The report documents measures taken by the authorities to target and intimidate Belarus media over the years and reveals the conditions under which Belarus journalists are forced to work daily and how the pressure on journalists has been amplified in the run up to the Presidential election.
The report cites in particular:
• The arrest of over 30 Belarusian journalists and eight foreign journalists, during and immediately after the Presidential election;
• Complete censorship of state media, which has been used as propaganda and consistently portrayed Lukashenko as the defender of peace and stability while opposition figures have been cast as harbingers of chaos,…
The International Federation of Journalists and its affiliate in Venezuela, the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa (SNTP), today condemned the killing of photo reporter Jorge Aguirre, who was shot dead in Caracas yesterday by a man pretending to be a policeman.
“This murder is a shocking and chilling reminder of the terrible pressure facing journalists in a country where threats come from organised crime and the authorities”, said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “We demand that there is an urgent and full investigation and that the killers are brought to justice.”
Jorge Aguirre was attacked while driving to demonstrations in Caracas on…
The European group of the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, today supported strikers at Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, who are protesting against dramatic restructuring plans that threaten more than 3000 jobs. “This is a savage strategy of cutbacks that threatens not only livelihoods but the quality of public broadcasting in Spain,” said EFJ Chair Arne König. “Coming on top of the shocking redundancies affecting hundreds at the BBC last year, the RTVE plans show that public broadcasting is experiencing a deep crisis in Europe. No-one is against well-managed reform, but there is no excuse for draconian planning that threatens up to 40%…
Journalists’ safety has again come under fire in the Philippines, says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) following the third journalist death in 2006.
Orlando Mendoza, 58, of Barangay San Miguel, was gunned down on April 2, while driving his jeep home from his farm.
Mendoza: contributor, Tarlac Profile; editor-in-chief, Tarlac Patrol; vice-president, Camp Marabulos Press Club (Philippines National Police’s Tarlac camp); and director, Tarlac chapter of the Central Luzon Media Association sustained fatal wounds to his head and body after men appeared from a grassy spot and shot him several times.
It remains unclear if Mendoza’s death is in…
Amendments made by the Nepalese Government to the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Punishment and Control) Ordinance (TADO) have the potential to criminalise the basic act of the media, of supplying information, says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
On March 26, the king’s approval of the renewal of TADO, published in the gazette on Monday April 3, saw the inclusion of new provisions saying that the actions of those classed as Maoist ‘accomplices’ can be considered ‘crimes related to terrorism and disruption’ and that the dissemination of Maoist related information is punishable under the anti-terrorism law.
The IFJ has…
The International Federation of Journalists is calling on national journalists’ unions across Europe and around the world to give their full support to French journalists’ unions who are vigorously campaigning against a new law in France that will make it easier for employers to sack workers.
The IFJ’s regional group, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which is to hold its annual meeting in Slovenia later this week, says that claims by the government that the new law will help reduce France’s high levels of unemployment are unconvincing.
“The idea that by allowing employers to dismiss anyone without any reason at all is going to bring down…
EU-India: Building Paths to Equality in Journalism
Delhi Declaration
We, journalists attending the seminars Cracking the Glass Ceiling – Women in Media Institutions and Collective Bargaining and Women’s Rights, held in New Delhi, 28 March - 1 April 2006 demand:
1. That IFJ Indian affiliates are invited to commit themselves to organise without further delay a Gender Council, composed equally of women and men, within their structure which will monitor gender equality policies and activities in the unions, including training for women journalists and ensuring gender mainstreaming in all aspects of union activity;
2. That all Indian media employees’ unions…
The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures (ALF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) announced today the launch of their Prize for Cultural Diversity which aims at encouraging journalism that effectively contributes to the dialogue between cultures and people by spreading awareness of diversity and tolerance in journalism.
“We are living in a climate of resentment between cultural and religious groups where even rumours can kill” said Traugott Schoefthaler, ALF Executive Director. “There will be no mutual respect without more mutual knowledge”.
