Coinciding with the International Day of Human Rights, which is celebrated each 10 December, the President of the International Federation of Journalists (FIJ), Jim Boumelha, reflected from Belfast on the interconnection between journalism and human rights, the performance and final purpose of journalists, the accountability of governments in the protection of these workers , the new challenges of democratic societies and the future of journalism in this new digital era.
1. How interconnected are journalism and human rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), since its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1948, represents the first global expression of…
Every week the International Federation of journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights for this week, from Monday 8 to Friday 12 of December:
1. IFJ and EFJ Sign a Memorandum With the Council of Europe to Create an Online Safety Platform for Journalists
2. Ukraine Moves to 'Ban Communism'
3. Maguindanao Victims Still Await Justice
4. Int'l press body condemns murder of journalist in Yemen
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses concern over the decision by the West Bengal state government in India to restrict journalists’ movement in Nabanna, the state’s main administrative building.
The West Bengal Police passed an order last week stating that journalists will not be allowed to enter any of the government department’s offices without prior permission from the authorities. It also stated that if journalists are found violating the order, they would be arrested and charged under Indian Penal Code and the Official Secrets Act.
The journalists protested the decision and boycotted a press conference called by finance minister Amit Mitra on Monday, December…
The reporter for Al Jazeera.Net was killed in the Syrian south western province of Daraa. According to Al Jazeera, al Deiry was travelling with the lights of his car off to avoid being targeted when he collided with another vehicle belonging to Syrian rebels operating in the area. Before joining Al Jazeera, al Deiry had worked for the official Syrian news agency.
Media reports said that Rami Asmi and Yousef El-Dous, both correspondents for the Syrian opposition TV channel Orient News were killed along with their cameraman Salem Khalil in the south west of Syria.
The channel reportedly said that the crew members were on their way to Sheikh Miskeen to report on rebel advances when their vehicle was hit by a guided missile. They had just driven past government forces in the locality of Qarfa, the channel’s statement added, noting that the van “was not marked as a press vehicle but was identifiable because it was carrying a satellite dish almost 1.8m in diameter.”
Sources: BBC, AFP, CPJ
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned by the growing number of attacks against female journalists in Pakistan in recent months. On December 8, a female journalist was attacked covering a political rally in Faisalabad, in Punjab, Pakistan, the third attack on a female journalist since August this year.
Geo News anchor, Maria Memon, was attacked as she covered the political rally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former cricketer Imran Khan. During the rally, clashes broke out between PTI supporters and those of the ruling party, Pakistan Muslim league (Nawaz) (PML-N). At first Memon was verbally assaulted, however the attack escalated when she and her…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in expressing concern over the attack on yet another witness in the trial against those accused of the Ampatuan Massacre. Five years on from the deadly massacre of journalists in history, justice is still denied.
On Wednesday, December 10, former Maguindanao mayor of Datu Salibo Akmad Baganian Ampatuan was attacked in an ambush on his Army-escort convoy on the boundary of Guindulungan and Talayan, near Maguindanao in the southern Philippines. Ampatuan, a relative of the principal accused and a prosecution witness was attacked 17 days after the fifth anniversary of the…
Welcome to IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly Press Freedom in China Campaign e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on January 8, 2015.
To contribute news or information, email [email protected]. To visit the IFJ’s China Campaign page, go to www.ifj.org.
Traditional Chinese version available here.
Simplified Chinese version available here.
Please distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
In this bulletin:
1) New wave of “Occupy” protests triggers police violence and malicious accusations
2) Veteran media figure suffers violent attack
3) TVB journalists suffer apparent retaliation
4) Hong Kong band forbidden to stage concert after supporting Occupy…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses its serious concerns towards the safety of the senior leader of the IFJ affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in Lahore, Pakistan after the Punjab Police decided to withdraw police protection amid new threats to his life.
