In a statement released today to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed its solidarity together with the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) with women who have been the victims of violence for speaking out for their rights."Like all media people female journalists often live and work in a pressurized atmosphere, but many of them face additional threats because of their gender," says IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "We condemn always the violence against journalists and we particularly deplore the bullying, physical intimidation and sexual, verbal and judicial…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today pledged its full support to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in an urgent campaign on news safety as reports emerged that up to 20 media people died in yesterday’s massacre of journalists and political campaigners in the Philippines.
Some 46 people were killed in the atrocity in the troubled Maguindanao province in the south of the country, among them at least 12 journalists and around eight media staff, according to the latest information from the NUJP branch in Mindanao. It is reported that 22 bodies have been recovered so far.
The NUJP is sending an immediate mission to…
The International
Federation of Journalists has condemned the attempted assassination of a leading Iraqi television
journalist and accused the Iraqi Government of ‘scandalous negligence' over its
failure to challenge impunity in the killing of journalists in Iraqi media.According
to local reports Imad al Ibadi, director of Al Diyar TV, was yesterday shot
three times in the head, the neck and the chest. He is in a stable but critical
condition in hospital. Al
Ibadi is a strong critic of the American occupation of Iraq and has
exposed financial corruption in the presidential office as well as taking aim
at the Iraqi security apparatus, which he has claimed often acts…
The
International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) condemns a sentence of three years’ jail imposed against cyber
dissident Huang Qi today by the Court of Wuhou in China’s
Sichuan Province.
Huang,
46, the founder of the 64 Tianwang website (www.64tianwang.com),
was detained in June 2008 after posting an article online which criticised the Government’s
handling of the Sichuan earthquake disaster in May.
Local
reports said the judge found Huang guilty of “illegal possession of state
secrets” on the basis that Huang had disclosed confidential information from
two municipal governments considered to be “state…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is to investigate the actions of the Press Complaints
Commission (PCC) in the United
Kingdom over its handling of an inquiry into
a report of improper telephone surveillance by a leading national newspaper. The PCC, the watchdog for the
newspaper industry, conducted an inquiry into methods used by the News of the
World's reporters two years ago after the paper's royal editor, Clive Goodman,
and a private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, were jailed for illegal
interception of messages. The News of the World, Britain's
biggest-selling Sunday title, denied that other reporters were involved in
similar activities, but in July The…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today denounced the disproportionate sanctions imposed by the National Council of Communication (CNC) in Gabon on November 10, 2009 against eight private newspapers which have been struck with temporary prohibition of publication as well as the suspension of a very popular television program.
“The increasingly degradation of the working conditions of media practitioners in Gabon is very worrying. In addition to numerous threats to journalists, Government wants to further muzzle the free and independent press,” declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “These sanctions are disproportionate…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the abduction of
Omar Mestiri, director of Radio Kalima, a private radio station based in Tunis. Mestiri was
attacked by unidentified assailants in Tunis
around midday, Monday, before being bundled into a car and driven to an unknown
location. "We
are appalled that a leading voice of independent journalism has been assaulted
and abducted," said Aidan White, IFJ
General Secretary. "The inaction of the authorities over this increasingly violent
campaign against independent journalism is intolerable and suggests strongly
that the government is implicated in the attacks." According
to the Syndicat National des…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in demanding
the immediate release of two foreign journalists detained without explanation in
Sumatra, Indonesia, yesterday.
AJI, an IFJ affiliate, reported that
Kumkum Dasgupta, senior assistant editor of the Hindustan Times, and Raimondo Bultrini, a correspondent for Itallia L’Espresso, were detained in Pelalawan,
Riau Province, yesterday afternoon alongside Greenpeace activists.
The pair were making a documentary on
illegal logging, and were filming at the location of
forest fires, in the company of environmental activists.
The journalists and…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) urges China’s
authorities to lift all restrictions on the media, after the Central Propaganda
Department issued new restrictions as US
President Barack Obama conducted a State visit.
The department ordered all media in China to run reports issued by the government
news agency, Xinhua, during Obama’s visit, while also ordering the deletion of
any news or other articles referring to questions raised at a forum at the
Shanghai Science and Technology
Museum, during which
Obama answered questions.