The competition is open for young journalists between the…
The International Federation of Journalists today cheered the release of American journalist Jill Carroll after almost three months in captivity but said it is gravely concerned about two Iraqi journalists who are still being held.
“I am delighted that Jill has been released unharmed and in good health but even as we applaud this good news, we remain extremely worried over the fate of Iraqi journalists Rim Zeid and Marwan Khazaal who are still in captivity,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “We will continue to campaign vigorously for their release and for the end of the impunity for the killing and kidnapping of journalists in Iraq and all over the…
The International Federation of Journalists today protested strongly after police and security forces raided and closed down a newspaper in Gambia in what it describes as “intolerable intimidation” of the country’s free press.
Gambian police arrested the managing editor of The Independent newspaper, Madi Ceesay the editor in chief Musa SaidyKhan, the assistant editor Sulayman Makalo and a dozen of the paper’s editorial staff. The two senior staff were kept in custody when the rest of the staff were released late yesterday.
“This newspaper has been the victim of attacks by unknown arsonists and now we see the hand of official interference,” said…
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Spotlight interview with Parul Sharma (NBEU-India)
"We should not wait for discrimination to be wiped out before we take our place."
Brussels, 27 March 2006 (ICFTU OnLine): Combining journalism and trade unionism in a spirit of optimism and openness towards others, Parul Sharma talks to us about the evolution of a woman's place in the field of journalism in India. A member of the Indo-European women's network set up by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), she highlights the difficulties surrounding certain mentalities, especially in rural areas, and in the media market, which uses…
The reform-minded President of Uruguay, who took office just over a year ago, is ready to force the pace of change within media at home while backing new efforts to protect journalists world-wide.
Meeting with a delegation of the International Federation of Journalists and leaders of Uruguay’s journalists last week in Montevideo President Tabare Vazquez said that he would support efforts to remove threats facing local journalists in the criminal law in Uruguay and press ahead with new laws on open government.
He also gave backing to the campaign of the IFJ and the International News Safety Institute for action at the level of the United Nations to force governments to end…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today joined protests by its affiliate, the Belarus Association of Journalists, condemning the systematic arrest and intimidation of journalists in Belarus.
Four more journalists were arrested overnight as the police rounded up demonstrators in Kastrychnitskaya Square protesting against the election, bringing the number of journalists arrested in the past two weeks to 23.
“Journalists are being systematically targeted by a government determined to suppress all independent reporting of the elections and the current protests”, said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “These are the acts of an intolerant authoritarian…
The International Federation of Journalists and the Association de la Presse Internationale today welcomed a "clear and concrete" statement by the President of the European Council in recognition of the professional risks facing journalists and media staff across the globe.
Earlier this morning at the opening of the European Council summit in Brussels, Wolfgang Schüssel, Austrian Federal Chancellor and President of the European Council said that "we must never forget the risks taken by journalists who have sacrificed their lives in the defence of objective reporting".
The President talked in particular about the still unresolved case of Brussels-based French cameraman Fred…
The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the brutal killing of a radio journalist in Colombia and called on the government to break the cycle of impunity by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the crime.
On 20 March, 56 year-old Colombian radio commentator Gustavo Rojas Gabalo, died of injuries to the head and clavicle, which he sustained in a 4 February shooting by two unidentified gunmen outside a local supermarket in the northwestern city of Montería, Córdoba province.
A few days before his death, Colonel Jaime Orlado Velasco Commander of the Montería Police Department informed the IFJ Safety Office in Colombia, CESO-FIP…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed news that charges have been dropped against New York Times researcher, Zhao Yan and called for the further release of at least thirty other journalists currently imprisoned in China.
Zhao’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping, confirmed on March 17 that Beijing prosecutors and judges had told him that the charges against his client had been dropped and that the journalist should be freed within days. The lawyer said he believed the release was linked to Chinese president Hu Jintao's forthcoming visit to the United States in April of this year.