Rana M. Azeem, the Lahore-based PFUJ president, has received threats to his life from unknown people after Punjab Police withdrew security they were providing him following similar threats in September. The PFUJ believes that the withdrawal of the police protection to Azeem is a result of the protest against the Punjab Police for arresting journalists of ARY TV doing sting…
La Federación Internacional de Periodistas se une a sus sindicatos afiliados en los EE.UU., el Gremio de Periódicos (TNG), Sindicatos Nacional de Escritores (NWU) y la Federación Estadounidense de Artistas de Radio y Televisión (AFTRA), en el duelo por la muerte del fotógrafo Lucas Somers, luego de que fuera asesinado a tiros por sus secuestradores durante un intento fallido por fuerzas especiales estadounidenses de liberarlo.
"La FIP y sus afiliados a lo largo del mundo condenan esta atrocidad y envían a sus condolencias a la familia de Lucas. Al igual que muchos otros reporteros gráficos, decidió vivir entre los hombres y mujeres cuyas vidas y sufrimiento que quería…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) have welcomed the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights’ landmark decision of 5 December in the case of journalist Issa Lohé Konaté against Burkina Faso. The Court ruled that the government had violated the reporter’s right to freedom of expression, following his 12 months jail sentence handed down in 2012 for having accused a public prosecutor of corruption. In a binding decision which sets a precedent for all African states, the court ordered Burkina Faso to amend its law on defamation.
"We welcome this magnificent victory for press freedom. The African Court has delivered an…
The International Federation of Journalists joins its member unions in the USA, the Newspaper Guild (TNG), the National Writers' Unions (NWU) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), in mourning the death of photographer Luke Somers after he was shot dead by his kidnappers during a failed attempt by US special forces to release him.
“The IFJ and its affiliates worldwide condemn this latest barbaric outrage and send their condolances to Luke’s family. Like many other photojournalists, he decided to live amongst the men and women whose lives and suffering he wanted to portray. Luke was fully engaged in his journalist’s duty to tell people’s tragedies and throw…
The US photojournalist was killed in a rescue raid by US special forces in Yemen. Somers, who
worked as a journalist and photographer for Yemeni news organisations and contributed material to international news outlets, including the BBC News website, was kidnapped outside a supermarket in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September 2013.
Another hostage, South African charity worker Pierre Korkie, was also killed in the same incidents. Reports said that both hostages were badly injured in the firefight between American soldiers and militants. Somers was reportedly to have died while being treated on a US navy ship.
Source: BBC, AFP
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly criticizes the actions of Chinese authorities, withholding news of a case of public concern until after midnight in order to obstruct non-Mainland media from conducting further investigations. The actions demonstrates the poor efforts by Mainland authorities to become more transparent.
At midnight on December 5, Xinhua, a state-owned media, reported that the Chinese authorities announced the arrest an expulsion of Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China. The following day, December 6, all Mainland media republished the Xinhua report with similar commentary…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly criticizes the actions by local police in Makassar in Indonesia’s north, who attacked a number of journalists on November 13. The journalists were attacked as these covered a police raid at the Makassar State University (UNM). The IFJ reminds the local government and police that journalists should not be punished or attacked for simply doing their jobs.
On November 13, hundreds of police raided the Makassar State University over protests with students. A number of journalists were covering the raids when they to came under attack. Iqbal Lubis from Koran Tempo had his memory card from his camera taken by police and Vincent Waldy a…
Every week the International Federation of journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights for this week, from Monday 1st to Friday 5th of December:
1. Hong Kong police, protesters engage in new round of clashes
2. Afrique: La FIJ célèbre le 25 novembre la Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la violence à l'égard des femmes
3. Plusieurs moments forts ont rythmé la séance inaugurale du FMDH
4. Annonce de la fermeture de l’AITV : Les agents réclament un moratoire
5. IFJ Federation of Journalists : La FIJ et GPU forment 15 journalistes Gambiens à la…
The International Federation of Journalists is launching ‘Focus on Safety’’, a monthly publication which will provide highlights, news and in-depth analysis about safety-related events of concern to journalists.
This is part of IFJ campaign on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity.
We welcome your feedback, experiences in the field and any stories you may wish to share with members of the global journalists’ community.
Read all about it here.
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries
La Fédération internationale des journalistes a salué aujourd’hui la Déclaration adoptée par le XVe Sommet de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) qui s’est tenu à Dakar, Sénégal du 29-30 novembre.
