The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined ten press freedom organisations in
calling on Azerbaijan President, Ilham Aliyev, to release leading journalist Eynulla
Fatullayev who remains in detention despite the ruling of the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) of 22 April 2010 ordering his release. Instead, the authorities
have since convicted him of possession of drugs, allegedly found in his prison
cell in December 2009, in an attempt to frustrate the outcome of the ECHR case. "His continued
detention is a blatant abuse of power and contempt for Azerbaijan's
international obligations," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Press
freedom in Azerbaijan…
The European
Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today expresses its deepest concern following
a further violation of the law on protection of sources in France, reportedly
ordered by the French authorities. "For the second time in recent months, the law on protection of sources
has been grossly violated in France, apparently on the orders of the highest
leaders of this country, in spite of their responsibility for ensuring the
implementation of the laws to ensure freedom of the press," said EFJ
President Arne König. The French daily Le
Monde announced its intention to lodge a new complaint "against X" [a…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls
on authorities in the southern Philippines
to take immediate action to investigate death threats against Manny Agustero, of dxIF-Bombo Radyo, in Cagayan de Oro.
Agustero received four
calls on the evening of October 20, after an on-air discussion about alleged illegal
gambling operations on October 18, in which he reported that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) had complained to the city
council over the alleged proliferation of illegal lottery outlets.
The first of the
unidentified callers told him “he would be the next journalist to fall”, a
chilling reminder of the fact that…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European
group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today accused the British
Government of "reckless disregard" for people's right to quality information
following the announcement that the BBC, the world's leading public broadcaster,
is to suffer punitive cuts in its budget. A potential casualty is output from the BBC World Service which is
renowned internationally for high quality journalism that has inspired
campaigns for more press freedom in some of the world's most troubled regions
where political rights are routinely denied. "The sudden imposition of drastic cuts at the BBC threatens not only
jobs and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today firmly condemned the bomb attack against Radio Horseed in Bossasso, Puntland a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
“Even in conflict situation, it is unacceptable for fighters to target the media” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “This attack still proves the urgency of an international action to put an end to the blind violence prevailing in Somalia”.
According to information received from National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate, during the evening news (approximately 08:20pm) on Monday, 18 October 2010, an explosive device was thrown in the…
The International Federation of Journalists strongly
condemns two shocking cases of violence and intimidation directed against
journalists and media workers in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in
recent days.
In the first of these
incidents, Mohammad Abdul Waheed Chishti, a reporter for a local Urdu daily was
abused and attacked by supporters of an Islamic cleric at a press conference on
October 14 in the state capital Lucknow. The press conference was called by the
Imam (or head) of the historic Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi to discuss a recent
judicial verdict regarding a site in the town of Ayodhya, the centre of a
dispute between different religious…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has
called for immediate disciplinary action to be taken after a group of police
officers allegedly assaulted a group of journalists covering a student protest.
IFJ affiliates the Sri Lankan Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) and
the Free Media Movement Sri Lanka
(FMM) reported that five journalists covering the Inter
University Students’ Federation demonstration on October 14 in the
capital, Colombo, were attacked after they reported police used undue force to break up
the protest.
They were assaulted
despite having identified themselves as journalists to police after reporting
that a group of…
October 18, 2010
President Hu Jintao
Premier Wen Jiabao
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang
Jiechi
Minister of Public Security Meng
Jianzh
Minister
of Justice Wu Aiying
Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office
Wang Guangya
Director
of Taiwan
Affairs Office Wang Yi
Re:
Restrictions on Journalists reporting on Liu and Chen cases
Dear Sirs, Madam,
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) writes to you to express our deep concerns
about the serious restrictions placed on journalists and media workers operating
in China
whose activities are bound by the regulations for Foreign…
(Geneva,
Switzerland) In the face of
widespread cuts to public services, leaders of private and public sector trade
unions, municipal governments and civil society groups have made the
unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in
quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to
the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic
and ecologically-sustainable societies. It's "our turn, our
future" concluded participants in the international Quality Public Services-Action Now! conference in Geneva,
Switzerland this week. The Council of
Global Unions, sponsor of the three day conference…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today added its voice to that of journalists in Africa and around the world who have been shocked by the sudden death of the deputy editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, Edwin Dube 37 who died in a car accident on Monday, 11 October. “With Edwin’s death, the journalists’ community in Africa had lost a young professional and conscientious colleague and brother” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “May his soul rest in peaceful place” he added.