The dropping of all charges comes after the February 22 decision by authorities to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is calling for support from all IFJ affiliates and colleagues on behalf of IFJ affiliate in Pakistan, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), to participate in a global day of action for kidnapped journalist Hayutullah Khan.
The PFUJ will be holding rallies and protest meetings in Pakistan on March 21 to lobby the Pakistani Government to prioritise the case of missing journalist Hayutullah Khan and ensure his abductors are brought to justice.
To support the PFUJ’s campaign the IFJ is calling on all IFJ affiliates to send letters of protest to their local Pakistani Embassies. A template letter of protest is available…
The International Federation of Journalists is deeply concerned about the mounting attacks on press freedom and threats to the physical safety of journalists in the final days before the presidential elections in Belarus on Sunday, 19 March.
The security services in Minsk issued a warning yesterday that they would be unable to guarantee the safety of journalists covering opposition demonstrations. This announcement came following weeks of arrests, newspaper closures and physical intimidation.
“Belarus journalists will be putting their lives on the line this weekend as they attempt to report the Presidential election process and political demonstrations,” said Aidan…
The International Federation of Journalists today called a recent Thai court decision finding Supinya Klangnarong not guilty of criminal defamation as a landmark decision against criminal defamation in South East Asia.
Yesterday, a verdict handed down by a Thai court in Bangkok ruled that as Shin Corp was a publicly listed company and that as television and telecommunications airwaves are public property that the defendants had the right to criticise their use by Shin Corp. The court ruled that the defendants were expressing an honest opinion made for the benefit of the public and that Shin Corp must be made accountable to the public because the company…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is calling for appropriate legal protection for journalists in Mongolia after a series of incidents where journalists have been censored and intimidated by government officials.
Globe International, a Mongolian media development NGO, reports ten cases since the beginning of 2006 in which journalists have been censored or harassed to try to make them reveal their sources.
“We are deeply concerned about this growing trend of censorship of journalists through threats
and intimidation in Mongolia,” said IFJ president, Christopher Warren.
“The right for journalists to protect their sources is not legally…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed disappointment at the acquittal of the man accused of killing radio journalist Elpidio “Ely” Binoya at a regional trial court in Mindanao, the Philippines.
“Simply put, the Arroyo government is not doing enough to bring journalists’ killers to justice, and this latest decision in the courts is another blow for press freedom in the Philippines,” said Christopher Warren, IFJ president.
Judge Oscar Noel, of Regional Trial Court Branch 35, who oversaw the case, said the prosecution failed to present strong evidence against the accused, Ephraim “Toto” Englis and acquitted him on March…
The International Federation of Journalists today expressed concern about the fate of two Turkmen journalists working for Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty who have been arrested in mysterious circumstances and called for their immediate release.
Meret Khommadov and Jumadurdy Ovezov were arrested on 7 March. The police have refused to explain the reason for their arrests and where they are located.
“These arrests are deeply troubling,” said Oliver Money-Kyrle, IFJ Projects Director for the region. “We ask that they be immediately released and allowed to continue their work.”
Meanwhile, RFE/RL has lost contact with all their other correspondents in the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the attack on staff of private television channel CNN-IBN on March 7 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
“This deplorable assault on media persons is an unacceptable violation of press freedom, and must be condemned in the most severe terms,” said IFJ president Christopher Warren.
In the latest incident of violent attacks on the press in India, four unidentified attackers surrounded a CNN-IBN vehicle, dragged out the driver and camera assistant and beat them followed by setting their vehicle on fire.