Dans leur Déclaration, les chefs d’Etats des pays membres de l’OIF condamnent « fermement toutes les formes de violence exercées contre les journalistes et les professionnels des médias », et s’engagent « à leur assurer une protection effective ». Ils ont aussi réaffirmé leur « volonté de garantir la liberté de la presse ainsi que le pluralisme des médias et de veiller à la mise en place et au fonctionnement de mécanismes indépendants de régulation et…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) yesterday signed yesterday a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Europe to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. Its European group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) also signed as well as representatives of three other media freedom NGOs.
The event took place in a conference jointly organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the French Senate at the Palais du Luxembourg, in Paris.
"This platform is the first step to create a tool to react more swiftly and take action to enhance the safety of journalists", said the Secretary…
The International Federation of Journalists' (IFJ) president, Jim Boumelha, signed yesterday a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Europe to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. The European Federation of Journalists' president, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, signed too as well as representatives of three other media freedom NGOs.
The event took place in a conference jointly organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the French Senate at the Palais du Luxembourg, in Paris.
"Politicians at the European Assembly in Europe have finally woken up to the plea of journalists under attack", said Jim Boumelha.…
La Fédération internationale des journalistes a salué aujourd’hui la Déclaration adoptée par le XVe Sommet de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) qui s’est tenu à Dakar, Sénégal du 29-30 novembre.
Dans leur Déclaration, les chefs d’Etats des pays membres de l’OIF condamnent « fermement toutes les formes de violence exercées contre les journalistes et les professionnels des médias », et s’engagent « à leur assurer une protection effective ». Ils ont aussi réaffirmé leur « volonté de garantir la liberté de la presse ainsi que le pluralisme des médias et de veiller à la mise en place et au fonctionnement de mécanismes indépendants…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) are alarmed by the creation of a government body to control information and the media in Ukraine.
According to media reports, the Ukrainian Parliament on Tuesday 2 December has passed a proposal to create a new body called the Ministry of Information Policy with the aim of “confronting Russia’s formidable propaganda machine”.
The government has appointed Mr. Yuriy Stets, a close ally to President Petro Poroshenko and the head of the Information Security Department of the National Guard of Ukraine, to lead the ministry.
The EFJ and IFJ have criticised the decision to create the new…
The 57-year-old senior journalist editor of Criminal Express, a newspaper in Donetsk covering the crime news, was killed along his wife in a village of Bogorodychne near Slovyansk in war-torn Donetsk Oblast, according to police sources.
Officials of the Interior Ministry were quoted as saying that the couple was knifed to death. Media reports added that Kuchynsk had gained reputation from his investigations into the Donbass mafia.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked by the Bangladesh court’s conviction this week of Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman on contempt for questioning the official death toll of 1971 liberation war.
A special war crimes court, the International Crimes Tribunal, on Tuesday, December 2 ruled that a blog and two other articles written by Bergman, 49, ‘hurt the feelings of the nation’ and fined him USD 65 or a week’s imprisonment.
Bergman, the editor of special reports at local English-language daily New Age, questioned the number of deaths during Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan in his personal blog posts written between 2011 and 2013.
A Supreme Court…
La Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ) et le Syndicat de la Presse de la Gambie (Gambia Press Union, GPU) ont achevée vendredi 28 novembre dernier la formation de quinze journalistes et bloggeurs sur la sécurité en ligne. Cette formation a été financée par l’Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas au Sénégal.
L’atelier organisé à l’attention des professionnels de la presse de la Gambie s’est déroulée du 25 au 28 novembre dans la ville de Kaolack au Sénégal. Les cérémonies d’ouverture et de clôture des travaux ont été présidées par Gabriel Baglo, directeur du bureau Afrique de la FIJ. Le président du GPU, Bai Emil Touray a exprimé ses remerciements à l’Ambassade…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Gambia Press Union (GPU) completed last Friday, November 28 the training of fifteen journalists and bloggers on safety online. The training session was funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Senegal.
This workshop designed for Gambian media professionals took place from 25 through 28 November, 2014 in the town of Kaolack, Senegal. Both the opening and closing ceremonies of the session were chaired by Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office. The President of the GPU, Bai Emil Touray expressed thanks to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and to the IFJ, and magnified the importance of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses criticism for the actions of police in the handcuffing and arrest a journalist, the second in as many days in Hong Kong. The IFJ has also called again on the Hong Kong authorities to take a stand against the continued attacks on press freedom that have been monitored by the IFJ.