According to Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), IFJ affiliate, Edwin was transferred a month ago to Harare from Bulawayo, more than 400…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
deeply disturbed over reports of a mass retrenchment by the Nawa-i-Waqt media
group in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, has
reported that an estimated 170 journalists and media workers have in recent
weeks lost their jobs in the news organisation.
At a
recent meeting in Pakistan’s
national capital of Islamabad,
the Federal Executive Council, the highest deliberative body of the PFUJ,
sharply condemned the move by the Nawa-i-Waqt management, which had built its reputation
and its fortunes on the back of the tireless and dedicated work of its staff
over many…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urgently
calls on authorities in the Philippines
to act immediately to fully investigate threats made against staff working at a
safety office in the southern Philippines
run by an IFJ affiliate.
“The IFJ demands the
Government of the Philippines ensure local authorities in Mindanao investigate
the source of vicious threats made against staff of the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and take prompt steps to ensure they do not
come to harm,” IFJ Asia-Pacific
Director Jacqueline Park said.
Two threatening messages
were sent last week to staff of the NUJP
Mindanao Safety…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the action of the Hamas
Internal Security department which closed down the office of the Palestinian
Journalists' Syndicate (PJS) in Gaza, accusing them of ‘inexcusable intrusion"
in the internal affairs of Palestinian journalists. "The action by the Hamas
government is a violation of journalists' rights and a slap in the face of
Palestinians who are courageously fighting for their rights and the
independence of journalism in appalling conditions," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President,
who led an IFJ delegation to Palestine last month. "We join our affiliate the
Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate in their strong…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today
welcomed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese writer and dissident Liu
Xiaobo saying it is another sign that the inexorable march towards free
expression in China has become unstoppable. "The door to human rights, democracy and press freedom in
China is open a little wider today," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President.
"Journalists both inside China and around the world will take great heart that
this recognition of a writer's independence cannot be ignored no matter how
petulant the response from China's leaders." Liu Xiaobo was detained at the
end of 2008 just before the release of Charter 08, a manifesto for…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace
Prize to writer and Charter 08 initiator Liu Xiaobo, currently jailed in north-eastern
China.
However, the IFJ is concerned that
authorities in China
sought immediately to block any reporting by local and foreign media on the
award, announced on October 8.
Liu, a renowned scholar, was
sentenced to 11 years’ jail on December 25, 2009, accused of agitation to
subvert the Government.
He had previously been jailed four times
because of his articles about the 1989
Tiananmen Square Massacre and his urging of China’s
Government to move peacefully…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its
grave concern over the well-being of Tunisian journalist Fahem Boukaddous and
urged his immediate release. Boukaddous, whose health has sharply deteriorated
in prison, is serving a four year jail term following his conviction in March
for "forming a criminal association liable to attack persons". "We are very concerned about Boukaddous who needs urgent medical
treatment unavailable to him in prison," said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary. "Boukaddous has already been denied his freedom as punishment for
his independent journalism. Without immediate action his long term health is
under threat." According to…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today marked the fourth
anniversary of the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya by
urging the Russian authorities to ensure justice for her and her long-suffering
family and colleagues. "Her
killer has been named but not caught, his alleged accomplices have been put on
trial but acquitted, and those behind her murder appear to have got away scot-free
," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The way her murder has been
handled is an indictment of the Russian justice system. Her family and friends
have endured much distress and frustration and it is time to put an end to
this." The
IFJ says the recent…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) in voicing concerns
for the future of a critical and independent media in Fiji following
this week’s sudden resignation of Netani Rika as editor-in-chief of the Fiji Times.
The departure of Rika from the helm
of the paper was greeted warmly by the spokeswoman for Fiji’s military
regime led by Frank Bainimarama, which has imposed increasingly draconian
controls on independent media and freedom of expression over the past two
years.
