Romanian affiliate, the Romanian Federation of MediaSind Journalists (RFJ MediaSind), to demand that the rights of staff working at the country’s public radio broadcaster are respected and the institution is run in a fair and legal manner.
The call follows reports that the Board of Directors of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation (SRR), on Tuesday, June 3, approved a resolution banning candidates from outside the institution from running for the two positions of employees’ representatives on SRR’s Administration Council. The Council is appointed by the…
The International federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins with Australian affiliate the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) in condemning the call by Egyptian prosecutors for the maximum jail sentence to be delivered against Al Jazeera journalists currently on trial in Cairo. The IFJ has called the trial process a vicious attack on press freedom and calls on all of its Asia-Pacific affiliates to continue to condemn the Egyptian trial process as an attack on journalism.
Acting IFJ Asia Pacific director Jane Worthington said: “The recent moves and statements by Egyptian authorities are an outrageous violation of press freedom and they call for global condemnation.”
Yesterday, the…
El reportero Carlos Vargas Rengifo y el camarógrafo Raúl Ruiz Inuma, del programa En Directo, de Amazónica TV, Canal 35, fueron agredidos por un grupo de trabajadores del Gobierno Regional de Loreto, dirigidos por el Ingeniero Alexis Alvan Berenz y Danilo Durand Elguera, miembros de la Oficina de Participación Ciudadana. Los agresores sustrajeron con brutal violencia la cámara que portaba el camarógrafo para borrar las imágenes que había registrado antes del ataque.
El incidente ocurrió a las 12:30 horas, del 4 de junio, cuando los comunicadores se retiraban del local del Gobierno Regional de Loreto, tras grabar imágenes de un tractor y un volquete expuestos y pintados de verde en…
El Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay lamenta la represión a comunicadoras y comunicadores, que en el desempeño de su labor periodística,fueron brutalmente agredidos por la fuerza pública el pasado lunes 2 de junio, mientras cubría una manifestación por los Derechos de las personas Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales, Bisexuales e Intersexs (LGTBI) frente a la sede de la Conmebol, donde se realiza la 44ª Asamblea General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA).
El SPP repudia la violencia ejercida por la Policía y la obstrucción del derecho al ejercicio del periodismo. Condena con la misma fuerza la política homófoba y represora del gobierno de Horacio Cartes, que se…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today honoured the many journalists who have tried their utmost to report on the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, despite suffering harassment, threats and interference by the authorities, and has called on China to respect individuals’ rights of press freedom and freedom of expression at this pivotal time of remembrance.
On June 4, foreign correspondents, together with representatives from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau media outlets, gathered in Hong Kong to report on the Candlelight Vigil held to commemorate the 1989 events. A leading Mainland legal activist, Teng Biao, who is currently a visiting scholar at…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today honoured the many journalists who have tried their utmost to report on the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, despite suffering harassment, threats and interference by the authorities, and has called on China to respect individuals’ rights of press freedom and freedom of expression at this pivotal time of remembrance.
On June 4, foreign correspondents, together with representatives from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau media outlets, gathered in Hong Kong to report on the Candlelight Vigil held to commemorate the 1989 events. A leading Mainland legal activist, Teng Biao, who is currently a visiting scholar at…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the Israeli government to end its policy of preventing Palestinian journalists from covering events in Jerusalem following the latest intimidation and violence carried out by Israeli border police last week.
According to IFJ affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), Palestinian and international journalists and cameramen covering events at Damascus Gate on Jerusalem Day, Wednesday, 28 May, were forced to move far away from the scene by border police officers despite the fact they were standing in an area designated for media.
There were also reports that journalists were pushed, kicked and blocked from…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have welcomed the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to grant an appeal hearing in the case brought by Finnish photojournalist Markus Pentikäinen relating to the violation of his freedom of expression.
According to a media release issued by the ECHR yesterday, Tuesday 3 June, a panel of five judges has referred the case of PENTIKÄINEN v. FINLAND to the Court’s Grand Chamber.
The detailed request for the referral to the Grand Chamber had been sent at the beginning of May by IFJ/EFJ’s Finnish affiliate, the Union of Journalists in Finland (UJF). The case concerns…
By Serenade WooIFJ China Press Freedom Project Manager
Discussion of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989, has been taboo in China for a quarter of a century, but repression of free speech has been worse this year than previously in the lead-up to tomorrow’s 25th anniversary.
