Unidentified gunmen have brutally murdered a Somalian radio journalist. Mahad Salad Aden, a well known and well respected journalist for Shabelle Media Network, was murdered on 5 April at around 5.30pm by a group of masked men. This attack is the...
Nigeria: Magistrate orders assault and arrest of journalists
A Nigerian magistrate ordered the arrest and detention of around 10 journalists on 4 April. A group of reporters who were covering the verdict from a coroner's inquest were arrested after a woman, believed to be a prosecutor or a social worker,...
Saudi Arabia: Woman sentenced to flogging, for swearing in text
A woman has been sentenced to 50 lashes for swearing at her friend in a text message in Saudi Arabia. Following an argument between two women, aged 33 and 31, about where to go on an evening over the weekend, the two women went their separate ways....
Nepal: journalist murdered
The executive editor of a regional daily newspaper in Nepal has been brutally murdered. Yadav Poudel, from Mechi Times, and who has also worked for Kathmandu-based Avenues Television station and the "Rajdhani" national daily newspaer was found...
Uzbekistan: Growing concern over targeting of independent journalists
A number of incidents in the last few weeks have raised concerns over the harassment of journalists in Uzbekistan. On 26 March, independent journalist Viktor Krymzalov was convicted of defamation for an article which was published without a byline....
China: Ai Weiwei ordered to switch off studio webcams
Authorities have objected to surveillance cameras Chinese artitst Ai Wei Wei installed into his home to provide a live feed online. The artist created a website with four cameras showing his studio, over his bed, his desk and in the courtyard of...
Jordan: Demonstrators beaten in custody
Police beat 30 demonstrators whilst they were detained at a police station in Jordan on 31 March. The demonstrators were arrested after gathering near the Prime Minister's office in Amman, protesting the detention of seven activists from Tafila who...
Turkey: Politician sentenced to 15 years in prison for campaign speeches
A Turkish politician has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after delivering speeches in the run up to elections in June 2011. Serafettin Halis, former Deputy of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was convicted of being part of an...
Iraq: Car bomb kills TV presenter
A TV presenter has been killed by a car bomb in Iraq. Kamiran Salaheddin was killed at around 9pm on Monday (2 April) night, after a bomb placed under his car exploded. Salaheddin presented Al-Iraq w-al Hadath (Iraq and Events), a news and current...
Morocco: Rapper arrested for critical lyrics
A Moroccan rapper and activist was arrested by security forces last week, following claims that one of his songs is offensive to a public institution. Megaz El Haked was summoned to a court on the charge of offending a public authority. Lyrics in...
Peru: Journalist’s defamation conviction overturned
A Peruvian appeals court has overturned a criminal defamation conviction against a journalist who reported on local corruption. The court found that the decision against radio journalist Teobaldo Meléndez Fachín contained "substantial errors" in...
Latvia: Journalist assaulted
The publisher of a Latvian news website was attacked last week. Leonids Jakobsons, owner of the independent news website Kompromat was attacked by at least two unidentified assailants, after the site published sensitive news stories. The publisher...