Permanent Secretary for Information
Sharon Smith-Johns welcomed Rika’s departure, noting he had refused to
acknowledge the legitimacy…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called today Cameroonian governement to open quickly an independent investigation, following the publication on 14 september 2010 of an official report on the death in prison of journalist Cyrille Germain Ngota Ngota alias Bibi Ngota.
“We are surprised by the bias in the report presented by the Cameroonian authorities which purports to validate simply the official version conveyed shortly after the tragic incident,” declared Gabriel Baglo , Director of IFJ Africa office. “Cameroonian government has to take practical steps against impunity for violence on media.”
On September 14, 2010, Amadou Ali, Vice Prime…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today condemned the killing of Tahrir al Halbousi, an Iraqi cameraman
working for al-Hurra, a TV network funded by the United States, who died on
Monday 4 October in a booby-trap attack in the Garma area of Iraqi city of
Fallujah. "Iraqi journalists are in the grip of violence which is reminiscent of the
sectarian unrest which targeted media in the past," said Aidan White, IFJ
General Secretary. "Unless these attacks stop, progress towards democracy and
the rule of law will remain difficult if not impossible." According to the Iraqi Journalists'
Syndicate (IJS), an IFJ affiliate, al Halbousi was killed when he got into his
car to…
Leaders and representatives of 38
international and Asia-Pacific trade unions and associations representing workers in the media, entertainment,
graphical and arts industry resolved this week to encourage close and strong cooperation
to build a regional IFJ-UNI network.
More
than 50 union leaders and activists called for strengthened links among
industry unions at a meeting of affiliates and associates of global union
federations the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific, UNI Global Union and UNI-APRO,
UNI-MEI (Media, Entertainment and Arts) and UNI Graphical & Packaging, in Bali, Indonesia,
on September 29-30.
The joint IFJ…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has warned the European Union that rules over data retention are a threat to press freedom and need to be urgently reviewed.
In a meeting in Brussels with the European Union Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who is responsible for Home Affairs, a delegation of EFJ leaders said that the EU Data Retention Directive 2006/24/EC raised serious concerns for civil liberties and press freedom, and potentially compromised protection of journalists' sources, a cardinal principle of journalism across Europe.
Commissioner Malmström responded to the warning with a commitment to take the potential impact on the media into account.
"I share the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), UNI Global
Union and their affiliates across Asia-Pacific are gravely concerned for
journalists and media workers in South Korea who have been sacked
and subjected to punitive disciplinary measures due to their courageous
struggle for media independence under the Government of Lee Myung Bak.
Thirty-eight international and Asia-Pacific unions and associations of media,
graphical and entertainment workers attending the joint IFJ and
UNI Global meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on September 29-30 demanded the Lee
Government immediately act to restore press freedom in South Korea and
direct broadcasters YTN and Munhwa…
Sham contracting schemes in the Philippines and media management practices that
attempt to deny journalists and media workers their right to fair and secure
working conditions were resoundingly condemned by 38 international and national
unions and associations that met in Bali,
Indonesia, this
week.
Global
union federations the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific, UNI Global Union and UNI-APRO,
UNI-MEI (Media, Entertainment and Arts) and UNI Graphical & Packaging, and their
affiliates and associates across Asia-Pacific called on media employers in the Philippines
to end violations of worker’s rights to decent and secure working…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today called for journalists to play their part in keeping the peace in
India where there are fears of community violence in a long-running religious
dispute. Some 200,000 Indian army and security
personnel have been put on alert with fears of violence between Hindus and
Muslims over a court decision on a holy site in the pilgrim town of Ayodhya,
Uttar Pradesh, which is claimed by both communities. "Journalists and media must play their part in
resisting the forces of violence by deploying the highest standards of
tolerance and ethics in reporting this issue," said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary. "This is no time for ill-judged…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for a new debate in newsrooms over reporting gender issues and gave its backing to a global campaign to combat sexist reporting.
The IFJ says it is time for a serious gender-sensitive reporting debate inside journalism and for action to support fair, non sexist reporting in the news following publication of a report showing that women are still significantly underrepresented and misrepresented in news media coverage.