The department further forbade anyone
from organizing questions to be relayed over the internet and put to…
The Executive Committee of
the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), meeting in London
on 14-15 November, called on Iranian
leadership to release detained journalists, open the office of the Association
of Iranian Journalists and lift all
restrictions to journalists' freedom of movement in and out of Iran. In a letter to the highest
authorities in Tehran,
the IFJ Executive Committee members expressed their concern over the violations
of press freedom in the country and denounced arbitrary arrests and detentions
of journalists which reached unprecedented levels in the wake of the
disputed presidential elections in June. The Committee's letter followed the IFJ campaign…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) has written an open letter to the US
President, Barack Obama, urging him to use his upcoming dialogue with China’s President Hu Jintao to stress the social
significance of freedom of the media and to urge China’s highest authorities to
uphold these rights.
The letter refers President Obama to
Article 35 of China’s Constitution, which enshrines respect for freedom of the
press, and notes President Hu's repeated public statements that China will uphold the right of people in China to
freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
However, the letter notes that…
The
International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is concerned about editorial integrity and managerial
interference at Caijing business magazine
in China
after its editor-in-chief resigned on November 9.
Hu
Shuli, 56, resigned after 70 employees from the magazine’s marketing department,
including nine executives and general manager Wu Chuanhui, quit last month.
According
to local news reports, the magazine’s managing editor, Wang Shuo, and 30
writers and editors also tendered
resignations. More resignations of editorial staff are expected.
Chinese
authorities reportedly reprimanded the magazine for at least eight articles
this year and…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed by a decision of the Phnom Penh Court in Cambodia to overlook the country’s civil Press Law in dealing with a complaint against freelance journalist Ros Sohket.
According to the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), an IFJ affiliate, the court applied an outdated law from the interim United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia (UNTAC) to sentence Sokhet to two years’ jail for disinformation on November 6.
UNTAC was instituted by a United Nations peacekeeping mission to Cambodia in 1992-93 to support the country’s democratic transition.
In 1995, Cambodia’s National…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) today concluded the launch of its programme to support
ethical journalism in Palestine
with a series of proposals to strengthen independent media even in the face of
political difficulties. The launch conference of the
IFJ Ethical Journalism Initiative, held in Ramallah on the West Bank, adopted a
programme that includes
fresh initiatives to help improve media standards and to carve out an independent
role for journalists who face an enormous range of political problems caused by
the Israeli occupation and infighting between Palestinian political groups in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank. "This meeting hammered home a
strong…
ARCHIVES 2009
BelgiumThe EFJ and
the Belgian Association of Journalists (AGJPB/ABVV) have unveiled a banner in the
International Press
Center in Brussels calling for ‘Ethical Journalism, Quality
Information, Real Democracy'.http://www.agjpb.be/ajp/journalistes/actus.php#051109id1 BulgariaThe Union of Bulgarian
Journalists (UBJ) chose the eve of the "Stand up for Journalism" day to hold
its official ceremony for awarding the prestigious annual prizes of the Union for best
professional achievements. AustriaThe Austrian
Journalists Union (Journalistengewerkschaft in der GPA-djp) sent a petition to
Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann, Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today endorsed a joint declaration by the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) and the
Independent Association of Georgian Journalists (IAGJ) that demands an end to
all restrictions to reporting of the Georgian/ Russian
conflict. They call for an end to war propaganda and concrete actions to
promote dialogue and confidence between Russian
and Georgian journalists. "This joint
declaration is a major step towards ending the unjustified and enduring restrictions
on journalists," said Aidan white, IFJ General Secretary. "In the face of
government obstruction, the professional journalists' communities are leading
the demands for mutual…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses its solidarity with
Indian colleagues who have been engaged in an effort to uncover the full
dimensions of the “cash for coverage” practice that came to light during
recently concluded general elections in the country.
The
practice was first noted during the extended campaign for the general elections
to India’s
parliament, between March and May this year. Further instances of cash payments
being used to secure favourable media coverage for particular candidates and
parties were recorded during the general elections to three state legislative
assemblies in October.