The Chinese authorities have been cracking down since early April to prevent journalists from exercising their duty to report. At least seven media personnel working for Hong Kong and overseas media outlets have been detained, charged or sentenced. They are Gao Yu, Yao Wentian (also known as Yiu Man-tin), Xin Jian, Vivian Wu, Xiang Nanfu, Wai Zhongsiao and Wang Jianmin. The charges laid against them…
Welcome to the IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be issued on 1 July 2014, and contributions from affiliates are most welcome. To contribute, email [email protected]
Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ifjasiapacific
Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific
In this bulletin:
1. IFJ Asia Pacific affiliates mark World Press Freedom Day 2014
2. “Don’t become the story” - IFJ Asia Pacific launches new blog
3. Two journalists gunned down in Philippines, Aquino toll hits 28
4. Thai military tightens…
Pakistan, Afghanistan
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in calling on Afghanistan authorities to speed up the procedure for the release of a Pakistani TV journalist being detained in Afghanistan since April 22, 2014.
Faizullah Khan, a reporter for ARY News TV based in Karachi, was detained by an Afghan security agency on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border as he was on assignment interviewing Taliban leaders of tribal areas in northwestern Pakistan.
The Foreign Office of Pakistan and Afghan authorities have already confirmed his detention and diplomatic channels are being used to secure his release. However, the process…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has criticised a new wave of violence against journalists covering the anniversary of the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul on 1 June. Journalists covering the Gezi protests’ anniversary in Istanbul and Ankara have again been beaten, intimidated, insulted and injured by the Turkish police forces while doing their job. According to figures gathered by the EFJ affiliate, the Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikasi (TGS - Journalists' Union of Turkey), several journalists have been attacked by the Turkish police forces while reporting the peaceful protest taking place in Taksim square (Istanbul) and Ankara. They include:
- Ivan Watson (CNN) has…
The director of Otro Nivel, a programme broadcast on Radio Opoa, La Voz de la Esperanza, a community radio dedicated to human Rights in the region, was shot dead in the department of Dulce Nombre de Copán, western Honduras.
The victim was shot three times in the head by unidentified gunmen.
Source: RSF
The journalist for Radio Progreso was reportedly murdered at his home by unknown attackers who stabbed him several times.
Orellana had been at the station for three years and was among the fifteen employees who had been receiving death threats since 2009, according to reports quoting the radio’s director, Ismail Moreno. The threats followed the Radio Progreso's opposition to the 2009 coup which overthrew the government in Honduras.
The Inter-American Commission for Human Rights had on three occasions requested the authorities to protect Orellana in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Moreno reportedly said, accusing the government of ignoring his appeals and the threats he received and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the attack on Zafar Aheer, a resident editor for the Daily Jang newspaper. Half-a-dozen unidentified armed and masked men attacked Aheer and left him injured in Multan, Punjab province on Saturday, May 31.
Aheer was returning home from his office when the attackers stopped his car and started beating him. The assailants, travelling on two motorbikes and a car, tore down his cloths and snatched his mobile phone at gunpoint. They left after firing bullets in front of his car. Police have registered a case and are investigating.
The attack on Aheer is the latest addition to an ongoing hostile situation that journalists…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned that two journalists were detained by Shenzhen police on May 30 for allegedly operating a publication illegally. They are the sixth and seventh journalist to be detained in Mainland China this year.
Wai Zhongxiao, 39, and Wang Jiaomin, aged about 50, reportedly have Hong Kong residency and a US green card respectively. Both are former journalists with Asia Weekly Magazine in Hong Kong. In the past four years, they have been working for two political and social affairs magazines, namely Xin Wei Monthly Magazine and Face Magazine.
According to various reports, Shenzhen police announced via microblog that two Hong Kong…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Sri Lankan affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) in expressing concerns over recent incidents where security forces have openly obstructed the freedom of Sri Lanka’s media.
According to reports, high-ranking police officers warned journalists against filming a public event involving Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at Mout Lavinia District Court, in Colombo on May 27. The officer, who was filmed on camera, threatened journalists months of detention if they filmed Rajapaksha’s appearance on a defamation complaint against the Sunday Leader newspaper. The police also barred journalists from covering of the proceedings of…
The International Federation of journalists (IFJ) has joined its affiliate, the Association of Iranian journalists (AoIJ), to demand that the government of Iran follows up on its election promises by showing respect for press freedom and releasing all journalists imprisoned in the country.
According to the AoIJ, three more Iranian journalists have been imprisoned in the country in recent months – bringing the total number of Iranian journalists in jail to 23.