Lam Po-yik and Wong Chun-Lung, 45, cameramen for Hong Kong-based Apple Daily, were accused of assaulting and trying to snatch a police officer’s gun when they were filming attempts by police to disperse protesters at the junction of Soy Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Lam strongly denied the accusation. His colleague Wong was…
At the World Human Rights Forum in Morocco, IFJ President Jim Boumelha was a keynote speaker during the opening ceremony in Marrakech, on Thursday 29 November 2014, highlighting the important role of journalism in relation to human rights and representing the Federation’s 600,000 journalists based in 130 countries.
In his opening speech, Jim Boumelha highlighted the interconnections between journalists and human rights defenders - those who oppose all human rights too often also target journalists. Jim Boumelha referred to Harold Evans, the former Editor of Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, who has spoken out against the killing of journalists, Harold Evans said:
“The price of truth…
The senior journalist, columnist and consulting editor of The Financial Express was hit by a bus when getting off at Karwan Bazaar in Dhaka. He was declared dead at hospital.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has taken part in a three-day international mission on press freedom in Spain from 1 to 3 December, carried out by six international media freedom organisations including the EFJ, the International Press Institute (IPI), Access Info Europe, Open Society Foundation (OSF), Reporters without Borders (RSF) and the World Association of Newspaper Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The Mission is the first in its kind to find out the state of press freedom in Spain with media visits in Madrid and Barcelona in the wake of austerity crisis.
“Like other countries in southern Europe that are affected by the austerity policies, Spain’s media freedom is facing a…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemn the attacks on Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) equipment of various television stations on Islamabad on Sunday, November 30.
A number of unidentified people threw small explosives described as crackers, targeting the DSNG of Dunya News, Dawn News and Abb Tak News channels after the conclusion of a political rally at Faizabad Interchange. The attack left five media workers injured.
The attack took place after the completion of coverage of the political rally organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The crackers were hauled at the parked DSNG vans…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) are saddened by the death of a senior journalist and columnist in a road accident in Dhaka on Saturday, November 29.
Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, former managing director and chief editor of state-owned news agency the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), was declared dead at a hospital where he was rushed to after being hit by a bus. He was getting off it at Karwan Bazaar, in Dhaka’s business and commercial district when he was struck. The 66-year-old journalist was on his way for a talk show in ATN Bangla from Dhaka Press Club.
Chowdhury is survived by his wife, a son and a…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) are deeply saddened by the death of a Pakistani media worker and demand immediate action on the television station who have not paid his salary for four months.
Imran Ahmad Khan, a Non-Linear Editor (NLE) of Royal TV, committed suicide on Thursday, November 27. He left a recorded message blaming Royal TV management for his death. According to reports, he suffered a stroke earlier this year and was admitted to the hospital. He was terminated from the job when he demanded his pending salary.
The PFUJ said: "There are…
Welcome to the IFJ Asia-Pacific’s monthly e-bulletin. The next bulletin will be sent on January 8 2015, 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 End Impunity Campaign 2014
2. IFJ Mission to the Philippines to commemorate fifth anniversary of massacre
3. IFJ writes to Pakistan Prime Minister calling for end to…
The 53-year-old senior journalist for the Telagu daily, Andra Prabha was beaten to death in Guntur of Andra Pradesh, south eastern India on 25 November. Reports said that Sankar was attacked by half-a-dozen unidentified assailants with iron rods and sticks in front of his residence in Chilakaluripet town. He succumbed to the injuries a day later at a government hospital.
Sankar had reportedly written a series of stories exposing several scams in public distribution system. He even lodged a complaint with Guntur police seeking action against errant food dealers. He was said to have provided police with a list of dealers involved in selling subsidized food items.