The IFJ
notes that…
Journalists
and media workers operating in Balochistan,
Pakistan’s largest
province, operate in an extremely difficult and tense environment. A persistent
long-running separatist movement in the province is focused on securing local
control of the area’s rich natural resources and defending the identity and
rights of the Baloch community. Even as the province is considered by some as
“Taliban Central”, the province’s difficulties do not attract international headlines
in the same way as insurgencies in North-West Frontier Province and the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Yet media
personnel in Balochistan contend with alarmingly…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) today expressed deep concern about the whereabouts of Niels Kroghsgaard,
a Danish journalism student, who went missing on Wednesday in Tehran. Witness reports say he was arrested by government security forces
during the demonstrations marking the 30th anniversary of the
storming of the US embassy in Tehran. Three Iranian
journalists, Farhad Fooladi,
Behnam Nikzad, and Nafiseh Zare Kohan are also reported arrested. "We are deeply concerned about
Kroghsgaard and the three Iranian
journalists," said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary. "We call on the authorities to
identify their whereabouts and to release them immediately."…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) denounced today the vote on Friday October 30, 2009 by the National Assembly of a legislation reinforcing the powers of the High Authority of Audio-visual and Communication (HAAC) and which seriously threatens press freedom and freedom of expression in Togo.
“This new law is a serious setback for democracy in Togo, because its only objective is to muzzle the private media in this country” declared Gabriel Baglo Director of IFJ Africa Office. “This new law is inappropriate in the current context as it does not conform to internationally recognized standards” he added.
The Togo Union of the…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Federation of Israel Journalists (NFIJ)
have reached an agreement to end a split between the two groups. An agreement on a package of
measures to improve relations, including a proposal to end a dispute over
non-payment of fees to the international, was reached in talks in Tel Aviv on
Monday evening. "A damaging and difficult
period is behind us," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Both sides are
committed to work together to bring Israeli journalists back into the centre of
IFJ work." The meeting was attended by
leaders of two major journalists' unions in Europe,
including Franco Siddi, General Secretary…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the South East Europe Media Organisation
(SEEMO) and WAZ Media Group today jointly condemned the attack on Albanian
journalist Mero Baze yesterday evening in Tirana."This is a brutal and vicious attack on a
professional journalist that demands a thorough and independent investigation to
punish the perpetrators", declared IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "The evidence
strongly suggests he has been assaulted for his work. Those who committed and
ordered this crime need to be brought to justice. Failure would sustain the culture
of impunity that forces journalists to…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the Ukraine police assault against Maxim Kasyanov, a journalist and member of
the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, IMTUU, on Saturday on 24th of October. The journalist, who was
organising a charity action delivering supplies to an orphanage at the time,
was beaten and arrested after showing the police his journalist card. "This is an outrageous
attack on a union member provoked apparently for no other reason than being a
card carrying journalist" said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "The
authorities must conduct an immediate investigation into these events and prosecute
those responsible."…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
(PFUJ) in demanding that Pakistan’s
judiciary delay no longer in enforcing implementation of the long-stalled wage
award for journalists and media workers in Pakistan’s print media.
Leaders of journalists’ unions and
media workers from throughout Pakistan staged a big demonstration in front of
the Sindh High Court last week as the court was due to deal with a petition
challenging the 2000 Seventh Wage Board Award.
The petition, filed by the All
Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), representing newspaper owners, claims the award
is discriminatory,…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the kidnap and assault of Slim
Boukdhir, a freelance journalist and correspondent of Al Arabya newspaper in Tunisia,
who was abducted by unidentified men on Wednesday evening in Tunis. The journalist, who was later dumped near
a park stripped of his clothes by his attackers, sustained serious injuries. "This is a
shameless attack on a journalist who has shown great courage in denouncing the
repressive regime in Tunisia,"
said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is part of a shocking campaign
targeting independent journalists and opponents of the government." According to
reports, Slim was attacked by four men,…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned to learn that journalists from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,
assigned to participate in a workshop on environmental journalism in the Indian
port city of Tuticorin,
were denied visas by the Indian Government.
According to information from IFJ
partner organisations, four journalists from each of these countries had to cancel
their participation in the workshop at the last minute after being told that
they would not be granted visas to travel to India.