Two newspapers – Bahar and Aseman - have also been closed over the last six months, while the Tehran offices of the AoIJ remain closed despite repeated appeals for the country’s President, Hassan Rohani, and his government to show…
El videoreportero John Vásquez Pastor, de Panamericana Televisión, fue golpeado y detenido por miembros de la Policía Nacional del Perú, cuando registraba imágenes de acciones represivas contra un grupo de médicos en huelga en los exteriores del hospital Bartolomé Herrera, en la provincia de Lima.
Vásquez Pastor fue reducido por un grupo de policías -quienes extrañamente lo acusaron de haber agredido a una suboficial de la Policía Nacional del Perú- y conducido a la comisaría de Alfonso Ugarte donde se le notificó de la denuncia por agresión que había en su contra. Tras ello fue puesto en libertad.
El hecho ocurrió el 28 de mayo a las 9:00 horas, aproximadamente. El periodista…
The International Federation of Journalists has expressed concern over the suspension of a journalist in the small island nation of Kiribati and called for journalist independence be respected, after a Radio Kiribati journalist was suspended for 20 days for “disobeying management orders”.
Radio Kiribati is one of only two radio stations operating in the island nation.
Ueretan Bauro was reported to have been reprimanded with the suspension after he aired a report with quotes from an Opposition Kiribati MP, Tebuai Uaai
During the radio report, the opposition MP responded to a report in the Te Uekera newspaper that alleged that he had not repaid public funds following a trip in 2002.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that a Chinese news assistant working for a Japanese news agency has been accused of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” and detained by police for two weeks.
Xin Jian, a Chinese news assistant for Nikkei Inc, the Japan Economic Times News Agency, was taken away from her home by Chongqing police on May 13. She was released on May 28, according to a message posted on her husband’s microblog.
According to a Radio Free Asia report, Xin was accused by police of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” on May 26, but the police did not produce any evidence to show how Xin had violated any law.
The report said the…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has today called on the Azerbaijani government to stop criminalising journalism following a new wave of criminal prosecutions against journalists, bloggers and human rights activists in the country.
The call came after the government has sent eight journalists and eight bloggers to jail for their criticism against the government. They include blogger and activist, Abdul Abilov, who, early this week, was accused of drug trafficking and given five and a half years sentence. Supporters of Abilov, however, said that the imprisonment was due to his critical web page on the social networking site, Facebook, which criticised the government.
Another…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the actions of Israeli soldiers who forced their way into the Ramallah headquarters of the press, publishing and distribution company, al Ayyam, this morning, Wednesday 28 May.
According to IFJ affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), the Israeli forces informed the managment of the company that it would halt the printing and distribution of newspapers that incite hatred against Israel, namely the ‘Palestine,’ ‘Al Risala and ‘Al Istiklal’ newspapers, all of which have their main offices in Gaza. Al Ayyam started printing the three papers three weeks ago following a national reconciliation agreement.
The PJS…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined its Israeli affiliate, the National Federation of Israel Journalists (NFIJ), in expressing its strong concerns about a draft bill being prepared by the Israeli government that will close down the countries only public broadcaster, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA).
In a letter sent to each member of the Israeli parliament, the IFJ says it is shocked to hear that the draft bill proposes to sack 1,000 out of the 1,700 employees of the IBA, then replace it with a new broadcasting body.
Signed by IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, the letter condemns the move which is being prepared without consultation with employee…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today strongly condemned the additional seven days detention time given to police by an Ethiopian court to investigate the case of the journalist, Elias Nigatu, who has been held since 26 May.
According to the IFJ affiliate, the Ethiopian National Journalists Union (ENJU), Nigatu, who writes for Enku magazine, was arrested for publishing a story that police said instigated violence and riots among students at Jimma university, located in Jimma city, southwest of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. Police have stated that Elias is responsible for the loss of property and human lives during the violent riot by the university students.
The…
The editor of Burniq newspaper editor and a critic of jihadists in Libya was shot dead in the eastern city of Benghazi, an Islamist stronghold, according to medical sources.
A friend of the journalist reportedly said that Bouzid had received threats to his life from Islamic extremists whom he often criticised on television.
Source: AFP
According to reports, Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter Andrey Mironov were killed in Slavyansk, eastern Ukraine, while covering fighting between government forces and pro-Russian insurgents.