Every week the International Federation of journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights for this week, from Monday 24 to Friday 28 November:
1. S. Philippines Convictions Elusive 5 Years After Election-related Killings
2. RP under Noy ‘epicenter’ of impunity, says IFJ
3. Sénégal : le président Macky Sall invite les députés à adopter le Code de la presse bloqué depuis 5 ans
4. Int’l journalists take up 2009 massacre with police execs
5. Liberté de la presse en afrique : La Fij interpelle l’Oif
6. Russian Union of Journalists Preparing Study on…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly criticizes the conviction against a Thai editor and calls for his immediate release.
Nut Rungwong was the editor of Thai E-News and was sentenced on Monday to four and half years, which was half the original sentence because he pled guilty, for defaming Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej under the country’s lѐse majesté laws. Rungwong was arrested and had his home raided on May 25, three days after the army took control of the country from the elected government.
Rungwong has been sentenced for publishing an article in 2009, written by Thai university professor and political writer, Giles Ungpakorn, who currently lives in exile…
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and the IFJ are, this week, preparing negotiators for the final stages of the collective bargaining process agreed with the the state-owned broadcaster the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, the national news agency WAFA and the daily newspaper Alhayat Aljadeeda.
The next round of negotiations with the management are expected to take place before the end of the year. Meanwhile, PJS negotiators are holed up in a Ramallah workshop with the IFJ and the Norwegian Union of Journalists leading negotiator, Finn Våga.
The training is focused on improving negotiation skills of PJS activists and build on an earlier workshop in April that produced…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan’s National Unity Government’s statement of intention to bring an end to impunity for crimes against journalists and media workers in the country.
In a statement issued on November 23 as part of a national campaign to end impunity, CEO Abdullah Abdullah renewed a commitment for supporting freedom of expression and media activities, saying that the country’s National Unity Government remains committed to protect press freedom.
The campaign was coordinated by the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) to call on the Afghan Government to fulfill its promises in taking actions to end impunity…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and it’s affiliate the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemn the brutal murder of a senior journalist in Guntur of Andra Pradesh, in south eastern India on early hours of Wednesday, November 26.
MVN Shankar, 53, a reporter working for a Telagu daily, Andra Prabha, was attacked by three unidentified assailants with iron rods and sticks late Tuesday night, November 25 in front of his residence at Chilakaluripet town. He succumbed to the injuries a day later at a government hospital.
An IJU affiliate Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and Andhra Pradesh Newspaper Employees Federation also strongly condemned the murder.
In…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly criticizes the recent actions of the Hong Kong police against a number of journalists in Mong Kok. As police tried to clear Occupy Movement protesters from the streets of Mong Kok, journalists were threatened with arrest confronted by police as they reported on the situation.
On the night of November 25, a member of a Now Television crew was accused of “assaulting a police officer” and pushed to the ground by several officers. According to footage taken by Now, there was a chaos after police used pepper spray to disperse dozens of peaceful protesters. One officer tried to take a ladder away from the Now crew while the…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined forces with the Council of Europe (CoE) and media freedom partner agencies, in launching a new online “rapid reaction” platform for journalists under threats.
The platform would allow trusted media freedom partner agencies to post “alerts” on a public, centralised online platform when individual journalists are in danger or their work is under threat – opening the way for swift reactions from international organisations which uphold media freedom standards, such as the Council of Europe, OSCE Media Freedom Representative, EU and UN. The platform will be launched on 4 December in Paris in a conference jointly organised by the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is saddened by the death of Shivam Bhatt, a journalist with India’s Zee News TV in a car accident on November 20 in Barwala, Haryana, India.
According to reports, the 24-year-old reporter died when the vehicle he was travelling in collided with stray cattle and went off the road on the Kaithal-Chandigarh highway. Three other people — reporter Rohit Khanna, cameraman Jaiveer Rawat and the driver — also sustained injuries.
They all were rushed to Indira Gandhi Mulitispeciality General Hospital where Bhatt was declared dead on arrival. The other people in the vehicle are in hospital in a stable condition.
Bhatt was on assignment and was…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has marked 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which this year is focused on workplace violence in the media sector.
On this day, the IFJ and its different affiliates in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Latin America demand a real equality in working and salary conditions and rights between male and female media workers.