The workshop was scheduled to be
conducted between October 26 and November 6 in the Suganthi Devadason Marine
Research Institute (SDMRI) in Tuticorin,…
In a letter addressed to journalists' unions around the world, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on all journalists who have had their books scanned by Google through its Google Book Search to claim their rights to payment under a settlement in which Google has agreed to compensate authors whose rights have been violated.
A dispute over Google scanning millions of books led to a class action launched by United States authors and publishers' groups for violation of US copyright law. The action resulted in a settlement which was challenged in front of a US tribunal and a new settlement will be proposed on 9 November.
"Journalists who wrote books or…
In a letter addressed to journalists' unions
around the world, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called
on all journalists who have had their books scanned by Google through its Google
Book Search to claim their rights to payment under a settlement in which Google
has agreed to compensate authors whose rights have been violated. A dispute over Google scanning millions of
books led to a class action launched by United
States authors and publishers' groups for violation of US copyright
law. The action resulted in a settlement which was challenged in front of a US tribunal and
a new settlement will be proposed on 9 November. "Journalists who wrote books or…
ESSEN / BRUSSELS, 29 October 2009. The WAZ Media Group and the International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) will present the Bulgarian journalist Lidiya Pavlova (40)
with the "WAZ-IFJ Prize for Courage in Journalism". The international prize is
endowed with 10,000 Euros and will be awarded for the first time this year.The sponsors say the award highlights the
exemplary role of independent media in scrutinising and exposing the abuse of
power. The winning report reveals corruption and illustrates courage and
professionalism in its presentation of evidence concerning intimidation and
pressure. Lidiya Pavlova, journalist of the Bulgarian regional
newspaper "Struma",
will receive…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked that personnel of an
elite Bangladeshi armed guard raided the home of journalist F.M. Masum in Dhaka on October 22, brutally assaulted him and then took
him to their headquarters and continued the torture for close to 10 hours.
“The IFJ condemns
this inhuman act by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). We begin to suspect the
battalion has been consistently abusing the special powers it has for fighting
organised crime and terrorism to crush all dissent and critical opinion,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
According
to media reports and information from IFJ partners, Masum was…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the arrest of A.S. Mani,
editor of the weekly magazine Naveena Netrikan, in Madurai city in the southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu.
According
to reports from IFJ partners, Mani was arrested on October 25 following a
complaint about an article alleging a close nexus between a Madurai
businessman and the local Member of Parliament, M.K. Azhagiri, who also holds a
cabinet position in India’s
Union Government.
The
article published in Mani’s weekly alleged that the businessman had a decisive
influence in the award of public works contracts in Madurai and nearby districts, and was
involved in…
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - 23 October 2009 - On the occasion of the European Development Days, ARTICLE 19 joins with the Africa Forum for Media Development, the African Media Initiative, the Global Forum for Media Development, the International Federation of Journalists and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers in calling for stronger dedicated European Union support to media freedom in Africa."Everyone agrees that media freedom and development are central to democracy and sustainable development," says Dr Agnès Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director. "The EU needs to do more to support this central pillar of human progress." In their Statement to European…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed the decision of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz decision to cancel a Saudi Court sentence ordering a female journalist to receive 60 lashes over a controversial sex broadcast. The IFJ says laws in the country should now be reviewed to protect journalists.A Saudi Arabian court judgment had sentenced journalist Rozanna al-Yami to 60 lashes, a two- year travel ban and ordered her not to work for unlicensed media agencies, after she was involved in preparing a television show in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex on the Lebanese channel LBC, which is partly owned by a member of the Saudi royal family.Following the King's…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed the decision of
King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz decision to cancel a Saudi Court sentence ordering a female
journalist to receive 60 lashes over a controversial sex broadcast. The IFJ
says laws in the country should now be reviewed to protect journalists. A Saudi
Arabian court judgment had sentenced journalist Rozanna al-Yami to 60 lashes, a
two- year travel ban and ordered her not to work for unlicensed media agencies,
after she was involved in preparing a television show in which a Saudi man
publicly talked about sex on the Lebanese channel LBC, which is partly owned by
a member of the Saudi royal family.…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes a decision by a court in
Sri Lanka to order the release of magazine publisher Vetrivel Jasiharan and his
partner Vadivel Vallarmathy, after 19 months’ detention on charges of
terrorism.