Another media staff, William Roguelon, a French photographer who was travelling with Rocchelli and Mironov and was wounded in the incident, is reported to have said that they were hit by mortar fire as they were taking shelter in a roadside ditch.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has demanded that all parties involved in the civil war in Libya respect the rights and freedom of journalists following the horrific murder of the prominent journalist, Meftah Bouzid.
According to media reports, Bouzid, who was known for his fierce criticism of Islamist militias in Libya, was shot dead in the city of Benghazi yesterday, Monday 26 May.
He was the editor of the Burniq newspaper and had regularly appeared on television challenging the rise of Islamist groups since the country’s 2011 revolution. He had received numerous death threats because of the editorial line of his newspaper.
“We strongly condemn the brutal murder…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned about the sacking of a Chinese journalist who was dismissed because he called on the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to help Chinese tear down China’s notorious online censorship system.
Zhang Jialong, a journalist with online company Tencent, was suspended on May 20 and sacked on May 23 on allegations of “leaking business secrets and other confidential and sensitive information”. Zhang said in his blog that he believed his dismissal was decided by Tencent with the intervention of propaganda authorities, including the Central Propaganda Department.
On May 24 Zhang wrote that his department head dismissed…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have called on Ukrainian authorities to carry out a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the death of Italian photojournalist, Andrea Rocchelli, and Russian interpreter, Andrey Mironov, who were killed in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, 24 May.
According to reports, Rocchelli and Mironov were killed in Slavyansk while covering fighting between government forces and pro-Russian insurgents. The Italian foreign ministry have advised that the exact circumstances of Rocchelli’s death remain unclear because the situation on the ground was "difficult to verify," even for…
The International Federation of Journalists (IF) expresses growing concern over the treatment of local and international media in Thailand in the six days since martial law was imposed by the military and calls for the immediate release of media detained in recent days. Along with four media groups, the IFJ has called for the military to respect the role of the media in Thailand and allow free passage of reporting.
On Sunday May 25, the senior reporter of The Nation, Pravit Rojanaphruk, was amongst the 100 prominent Thais summoned by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to attend the Royal Thai Army auditorium. The group have since been taken to and detained at undisclosed…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) are concerned by events involving the Jang Group of Publications and its popular television channel Geo TV in recent weeks and have backed calls to resist any attempts to shut down the transmission of Geo TV, saying that any moves would be a serious violation of media freedoms in Pakistan with larger implications for the country.
Tensions have been high in Pakistan since senior journalist and popular anchor of Geo TV Hamid Mir was shot in an attempted assassination in Karachi on April 19. Following the incident, Hamid Mir and Geo TV accused the Pakistan army’s spy agency,…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is saddened to report the brutal murder of a Digos City radio broadcaster in the Philippines this morning, May 23, and has called on the Aquino government to take much-needed decisive action to aim at curbing the disturbing number of attacks directed at the broadcast media.
According to the IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Samuel Oliverio, 54, was shot and killed along Del Pilar Street, Digos City, at 7.30am. The NUJP have reported that Oliverio was on his way home from the public market when he was shot by two gunmen who did not even bother to cover their faces.
NUJP chairperson Rowena C. Paraan…
An IFJ/EFJ delegation composed of chair of IFJ/EFJ authors’ rights expert group Mike Holderness, EFJ President Mogens Blicher and IFJ/EFJ authors’ rights officer Pamela Morinière drew the attention of WIPO director General Francis Gurry to the current and urgent challenges journalists are faced with when trying to protect their authors’ rights and get an adequate remuneration for the use of their work.
The delegation pointed in particular at the lack of moral rights enforcement, the unfair contractual situation of journalists, the need to strengthen journalists’ skills on authors’ rights negotiation and the worrying debate on copyright exceptions at WIPO level.
Director General…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has issued media safety advisory guidelines for journalists reporting on next week’s Presidential elections in Egypt.
Next Monday and Tuesday Egyptians will vote to elect a new President between former army commander Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Hamdeen Sabahi. This will be the first Presidential poll since the ousting by the army of Mohammed Morsi last June.
His removal from office sparked violent protests, in which more than 1.000 protesters are believed to have been killed and up to 20.000 have been detained. Journalists also came under attack, with numerous incidents which resulted in 6 killings of media…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today expressed dismay at the failure of the European Union to recognise the public’s Right to Access Information.
The EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline were formally adopted by the European Council’s Foreign Affairs meeting on 12 May, despite the IFJ, EFJ and other leading media and freedom of expression groups urging a delay and calling for a formal public consultation prior to adoption.