"Bias in the portrayal of women and men in news content has a detrimental impact on the public's perception of gender roles in society," says Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, commenting on the…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for a new debate in newsrooms over
reporting gender issues and gave its backing to a global campaign to
combat sexist reporting.
The IFJ says
it is time for a serious gender-sensitive reporting debate inside journalism
and for action to support fair, non sexist reporting in the news following publication
of a report showing that
women are still significantly underrepresented and misrepresented in news media
coverage. "Bias in the
portrayal of women and men in news content has a detrimental impact on the
public's perception of gender roles in society," says Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary,
commenting on…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today warned of continuing
violence against Iraqi journalists following the wounding of a television reporter
in a bomb explosion on Monday in Baghdad. "This was a
lucky escape from yet another vicious targeted attack on an Iraqi journalist,"
said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We condemn this senseless violence
which threatens to add to the country's record of media victims who lost their
lives since the beginning of war in 2003." According to
reports, the police in Baghdad have confirmed that al-Iraqiya television
journalist Alaa Muhssein was wounded in the blast caused by a sticky bomb which
had been attached to his car.…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its full backing
of the Spanish Federation of Journalists' Unions (FeSP in Spanish) and
Journalists of CCOO Union in their protest held today Wednesday 29 September against
the reforms of the labour market recently approved by the government of José
Luis R. Zapatero. Both affiliates denounce the reforms as being detrimental, especially
for media workers, and are taking part in the day of action and general strike
called by UGT and CCOO, the two main trade unions confederations of the
country. "The reduction of salaries and the
lay-offs have already punished hard media employees," said Jim…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today accused Iranian
authorities of a continuing and unrelenting campaign of intimidation against
media after a court condemned leading journalist and author Emad Baghi to a six-year
suspended jail term. The sentence, in response to an interview he conducted for the BBC's
Persian service TV channel in 2007, was described as "punitive and
absurd in equal measure" by the IFJ which says Iran must end its targeting of
journalists. "The sentence is completely unjustified and demonstrates only that the
Tehran regime remains focused on making life difficult for independent and
dissident voices in journalism," said Aidan White, IFJ General…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliates in the Philippines and Hong Kong in warning that any charges
laid against media personnel in the Philippines in regard to reporting on a
siege in Manila in August would set a dangerous precedent for free reporting of
sensitive situations.
Philippine President
Benigno Aquino said on September 20 that investigators had recommended charges
be laid against at least 12 people, including two journalists, over an incident
in which a tour bus was hijacked in Manila
on August 23. Eight Hong Kong nationals were
killed in the day-long siege. Seven people were injured.
The IFJ supports the National…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the release of an unlawfully detained journalist
who exposed alleged government wrongdoing around the construction of a dam more
than 50 years ago.
Xie Chaoping, 55, formerly with the Procuratorial Daily, a newspaper under
direct control of the Procurator of the People’s Republic of China, was detained on August 19 by security
officers of Weinan, Shaanxi, accused of illegal publication of a
book for commercial sale. His case was then passed to the Procuratory
Department on September 13 for investigation.
Xie was released by the department on
September 17 as there was insufficient evidence to…
EFJ Focus is a monthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced by the Secretariat in Brussels.
The newsletter is now available in English, French and German.
Further Information: Tel: 32-2-235.22.15/02 Fax: 32-2-235.22.19 E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Pakistani authorities
to launch an immediate inquiry in the murder of Mujeebur Rehman Saddiqui,
senior correspondent of Daily
Pakistan newspaper who was shot dead by gunmen yesterday in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa region, north
west of Pakistan. "The
authorities must move fast to catch the killers of our colleague," said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary. "This second murder of a journalist in as many
days puts media on notice for more attacks and they must be stopped." According to Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, Mujeebur, 39, was shot
dead by unidentified gunmen…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the
shooting attack on two young Mexican journalists in the city of Ciudad Juárez in which photojournalist Luis Carlos Santiago was killed and his colleague Carlos Sanchez seriously wounded.