Yesterday’s summary
judicial order discharging Jasiharan and Vallarmarthy was issued after the
state attorney reportedly informed the court that there was no evidence linking
them with any terrorist act or organisation.
Jasiharan
and Vallarmathy were arrested by Sri Lankan police from their office premises
in March 2008. Jasiharan was the owner of OutreachSL.com, a website edited by…
The International Federation of Journalists(IFJ) today condemned a Saudi Arabian Court judgement sentencing a woman journalist to 60 lashes as “brutal, inhumane and unjust” and called for the punishment order to be overturned.
Rozanna al-Yami was convicted on Saturday of involvement in a television show, in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex. According to reports she is the first Saudi woman journalist to be given such a punishment.
In the programme, which was broadcast by the Lebanese LBC satellite channel in July this year, the man, Mazen Abdul-Jawad, appears to describe an active sex life and shows sex toys that were blurred by the programme-makers. He was arrested and…
The European Federation of
Journalists (EFJ), the European group of the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) today deplored the failure of the European Parliament to stand up for journalism
and press freedom in Europe after it narrowly threw out a resolution calling
for action to protect media pluralism. The debate focused on the
crisis for media freedom in Italy
where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - the country's leading private media
owner - has used his political power to try to stifle independent journalism at
home and abroad. The EFJ says silence over the crisis in Italy gives a green light to other
governments to put undue pressure on media. …
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for a united front
among Somali journalists - both inside the country and in exile - in the fight
for justice, democracy and press freedom. The
IFJ does so while confirming its full solidarity and support for the National
Union of Somali Journalists, the legitimate and representative organ and voice
of journalists in Somalia.
The
IFJ is seriously concerned at recent exchanges between different groups
claiming to represent and speak for Somali journalists, some of whom have
political links. "Attempts
to discredit NUSOJ, its leadership and some media houses have no other impact
but to assist and encourage the…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
honours the courage and professionalism of local and foreign journalists
reporting on the tsunami that struck Samoa and nearby Pacific Islands
on September 29 killing 119 people.
A trauma debriefing
mission to assist local media personnel in dealing with the impacts of
reporting wide-scale disaster will be conducted in Samoa
this week by the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, at the request of the
Journalists’ Association of (Western) Samoa (JAWS) and IFJ
Asia-Pacific.
JAWS Secretary
Cherelle Jackson said many local journalists had reported the devastation of
the tsunami to the international…
On 16 October 2009, freelance
photographer Alan Grisbrook working for MGN won court case over copyright
infringement by publisher MGN Ltd. In 1998, Mr Grisbrook had already
attempted to sue MGN Ltd for the unlicensed use of his pictures after he
stopped working for the Daily Mirror. In 2002, they ended the dispute by
signing a Consent Order, whereby MGN undertook, amongst other things, to return
all physical copies of the images and to delete all electronic copies from
their systems. In the 2002 Consent Order, Mr Grisbrook expressly reserved his
rights to take legal action against MGN for future infringements of his
copyright. In 2008, Mr Grisbrook found that
the publisher MGN…
The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African Regional Organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has expressed its strongest protest against the attack and intimidation against Zied Elheni, member of FAJ Steering Committee and the executive board of National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), an affiliate of FAJ.
Zied Elheni was attacked and beaten by a man on Thursday, 15 October 2009, around 18:30 local time in Tunis. The blog of Zied was shutdown. He was also intimidated and treated disrespectfully at the airport as he came back from IFJ regional conference in Amman.
“FAJ firmly condemn this attack against Zied Elheni and…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today accused the Iranian authorities of a media witch hunt as journalists
flee the country or are in hiding after the closure of several newspapers and
the continued shutdown of the Association of Iranian
Journalists (AoIJ). "There
is no let-up on the harassment of media in Iran,"
said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary. "Independent journalists are in flight for their own safety and the
independent media sector is under siege." According
to reliable reports, up to six newspapers have been closed since controversial
presidential elections in June and at least 18 journalists remain in prison.