"IFJ is very concerned about the hidden violence that still exists against our female colleagues, who suffer intimidation, sexual harassment and psychological abuse in the work place just for being women and, in our case, journalists," said IFJ's…
According to reports, the 24-year-old reporter for India’s Zee News TV died when the vehicle he was travelling in collided with stray cattle and went off the road on the Kaithal-Chandigarh highway in Barwala, India. Three other people — reporter Rohit Khanna, cameraman Jaiveer Rawat and the driver — also sustained injuries.
They all were rushed to Indira Gandhi Mulitispeciality General Hospital where Bhatt was declared dead on arrival. The other people in the vehicle are in hospital in a stable condition. Bhatt was on assignment and was covering the arrest of controversial Indian preacher Rampal, who was arrested in connection to a 2006 murder case, when the incident took place.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has written an open letter to the President of the Supreme People's Court of China, Zhou Qiang, and the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Cao Jianming, urging them to uphold the rule of law in the trial of veteran journalist Gao Yu.
Gao Yu, who was awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 1997, was arrested in Beijing in April on a charge of illegally obtaining state secrets. Gao was accused of releasing a Communist Party document to an overseas online media outlet. It has been widely reported that the document was the Central Committee’s Document No. 9, which warns against the “seven perils”,…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has today staged an action in Brussels to support its affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), whose members were accused of violating the law for their campaign action on 5 November, Stand up for Journalism Day.
The EFJ (in the picture) has mimicked the action taken by the BAJ members on 5 November in order to show the ridiculousness of the police charges. The charges were brought against the group after they took a picture in Vitebsk to support the Stand Up For Journalism Day of the EFJ held on 5 November. They are now waiting a court appearance on Thursday, 27 November.
The EFJ, together with BAJ, have written an open…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) welcoming the decision by the Philippine government to lift the ban on nine Hong Kong journalists, who were banned from entering the country a week ago.
Eric Lee Kwok-Keung, a Hong Kong-based Now TV cameraman, was prevented from entering Philippines on November 20 and had to return to Hong Kong. He later received a letter from Philippine Airlines stating that eight Hong Kong journalists, as well as Lee, would be banned from entering the country to cover the APEC summit in Manila next year. The media outlets affected, Now Television, Commercial Radio and Hong Kong Radio…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), their affiliate in Belarus, in asking the national authorities to drop the charges against several journalists accused by the police of holding an unauthorised action. The charges were brought against the group after they took a picture in Vitebsk to support the Stand Up For Journalism Day of the EFJ held on 5 November. They are now waiting a court appearance.
According to the open letter published by BAJ calling for the charges to be dropped, seven of its members took a photo in front of a famous graffiti in Vitebsk with some…
La Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ) et son groupe africain la Fédération des Journalistes Africains (FAJ) ont aujourd'hui interpelé le XVe sommet de le Francophonie sur la situation de la liberté de la presse en Afrique, notamment la sécurité des journalistes, l’accès à l’information, et la dépénalisation des délits de presse.
Dans une déclaration au sommet, adressée au Secrétaire Général de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), la FIJ a exhorté l’OIF à s’associer pleinement aux initiatives des Nations unies concernant la protection des journalistes, notamment le plan d’action des Nations unies sur la sécurité des journalistes,…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists, India (NUJI) in welcoming the Delhi High Court verdict ordering The Hindustan Times to reinstate 272 media workers 7 years after the newspaper arbitrarily sacked them.
Justice Suresh Kait on November 17 termed the termination of 272 employees as arbitrary and upheld the January 23, 2012 judgement by the Industrial Tribunal granting the media workers reinstatement with back wages of 9 years. The Hindustan Times management had appealed the Tribunal judgement at the Delhi High Court.
The High Court order stated: “Reinstatement with full back wages is the proper relief to which the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists, India (NUJI) in condemning the police atrocities on journalists at Barwala, Hisar in the Haryana state, in north-eastern India on November 18.
According to reports, a score of media persons covering the stand-off and clash between security forces and followers of controversial sect leader Rampal were injured as police carried out an unprovoked attack on journalists. Cameras and equipment of photojournalists and television stations were damaged and broken in the attack.
Eighty-six journalists were camped outside the Ashram of Rampal filming the violent clashes with the permission of…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliates the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the Nepal Press Union (NPU) is condemning the attack on a journalist in Chitwan, central Nepal on November 20.