The incident occurred two days after the television channel aired an expose about the unaccounted wealth…
Europe Tour Report
February 6-11, 2006
By Parul Sharma, India coordinator (BNEU, AINEF)
A group of ten women journalists from India visited Europe from February 6 to 11, 2006 on a mission under the project ‘Europe and India: Building Paths to Equality in Journalism’. The project, funded by the European Union’s EU-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme for India, is being implemented by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Brussels, 6-7 February
In his welcome speech, Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ said that this mission tour under the project is very important to create a bridge between women in journalism in Europe and women in…
EU-India Project: Building Paths to Equality in Journalism
First National Conference
February 13, 2006, New Delhi
The First National Conference of the EU-India Project, 'Building Paths to Equality in Journalism', co-ordinated by the International Federation of Journalists and part of the European Commission’s EU-India Economic Cross-cultural Programme for India, took place in New Delhi, India, on February 13, 2006. It brought together union leaders, women union members, particularly members of the first project mission to Europe, European partners representatives and project staff from Brussels and Delhi. The purpose of the conference was to report on and evaluate the results…
Brussels, March 3, INEP – The European Union Friday announced a challenging initiative for the next five years to tackle gender inequality in the
25-member European bloc.
EU Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner, Vladimír Spidla, presented the 'Roadmap for equality between men and women 2006-10’, to the press in Brussels this afternoon. The initiative includes setting up a new European institute for gender equality with a budget of 52.5 million euro which is expected to be operational by 1 January 2007.
“Women in the EU are still not getting a fair deal, particularly in the workplace.. Women are under-represented in…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned about reports that newspaper employers in New Zealand have tried to undermine the working rights of journalists by illegally listening in on conference calls between the union and staff delegates.
The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), which represents staff at APN newspapers, raised the complaint with police when phone records showed unauthorised calls were made into weekly phone conferences with staff delegates. The unauthorised calls allegedly came from a number used by APN daily The Hawke’s Bay Today and APN’s regional offices in Hastings.
At the time of the calls the EPMU was…
Joint statement by members of the IFEX-TMG
On the first anniversary of the jailing of Tunisian internet writer, lawyer and human rights activist Mohammed Abbou, international freedom of expression groups welcomed the recent release of many Tunisian prisoners of opinion including journalist, Hamadi Jebali, imprisoned for 16 years, and the youth of Zarzis, whose release was the focus of an international campaign, but expressed dismay at the continued incarceration of Abbou and the escalation of other free speech violations.
Abbou was jailed on 1 March 2005 and subsequently prosecuted at an unfair trial, on a highly questionable charge of assault, for publishing information that "would…
Euronews is the bimonthly bulletin of the European Federation of Journalists, produced in the Secretariat in Brussels.
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EFJ NEWS
Annual Meeting in Bled: Global Media, Gender and Future of Journalism
THIS year’s Annual Meeting has an ambitious agenda covering the need for quality journalism in the corporate future, the role of unions in the changing media landscape, gender issues and the revision of the Television without Frontiers Directive. The meeting will take place…
Commission on the Status of Women to Open Meeting on 27 February
Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes will be the main focus of this year's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at its 50th Session, which kicks off on 27 February to 10 March.
Women, in both developed and developing countries still struggle to gain access to high level decision-making positions in all areas of society. Despite some slow progress, women’s overall presence in boardrooms, parliaments and at top levels of international diplomacy is still lagging well behind that of men.
Over 50 high-level government officials and more than 3,000 representatives from…
The International Federation of Journalists today warned that the escalating violence in Iraq, which has seen a number of journalists killed in recent days, is forcing all media – both local and international – into hiding, with increasing lawlessness and violence not being properly covered.
“We are witnessing a catastrophe for journalism as media organisations are forced to pull their people off the streets,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “It is impossible to have independent coverage when media staff are being gunned down in this brutal conflict.”
The IFJ was speaking after gunmen yesterday kidnapped and killed a correspondent for Al…
International Federation of Journalists
From the General Secretary
Mr. Hosni Mubarak
President of Egypt
Abdin Palace
Cairo, Egypt
Fax 202 390 1998
E-mail: [email protected]
February 23rd 2006
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ group, I want to raise serious concerns over the continued delay in enacting legislation in Egypt to remove existing threats to the exercise of free journalism.
You will recall that today is the second anniversary of an undertaking by your government to remove legislation which presently could lead to the imprisonment of journalists for…