Many more continue to flee the…
"For Free and Fair Media in Belarus" is a report calling for far reaching reforms of the media in Belarus.
The report provides an overview of the current media situation and is the result of a joint fact-finding mission to Belarus in September 2009 where delegates representing international media support and freedom of expression organisations met with media and the Belarus authorities to discuss press freedom and the media situation. This report calls for a set of reforms dealing in particular with economic conditions for non-state media, access to information, accreditation of media and journalists as well as broadcasting licensing The mission group prepared the report…
Today, international media and press freedom organisations issued " For
Free and Fair Media in Belarus",
a report calling for far reaching reforms
of the media in Belarus.
"In
the current environment neither Belarus
journalists nor media outlets can properly operate to investigate and report
freely on events in Belarus,"
said IFJ European Co-Director Marc Gruber, who led a fact-finding mission to Belarus between
20 and 24 September. "A thin veneer of limited and symbolic reforms in recent months cannot conceal the fact that Belarus
continues to operate a highly repressive media environment." A
delegation from the mission is presenting today the report to the…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) fully supports the union of
working journalists in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh in its effort to
uphold media rights when these are under increasing pressure as security forces
escalate operations against a
long-running Maoist insurgency.
According
to IFJ sources, three journalists in the state were recently issued notices by
police in, ordering them to reveal the sources of reports either published or
broadcast.
Two
journalists working for widely circulated Hindi-language dailies – Anil Mishra
of Nai Duniya and Yashwant Yadav of Navbharat – were asked to
reveal their sources by…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
deplores the arrest of the news editor of a Tamil daily in India after his newspaper published an article containing offensive
information about several prominent figures in the Tamil film industry.
B. Lenin, of Dinamalar, was
arrested in Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu reportedly for publishing
on October 4 a purported statement by a part-time Tamil actor who had earlier been
arrested on suspicion of running a prostitution ring.
The actor
reportedly named several prominent figures in the Tamil film industry as her
clients and as players in the prostitution racket.
Dinamalar…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is pleased to learn that the labour and
employment minister in Fiji’s
military regime has drawn attention to dire working conditions for media
personnel in Fiji
and highlighted a significant role for unions in positively addressing the urgent
need to improve conditions.
It was reported on October 6 that the cabinet of Fiji’s
military government approved a proposal by the minister for Labour,
Industrial Relations and Employment, Filipe Bole, to establish a Wages Council
to introduce regulations on the terms and conditions of employment in the media
industry.
Bole reportedly told the Cabinet that…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed the decision of a
prize-winning European Union spokesman to donate his award money of 1000 EUR to the safety
of journalists - through the IFJ International Safety fund. Alessandro
Butticé, head of communications of the European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) has
been selected as winner of the "career" prize for the "international
journalism: press attaché" 2009 competition. He
will receive the prize next month in Italy and he has directed that the
funds be used to "provide support to journalists and media who require legal
support in the face of violence and intimidation for the exercise of their
work."…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
welcomes efforts by its affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists’
Association (AIJA), to engage in constructive dialogue with Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry
after a series of attacks by police on journalists this week.
Wahkt News Agency (WNA)
cameraman and photographer Mohammad Naeem was brutally assaulted by police from
Kabul’s district
four on October 5 while he was documenting the murder of a businessman and two
security personnel by unidentified gunmen wearing military uniforms, AIJA
sources said.
The police reportedly
confiscated Naeem’s camera and deleted all images related…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins today its affiliate the
Syndicat national de la presse marocaine (SNPM) in condemning the Moroccan
government's campaign to muzzle critical journalists. Last week, the campaign
took a turn for the worse when the offices of the daily Akhbar al Youm,
were cordoned off by the police and staff and management prevented from
entering their offices in Casablanca.
Editor Tawfiq Bouachrine and cartoonist Khaled
Kadar were interrogated for 48 hours following the publication of a cartoon
depicting the wedding of a member of the royal family, prince Moulay Ismail. The
SNPM, an IFJ affiliate, organised
a demonstration last Friday to…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned firmly today, the violence and death threats by the military junta against journalists in Guinea.