Two unidentified people on a motorbike attacked Narayan Adhikari with sharp weapons near his home while he was returning from his office. Adhikari, a correspondent of state-owned National News Agency and a journalist at local Hamro FM radio, sustained injuries on right arm and is undergoing treatment at the Bharatpur Medical Hospital.
Adhikari is also the chairman of the NPU’s district committee.
The FNJ said in a statement: “The FNJ strongly condemn the event.…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is accusing the Aquino government of a failure to protect the lives of journalists in the Philippines. The IFJ conducted a mission in the country this week marking the 5th anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre.
The Philippines is today the focus of a global campaign by international media and human rights groups as journalists and advocates commemorate the horrific loss of life that took place when a convoy was ambushed in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009. The massacre was allegedly orchestrated and executed by members of the Ampatuan clan in concert with members of the Philippines National Police. Many of the bodies were buried in mass…
Le Bureau Afrique de la Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ), et le Syndicat des journalistes et professionnels de la communication sociale de Guinée-Bissau (SINJOTECS) ont achevé hier jeudi 20 novembre la formation de vingt-cinq journalistes et bloggeurs sur la sécurité en ligne en Guinée–Bissau.<u1:p></u1:p>
Internet est le lieu de graves menaces sécuritaires avec des Etats fermés, développant des technologies d’attaques et de contre-attaques des défenseurs des droits de l’homme, des bloggeurs et des journalistes. La FIJ considère que l’Internet fait désormais partie intégrante de nos sociétés, et le web recèle des atouts inépuisables pour l’accès à…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), its affiliate in Great Britain, in supporting six members who have taken legal action against the Metropolitan Police and the Home Secretary. The legal challenge concerns the monitoring and recording of their lawful journalistic and union activities by Police since 2008.
According to NUJ, Jules Mattsson, Mark Thomas, Jason Parkinson, Jess Hurd, David Hoffman and Adrian Arbib have been under police surveillance, as part of the police monitoring of the so called “domestic extremism.”
NUJ says that the journalists argue that the surveillance and retention of data is unnecessary,…
Every week the International Federation of journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned.
Read some of the news highlights for this week, from Monday 17 to Friday 21 October:
1. Le CNDH lance les préparatifs du Forum mondial des droits de l'homme
2. Thai journalists call to revoke oppressive media laws
3. Int’l group of journalists to probe status of Maguindanao massacre trial
4. Int’l media group outraged over ambush on Maguindanao Massacre witnesses
5. IFJ urges journalists to join campaign for justice against massacre of 32 Filipino journalists
6. Somalia: IFJ Condemns…
By Haroon Rashid
Syed Saleem Shahzad, a prominent Pakistani investigative journalist renowned for his incisive reporting of war and militancy and author of a book on militancy in the country, was abducted in broad daylight from the heart of federal capital Islamabad on May 29, 2011. His abduction and subsequent brutal murder left many in Pakistan in a state of shock – not just his family and the community of 18,000 journalists in the country but also the public at large.
Many were alarmed since the net of suspicion was cast, amongst others, on some institutions of the Pakistani State itself. The alarm soon turned into outrage, manifesting itself in the form of protests all over the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) today led a 70-person mission of Australian and International journalists, local media, as well as victims’ families to the site of the Ampatuan Massacre to mark the fifth anniversary of the event on Sunday, November 23. The IFJ mission is in the Philippines to join national commemorations for the fifth anniversary of the massacre and call the Philippine Government and President Aquino III to account over the complete impunity record of the case.
On November 23, 2009 58 people including 32 journalists were brutally murdered in Maguindanao in the south of the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the ambush of two potential witnesses in Shariff Aguak, in Maguaindanao, in the south of the Philippines.The attack took place on Wednesday 19 November, four days before the fifth anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre. Sunday will mark five years since 58 people were massacred, including 32 journalists. It is the largest massacre of journalists in history, and continues to hold a complete impunity record.
On Wednesday, November 19, Denniz Sakal, former driver for ex-Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr, and Sukarno ‘Butch’ Saudagal, former…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) criticises Hong Kong’s largest free-to-air television station, TVB, for penalizing three journalists who helped prepare a news report about seven policemen beating up an Occupy Movement protester on October 15.