“It is shocking that the European Union should adopt a set of guidelines on Freedom of Expression that fall so far short of internationally recognised standards,’ said…
The Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG) is in the process of forming its steering committee. GAMAG was formally launched in December 2013 in Bangkok at the close of the first Global Forum on Media and Gender. This pioneering collective brings together key stakeholders capable of effecting real and sustainable change; among them are representatives of media organizations, media professionals (including the IFJ), academics, policy-makers, civil society groups and development agencies. An international steering committee to guide GAMAG is being put in place. The steering committee of 13-15 members will reflect regional, linguistic, and generational diversity, and…
Ukrainians are heading to the polls next Sunday 25 May to elect a new President, following the ousting of former President Viktor Yanukovych earlier this year. The election is taking place at a time where the country is still in the grip of a political crisis, with pro-Russia separatist groups controlling some parts in the east and organised an independence referendum in region of Donetsk.
These groups have clashed with anti-Russia protesters and journalists have been caught up in these incidents. There have also been a number of cases where journalists have been banned or detained by pro-Russian separatists or Ukrainian security forces.
The International Federation of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have welcomed the convictions of the murderers of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, but urged Russian authorities to continue their investigations and to find those people who ordered the killing.
On Tuesday, 20 May, a Moscow court found five men guilty of murdering Politkovskaya, a renowned investigate journalist and frequent Kremlin critic. She was shot dead in what was believed to be a contract killing in the elevator of her apartment block in 2006. According to reports, three of the defendants who were convicted had been acquitted in a previous trial.
The IFJ and EFJ…
As Sunday’s presidential election in Ukraine approaches, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have called on all parties to the crisis in the country to respect the rights and freedoms of journalists covering the poll, while also advising journalists to remain vigilant and stay safe.
The IFJ and the EFJ has also renewed their plea for all journalists detained in the Ukraine to be released with immediate effect.
The IFJ/EFJ have issued the calls following reports that British journalist Graham Philips, who works for Russian TV station, Russia Today, was detained in Mariupol, in eastern Ukraine, on Tuesday, 20 May, before…
La Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (FEPALC), integrante de la Federación Internacional de Periodistas (FIP) condena el asesinato del periodista radial paraguayo Fausto Gabriel Alcaraz. El crimen fue cometido el viernes 16 de mayo en la ciudad de Pedro Juan Caballero, capital del departamento de Amambay, zona fronteriza con Brasil. .
Alcaraz era el conductor del programa "De Frente a la Mañana" que se emite diariamente de 6 a 12 en Radio Amambay que se sintoniza en el 570 AM. La emisora es de propiedad del senador liberal Robert Acevedo. El periodista era crítico a las acciones de las bandas dedicadas al narcotráfico en la región.
Otro punto de conflicto…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have welcomed the convictions of the murderers of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, but they have urged Russian authorities to continue their investigations and to find those people who ordered the killing.
On Tuesday, 20 May, a Moscow court found five men guilty of murdering Politkovskaya, a renowned investigate journalist and frequent Kremlin critic. She was shot dead in what was believed to be a contract killing in the elevator of her apartment block in 2006. According to reports, three of the defendants who were convicted had been acquitted in a previous trial.
The IFJ and EFJ…
Media Under Attack has been compiled by the IFJ and affiliated unions in Armenia, Azerbaijan Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine where we have just completed a 3 year programme of press freedom and safety campaigning for journalists.
The report provides an overview of the media situation for each country, details press freedom violations recorded since 2011 and outlines the continuing challenges facing journalists unions and their members. Further contributions have been made from Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
Read the report HERE
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that eight people have been charged and several media outlets forced to shut down without cause after a crackdown organised by the Central Propaganda Department and government ministers.
Reporting from State-owned media and government over the exact number of violations and penalties handed down has varied and between two and as many as six media outlets could have been affected.
On May 21, Jinghua Newspaper, which is controlled by the Beijing Propaganda Department, reported that authorities charged eight people out of 11 suspects after a nationwide campaign designed to “prevent extortion by news reporting and contain the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) are deeply saddened to report the killing of a journalist in Chuadanga district in Bangladesh on Wednesday, May 21.
Sadrul Alam Nipul, 35, a staff reporter of the popular local newspaper The Daily Mathabhanga, was found dead on a railway line. According to his family, he left his home on Tuesday, May 20,night at 9pm for work after receiving a call on his mobile. He did not return home and his severed body was discovered on Wednesday morning.
Despite local police stating that the death may have been the result of a rail incident, Nipul’s family has claimed that he was killed for…