Mouctar Bah, the Conakry correspondent of Agence France-Presse and Radio France Internationale, Amadou Diallo, the BBC’s correspondent and Mamadou Ba journalist of the satirical newspaper Le Lynx are roughed up by soldiers covering the violent dispersal of an opposition meeting in which more than hundred persons died in September, 28 2009.
“It is unacceptable that these journalists who witnessed manhandling are taken for scapegoats” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “We condemn all kinds…
Unions of journalists from the Middle East and the Arab world meeting in Jordan next week plan to send a powerful message to regimes in the region with calls for repeal of laws that target journalists, action on rights of women and more protection for independent media.The unions, all members of the International Federation of Journalists, are meeting in Amman to review programmes designed to transform the information landscape in a region where governments are sensitive to critical journalism and where media are constrained by legal and economic pressure."Across the region journalists are increasingly frustrated," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "They see the value…
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the
European group of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today called
for a broad support to Italian journalists, civil society groups and
individuals who will demonstrate in Rome
on Saturday to defend press freedom and freedom of information against
continuous attacks by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "Enough is enough", said IFJ President Jim Boumelha, who will
also take part to the demonstration. "The condition of journalists and media in
this country has been threatened for years, but the recent use of Mr.
Berlusconi's economic and political power to intimidate journalists and muzzle
the media goes simply…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has issued two new situation reports
on the difficulties confronting journalists, their organisations and media
outlets in India’s conflict
areas of Jammu and
Kashmir and the states of the
North-East.
While conditions vary
between regions and conflicts, the reports detail the multiple ways in which
media personnel in these regions are restrained from going about their jobs, the
security risks they deal with while reporting in a volatile environment, state
restrictions on content and broadcasting, and a “blame the messenger” attitude
when media reporting on controversial issues puts pressure on…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) strongly urges the Australian Society of Travel Writers
(ASTW) not to accept a bid for its annual general meeting to be hosted in Fiji next year, in view of the Fiji military
regime’s strict censorship and hardline in controlling news reporting.
The IFJ wrote to the ASTW on
September 23 calling for it to reconsider any meeting in Fiji while
restrictions continue against local media.
The IFJ said that ASTW members would
be compromising their integrity to accept the hospitality of the regime in the
current circumstances.
The letter from IFJ Asia-Pacific Steering Committee member Christopher
Warren,…
INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION ITUC OnLine152/28909 Spotlight Interview with Diatou Khady Cissé (SYNPICS -Senegal)"We need to build bridges to mobilise men to fight for equlity too"Brusssels, 28 September (ITUC OnLine): Diatou Khady Cissé, editor-in-chief of Senegal's national television station, is president of the Senegalese journalists' union(SYNPICS), and vice-president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ*), the first African woman to hold such a post. She believes the media can still be very male chauvinist, like the society she comes from. She emphasises the need to target training at decision-makers in the media, and…
INTERNATIONAL
TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION ITUC
OnLine152/28909 Spotlight Interview with
Diatou Khady
Cissé (SYNPICS
-Senegal)"We need to
build bridges to mobilise men to fight for equlity too"Brusssels, 28 September
(ITUC OnLine): Diatou Khady Cissé, editor-in-chief of Senegal's national
television station, is president of the Senegalese journalists' union(SYNPICS),
and vice-president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ*), the
first African woman to hold such a post. She believes the media can still be
very male chauvinist, like the society she comes from. She emphasises the need
to target training at decision-makers…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins
press freedom defenders in Sri Lanka
in calling on President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Government of Sri Lanka to
put an immediate end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign
of intimidation and violence against independent journalism in Sri Lanka.
The IFJ stands
in solidarity with the movement of press freedom organisations and Sri Lankan civil
society in demanding that the Government allow space for free public debate,
for plurality of opinions and open discussion in Sri Lanka. These conditions are essential
for Sri Lanka’s
return to peace and democracy.