The two Journalists worked for the local newspaper, the Diario de Juarez, which Santiago had joined only two weeks ago and
where Sanchez was an intern, reports say. "We condemn this wanton violence against young
innocent people who only wanted to pursue a career in journalism," said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary. "The authorities must step up their fight to
bring the war on journalists in Mexico to an…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins journalists
in Mongolia
to condemn the confiscation by the country’s authorities of a newspaper’s main
computer, which contained details of confidential sources.
Officers of Mongolia’s General Authority for Implementing
Court Decisions (GAFICD) entered the premises of the daily Niigmiin Toli (Public’s Mirror) in Mongolia’s
capital, Ulaanbaatar,
on August 27 and confiscated the paper’s host computer.
The paper’s
journalists protested the intimidation of the paper as a violation of media
freedoms.
The
confiscation, ordered by Chingeltei District Court…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the assurances given today by Salam
Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, to bring an
end to the harassment of Palestinian journalists by members of Palestinian security services. At the meeting
with the IFJ mission to Palestine, the Prime Minister apologized to Palestinian journalists
for the rough treatment some journalists continue to experience at the hand
of his government's security forces saying "These are isolated incidents
that we never condoned and will not tolerate". "The PM has been
very frank in his promise to work to end any bad treatment meted out to
journalists," said IFJ…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today vehemently condemned the
brutal murder of Prime Radio anchorman, Dickson Ssentongo, who was
severely beaten by unknown assailants and abandoned to die in a cassava
plantation in Mukono District some 35 km from the capital Kampala on Monday, 13
September, 2010. "We are
appalled by this vicious killing coming days only after we lost another Ugandan
colleague to violence," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa
Office. "The killing of Dickson Ssentongo signals a serious deterioration
of the security of journalists and the Ugandan Government must reassure
journalists and the public in general that…
A mission of the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) started yesterday a four-day visit to the Occupied
Palestinian Territories at the invitation of its affiliate, the Palestinian
Journalists' Syndicate (PJS). As well as meeting the newly elected leadership of the
PJS, the aim of the mission, says the IFJ, is to investigate the continuing
consequences of the Israeli occupation and the blockade of Gaza and East
Jerusalem on the work of all journalists and media workers and its impact on
their safety and identify actions to ameliorate the problems of freedom of
movement of journalists in the region. On its first day, the mission met PJS officials
and their new leadership…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),
the European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today
expressed its support for the newspaper Le Monde which has lodged a
formal complaint with the French courts to identify who ordered an illegal
police investigation to identify the source of information in the ‘Woerth
Bettencourt' affair. The EFJ further backed s French journalists' unions which
have denounced the government for interference in media affairs."If it turns out that the Head of
State ordered a police investigation to identify the source of
information in the 'Woerth Bettencourt-' case, then he not only reneged on
his…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union
of Journalists (PFUJ) in demanding an immediate investigation into the murder
of journalist Misri Khan in Hangu, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan’s north-west, on September
13.
Khan, 50, was a senior journalist
with the Daily Ausaf. He had owned a
well-known news service in Hangu and served as president of the Hangu Union of
Journalists.
He was shot by unidentified gunmen while
entering his office at the Hangu Press Club, and died in Hangu district
hospital a short time later. He is survived by his wife and 11 children.
The motivation for…
On 16 September, journalists in
Ukraine and around the world will mark the tenth anniversary of the murder of
our colleague Gyorgy Gongadze. On this occasion we once again call on the
Ukrainian authorities seriously to investigate those who ordered the killing. We are deeply concerned by recent
reports that the late general Yuriy Kravchenko is to be named as the person
responsible for ordering Gongadze's murder and particularly the failure to
identify any motivation that allegedly provoked Kravchenko to order his
killing. Given the extent to which the investigation has been deliberately
dragged out, obstructed and ridden with serious errors, this latest move looks
like an attempt…
The international Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric murder of freelance journalist, Paul Kiggundu, a correspondent for Top Radio, in Rakai District, Southern Buganda. Paul Kiggundu was beaten to death on Saturday, 11 September 2010 by a mob by commercial cyclists locally known as Bodabodas.
“We strongly condemn the atrocious murder of this colleague whose was only doing his duty in gathering information,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “The brutal attack of the mob must be met with the full force of the law. The authorities must ensure that those responsible are brought to…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has grave concerns about China’s unlawful detention of a
journalist who exposed alleged government wrongdoing around the construction of
a dam more than 50 years ago.