Chief editor Wong Pun-Nam, assignments editor Peri Chow, and assistant assignments editor Ho Wing-Hong were on duty in the early hours of October 15, 2014. That day, a TVB camera operator captured exclusive footage of seven police officers pushing an Occupy Movement protester into a dark corner and beating him for four minutes. The incident occurred after police took action to clear a demonstration on Lung Wo Road, Admiralty, where…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) today condemned in the strongest possible terms, the cowardly murder of freelance journalist, Abdirisak Ali Abdi in the Central Somali town of Galkayo, Puntland on Tuesday, 18 November, 2014.<u1:p></u1:p>
According to a statement issued by NUSOJ, journalist Abdirisak Ali Abdi, who contributes to Radio Daljir and Horncable Television was shot and killed by two armed assailants. No one had claimed responsibility for the killing, but it is strongly believed that Abdirisak Ali Abdi was killed in relation to his job. Abdirisak Ali Abdi, is the third journalists killed in Somali this…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSJ), its affiliate in the country, in condemning the murder of Abdirisaq Ali Abdi. The 25 year old journalist, who worked for Radio Daljir and London-based Horn TV, was shot dead yesterday 18 November in Galkayo, semi-autonomous Puntland region of central Somalia.
Media reports said that Abdirisaq Ali Abdi, also known as ‘Silver’, was shot five times by two gunmen in a restaurant around 19:10 local time and was taken to Mudug General Hospital, where he died later. “The assailants have escaped after the shooting but the police are still in pursuit of the perpetrators,” said a police…
The journalist who worked for Radio Daljir in Puntland and London-based Horn TV was shot dead by unidentified attackers in the town of Galkayo, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate.
Police sources confirmed the shooting and were quoted as saying that “"The assailants have escaped after the shooting but the police are still in pursuit of the perpetrators."
His colleagues Nuh Muse said: "Armed men opened fire on him. I don't know why they targeted him. He was a brilliant guy who loved his work," the AFP quoted him as saying.
Abdirisak Ali Abdi became the third journalist to be killed in Somalia since the start of the…
Welcome to the e-bulletin of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN). The next bulletin will be sent on December 15, 2014, and your inputs are most welcome.
We encourage contributions to let others know what you are doing; to seek solidarity and support from other SAMSN members on your campaigns and activities. To contribute, email Ujjwal Acharya at: [email protected]
Please feel free to distribute this bulletin widely among colleagues in the media.
In this bulletin:
1. SAMSN campaign against impunity for journalist attacks #whatareyoudoing?
2. New SAMSN Digital Hub launches today
3. IFJ and SAMSN’s open letter to…
Pour la FIJ, internet doit continuer à jouer un rôle unique dans les transformations sociales qui ont lieu en Afrique grâce à son potentiel de mobilisation et d’information. Internet est aussi comme le constate la FIJ, le lieu de graves menaces sécuritaires avec des Etats fermés, développant des technologies d’attaque et de contre attaque des défenseurs des droits humains, des bloggeurs et des journalistes.
Dans la logique de jouer sur le terrain des nouvelles technologies, le Bureau Afrique de la Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ) met en œuvre la première phase du projet qui consiste à promouvoir la liberté sur Internet et à assurer la sécurité en ligne des…
“Our job is neither to please nor to harm anyone; our job is to portray the truth with our pen …”
What Albert Londres, a French journalist and one of the founding fathers of investigative journalism, said has captured the spirit of the Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalist which will be held at the House of Journalist in Moscow this Friday 21 and Saturday 22 of November.
While the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) held its last World Congress in Istanbul. The EFJ will hold its Annual Meeting in the capital of Russia. The goal is to portray the truth with our pen.
Some 55 delegates from trade unions and associations of journalists will be…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is joining its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) as they launch their week-long campaign to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao, in the Philippines and calls on journalists and the media to join in the campaign for justice against the single biggest massacre of journalists in history. Five years on from Ampatuan, the IFJ and NUJP are outraged at the lack of progress in the case that has yet to make one successful prosecution and 98 suspected perpetrators remain at large.
Five years ago, on November 23, 2009, 58 people were murdered, including 32 journalists as they…