The IFJ
urges Sri…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today
expressed its deep consternation and shock following the murder of Mexican
Journalist Norberto Miranda Madrid, Director of Radio Vision's Web page, who
was gunned down in the Mexican town of Casas Grandes,
in Chihuahua State. The Federation says the killing
confirmed that Mexican journalists are no longer safe from violence, not even
inside the newsrooms. Norberto, a crime reporter, was shot dead, execution
style, on Thursday 24 September in his radio's newsroom in the town of Casas Grandes on the Mexican border with United States,
by a commando group of five heavily armed men who station around ten in the
evening.…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply disturbed over the implications
of a security operation in the Indian state of West Bengal,
in which the leader of a political group reportedly aligned with the banned
Maoist party was arrested by police masquerading as journalists.
According
to IFJ sources, Chhatradhar Mahato was arrested on September 26 by police
personnel who set up an interview with him posing as journalists.
Mahato had
established a body under the title “People’s Committee against Police
Atrocities” in the town of Lalgarh
in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal last November.
He has
been in hiding…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the arrest of Ibrahim Soumana Gaoh, editor of the weekly independent newspaper, Le Temoin, on September, 20th 2009 by judicial police in Niamey.
“We denounce threats against press freedom and freedom of expression in Niger,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “Freedom of expression is an essential component of democracy as it provides the forum for pluralism in views. Journalists must be allowed to do their job safely,” he added.
Gaoh’s arrest followed a complaint for defamation lodged by the Nigerian Minister of Communication and Government’s…
A group of international media and press freedom organisations today
called upon the Belarus
authorities to bring the country's media environment into accordance with
international standards, following the visit of a joint delegation to Minsk from 20 to 24 September
2009. The group welcomes recent changes and
recognises that pressure on media and journalists has eased. However, this must
be translated into a lasting commitment to ensure the rights of journalists and
to undertake much needed reforms of the media environment. Such changes need to
be far reaching and irreversible. The delegation met with media
organisations and with authorities of Belarus
in Minsk to
exchange…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today strongly condemned the
murder of Diego Rojas Velásquez, reporter and cameraman of Supía TV, who was shot
dead on 22 September in Caramanta-Antioquía, Caldas province. "We
condemn this appalling killing of the journalist in Colombia, the fifth since the start
of this year," said Eduardo Márquez, president of the Colombian Federation of
Journalists (FECOLPER) and vice-president of the Federation of Journalists from
Latin American and the Caribbean (FEPALC). "It is a sad reminder to us and Colombia
journalists of the distance we still have to travel until all media workers can
exercise their…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) today gave its backing to Yemeni journalists who
staged a sit in at the presidential palace to demand news of the whereabouts
and the release of Mohammed al Maqaleh, editor of the opposition Socialist
Party's website, Al Eshteraki, who was
abducted last Friday and has not been seen since.
“The
Government must end the cloak of secrecy over Almagaleh’s abduction,” said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary. “His family and colleagues have genuine concerns
about his safety while he remains out of official custody.”
The Yemeni Journalists
Syndicates, an IFJ affiliate, today organised a sit…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses
regret at a decision by Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economics Development Bureau
against reshaping Hong Kong’s public
broadcaster, Radio and Television Hong Kong (RTHK), as an independent media
outlet.
The
bureau announced on September 22 that RTHK would remain in its current
structure as a government department. The decision follows more than two decades
of campaigning by RTHK and the public for the broadcaster’s independence.
The bureau’s
announcement said the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, Donald Tsang, would be responsible for appointing…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on China’s
Central Government to ensure that local and foreign journalists are permitted
to report on all events in the lead-up to China’s National Day on October 1.
According to news reports in Japan, three journalists from Kyodo
News were assaulted by unidentified people for taking photographs on September
18 of rehearsals for the National Day military parade. The group reportedly
stormed the journalists’ Beijing
hotel room without warning, physically assaulted the journalists and destroyed
their computers by throwing them onto the ground.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the decision on September 14 by a district court in Makassar in Indonesia to dismiss charges of criminal defamation laid against journalist Upi Asmaradhana (Upi). According to the Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI), an IFJ affiliate, Upi was charged with criminal libel for organising public demonstrations protesting statements by General Sisno Adiwinoto, former commander of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Office. In June 2008, General Sisno had publicly advised people with complaints against the media to file police reports rather than use the complaint and resolution procedures available under…