Xie Chaoping, 55, formerly with the Procuratorial Daily, a newspaper under
direct control of the Procurator of the People’s Republic of China, was detained on August 19 by security
officers of Weinan, Shaanxi, accused of illegal publication of a
book for commercial sale. His detention has only recently come to public
attention.
In the book, The Great Migration, Xie spent three years interviewing victims of
Sanmenxia Dam, chronicling the…
The Nation Union of Journalists of Great Britain and Ireland ( NUJ) has
joined forces with the International Federation of Journalists to condemn the decision by the UK government to refuse a visa to a
leading Colombian journalist whose reports on human rights abuses led to
her being kidnapped and receiving death threats in a 10-year campaign of
intimidation and harassment.
Claudia Julieta Duque was due to travel to the UK next week as a guest of
the National Union of Journalists but the UK government, which has previously
praised her work exposing human rights abuses in Colombia, turned down her visa
request. NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: "Claudia is in Europe to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
outraged at the arrest of the owner and staff of a print-shop in Sri Lanka
on the eve of an important constitutional amendment debate in the national
parliament.
According to
the Free Media Movement (FMM), an
IFJ affiliate, the arrests followed a police raid on the shop, Sarala Graphics,
in Nugegoda town, neighbouring Colombo,
on the night of September 7. Eight workers of the print shop, including a
woman, were arrested. The police reportedly inquired about the whereabouts of
the owner of the print shop, but could not find him on the premises.
At the time
it was raided, the print shop was reportedly…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African Regional Organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), condemns in the strongest terms possible the rejection by the Israeli government of an entry visa for a prominent world leader of African journalists.
Younes Mjahed, Senior Vice President of the IFJ and the President of Syndicat National de la Presse Marocaine (SNPM), a founding member of the FAJ, was denied a visa when he requested to take part in an international IFJ delegation that aims to carry international solidarity mission for Palestinian journalists on 13–16 September in Ramallah and Nablus.
“Denying this visa for Younes Mjahed has no…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliate, the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in expressing solidarity with workers taking
industrial action at Radio Mindanao Network-dxDC Davao
in the southern Philippines.
Workers at
the broadcaster have formed a union and staged a protest on September 9 in
support of station manager Maximo “Dodong” Solis, who was dismissed on
September 6.
Staff of
dxDC Davao are
unionising amid concerns about staff cuts, restructuring and editorial
independence.
Solis was fired
without pay after 12 years of service, during which time the station had
consistently…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today called on all political groups in Iraq to voice their opposition to
violence against media following the murder of Safaa al-Khayat by gunmen in the
main northern city of Mosul yesterday morning. The victim, who worked as a presenter of
religious programmes on Al- Mosuliyah satellite television, was the second
journalist to be killed in as many days following the death of Ryad al-Saray
who was shot dead on Tuesday morning in
Baghdad. "Iraqi journalists are once again being targeted and
killed for their work," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Politicians
from all sides must declare their intention to stamp…
The annual
Nordic Freelance Seminar gathered this year some 120 freelancers in Stockholm
for a weekend on September 3-5th, 2010. The seminar moves from one Nordic country to
another every year and has been organised since early 1990's in Sweden,
Denmark, Norway and Finland. It is the major gathering of journalists on the
Nordic level. This year
the theme of the seminar was cooperation: cooperation between freelancers,
journalists from neighbouring countries and networking with other
professionals. The seminar
started with matchmaking, short prebooked business meetings between
participants to create own networks and find colleagues intrested in same
topics as you are. This was…
The annual Nordic Freelance Seminar gathered this year some 120 freelancers in Stockholm for a weekend on September 3-5th, 2010. The seminar moves from one Nordic country to another every year and has been organised since early 1990's in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. It is the major gathering of journalists on the Nordic level.This year the theme of the seminar was cooperation: cooperation between freelancers, journalists from neighbouring countries and networking with other professionals. The seminar started with matchmaking, short prebooked business meetings between participants to create own networks and find colleagues intrested in same topics as you are. This was found…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Israel to permit new dialogue in Palestine by granting permission for a global journalists´ leader to travel to the region to take part in an international mission.
Younes M'Jahed, the Senior Vice-President of the IFJ and General Secretary of the Federation's affiliate in Morocco, is due to join a delegation of IFJ leaders from Cyprus, Italy, Norway and including the IFJ President Jim Boumelha, which plans to travel to the Palestinian territories in the coming days to investigate the problems facing Palestinian journalists. But his application for permission to travel has been turned down by Israeli…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
disturbed to learn of an attack at the office of the Gatisheel daily and
Image weekly in the district of Nuwakot in the Bagmati zone in
north-central Nepal.
According to
information from the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate,
the incident occurred on September 6, when a group of people led by a local
leader arrived at the office, roughed up newspaper staff and damaged vital
equipment.
The attack
was reportedly in retaliation for the newspaper publishing a news item on the
activities of the person who led the attack.
“The IFJ joins
the FNJ in condemning this attack and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), in
registering shock and outrage at the murder of Sayed Hamid Noori, a former news
anchor of Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA).
According to
information from the AIJA, Noori left his home late on the night of September 5
after receiving a phone call. The caller’s identity is not known, though he was
clearly someone known to Noori.
Noori’s body
was found with multiple stab wounds later that night, not far from his home in
the Mecroryan area of Kabul
city.
Noori, 45,
had become spokesman for the speaker of…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today supported the call from the
Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate ( IJS) on Iraqi authorities to launch a prompt
investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of journalist Ryad
Al Saray, presenter at Al-Iraqiya Television, who was killed in the early hours
of this morning in Western Baghdad. "This has all
the hallmarks of yet another targeted killing of an Iraqi journalist," said
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We are concerned that journalists are once
again becoming easy prey in the renewed violence which has rocked Iraq in
recent days. The authorities must spare no efforts to find the killers and protect
our…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the unwarranted assault of New Vision Photographer, Arthur Kintu, by a businessman and prominent religious leader, Hassan Basajjabalaba which occurred on September, 6th at Namboole while he was covering the elections in Kampala, Uganda.
“It is necessary to investigate this incident and hold this businessman accountable given his track record of attacking journalists,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “It is unacceptable and no one is above the law. We support our UJU colleagues’ pursuit for justice to our colleague.”
On 6 September 2010, around 5:30pm after being…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is outraged
at continuing threats against the wife of journalist Gamini Pushpakumara, in
exile from Sri Lanka
since April after being dismissed as a producer with the state-owned Sri Lanka
Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) in January.
“The IFJ
calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to identify those responsible for threats
against Pushpakumara’s wife, Waruni Balasooriya, and to guarantee her safety,”
IFJ General Secretary Aidan White
said.
In July, the IFJ noted earlier
threats made to the life of Balasooriya, who remains in Sri Lanka.
Balasooriya lodged a complaint at a local police station, but by…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) mourns the death of news cameraman Ejaz Ahmed Raisani
on September 6 as a result of injuries he suffered in an attack on a rally in Quetta, Pakistan,
on September 3.
An Aaj TV media crew driver,
Mohammad Sarwar, was also killed after reportedly being shot in the head and
chest in gunfire that erupted after a suicide blast targeting the rally in the
capital of Balochistan province.
Another eight media workers – mostly
camera operators – were also injured in the blast and subsequent gunfire,
according to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate.
The injured cameramen…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliates and partners in Nepal
in calling upon the Indian embassy in Kathmandu
to clear the air with the Nepali media, after an alarming surge in mutual
accusations.
The recent
exchanges reportedly began with the Indian embassy issuing a press release on
August 27, speaking of “certain print and television media” that had been
reporting “against products manufactured by Indian Joint Ventures in Nepal”. The statement
went on to allege media outlets had attempted to extort the Indian “joint
venture” companies, saying they had “informed the embassy that they have…
Addis Ababa, 2nd September 2010 – The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Erastus Mwencha, urged the African Journalists to be objective in their reports and to join force in the promotion of peace within the continent, calling on them to effectively play their role as “watchdogs” of the society. Mr, Mwencha was speaking while presiding at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on the safety and protection of African journalists that opened on 2nd September 2010, at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, “We live in a society where information is key;…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) has demanded the immediate release of two Yemeni journalists who have
been held without charge since 16 August and accused the Yemeni government of
broken promises for backtracking on pledges to allow journalists in the country
to work freely.
Abdelelaah Shaie, a reporter working for the
official Yemeni News Agency (SABA), and Kmal Sharaf, a cartoonist at a state
owned newspaper al-Gomhoriah were both arrested at their homes and taken into
detention by Yemeni National Security. There is no word on charges that may
have been made against them.
The Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS), an IFJ
affiliate, says…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
its affiliate, the National
Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in expressing disappointment over the
suspension of the first day of hearings of the Ampatuan massacre trial.
The
long-awaited start of the trial on September 1 was postponed after just one
hour by Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes, after defence lawyer
Sigfrid Fortun argued more time was needed to comment on pre-trial documents.
Fortun is
representing former Ampatuan town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jnr and 16 police
officers, who allegedly served as members of the Ampatuan clan’s private army
in Maguindanao, in the southern…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
horrified to learn of the brutal attack on Hafiz Mohammad Imran, a reporter for
the Duniya TV news channel, by an unidentified mob in the city of Sialkot in Pakistan’s
Punjab province.
Imran was
intercepted outside his home in the Ghauspura-Hajipura area of Sialkot on the evening of
August 29 by a group that arrived on motorcycles, according to the IFJ
affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).
The
reporter was violently assaulted and pushed against a wall before a crowd
gathered, forcing his assailants to flee the scene. Imran suffered fractures to
his arms and injuries to his…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
welcomes new disclosure norms introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI), requiring that the country’s media companies reveal any shareholdings
held in companies they report on.
These
norms evolved in consultation with the Press Council of India (PCI) in response
to growing public concern over the prevalence of news content that was paid for
by corporate and political entities.
“The IFJ
believes that disclosure norms are mandatory for individual journalists under
codes of practice enforced by all media houses,” IFJ
Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park…
The International
Federation of Journalist (IFJ) is concerned about the detention of journalists
who were reporting on aspects of a deadly aircraft crash in China’s north-east, and about a
restrictive order placed on reporting details of the incident’s aftermath.
An aircraft with 96 passengers crashed at Yichun
City airport, Heilongjiang Province,
on August 24. Forty-two passengers were killed and 54 were injured in the
crash, which was widely covered by media from several provinces. A number of
the dead were government officials.
According to a report in Beijing
News, at least four journalists were detained by police for at least two
hours on August…
The International Federation of Journalists is deeply
disturbed by the reported death threats received by Damodar Bhandari, a
correspondent for a leading English language newspaper, Annapurna Post,
in the town of Nepalganj in the southern plains
(the Terai) of Nepal.
The threat
was reportedly delivered by e-mail on August 21 from the address of a person
purporting to be acting on behalf of an underground political group: the Terai
Janatantrik Party (Madesh).
Inquiries
made with this person by the Federation of Nepali Journalists, an IFJ
affiliate, elicited a denial and an assurance that he would ascertain the facts
behind the incident. Such clarification is…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the violent
assault on Muhannad Abu Zaiton, managing editor of Alwatan newspaper by two unidentified men on Wednesday 26 August. "We are deeply shocked by this vicious assault and possible
assassination attempt against a leading Bahraini journalist," said Aidan White,
IFJ General Secretary. "The authorities must do everything they can to bring
the attackers to justice and guarantee the safety of Bahrain's journalists." According to the Bahrain Journalists' Association (BJA), an IFJ
affiliate, Abu Zaiton left his office yesterday afternoon and was walking to
his car when the masked attackers struck. While one attacked…
The European
Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional group of the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today expressed its support to Romanian
journalists following the publication of a devastating report on the state of
Romanian journalism by the Romanian Federation of Journalists MediaSind (RFJ
MediaSind.) The report claims
that since the start of the economic crises up to 6000 journalists and media
workers have lost their jobs, that journalists are being forced to renounce
their contracts in favour of royalty payments,
and that the union is fighting over fifty cases against illegal and
indiscriminate dismissals. "Romanian journalism
is under siege…
