Indonesia's censorship board has banned an Australian-made film about the alleged murder five journalists by Indonesian troops during the 1975 invasion of East Timor. The ruling came just hours before a planned premiere screening of Balibo was due...
CATEGORY: minipost
Justice Eady hits back at critics
High Court judge, Mr Justice Eady suggested yesterday that Parliament has no power to repeal privacy laws that have developed over the past decade and claimed he has been singled out as a target by the press. Eady, who has presided over almost all...
Suspect charged over Philippines massacre
A member of a powerful clan has been charged after the massacre of at least 57 people including journalists and politicians last week. Andal Ampatuan Jr, a mayor from lawless Maguindanao province, surrendered last week and has denied involvement....
Russia: calls to investigate reporter’s death
Friends and colleagues have called for an investigation into the death of a Russian TV journalist, Olga Kotovskaya who plunged from the 14th storey of a building one day after winning a major legal case. She was a prominent journalist on Kaskad...
Straw announces working group on libel laws
Justice Secretary Jack Straw is to establish a working group to examine England's controversial libel laws. The group will consist of media lawyers, editors and experts. The government has also said it will respond to English Pen and Index on...
UAE blocks Sunday Times
The United Arab Emirates blocked distribution of the Sunday Times newspaper over the weekend due to its "insulting" coverage of the Dubai debt crisis. The National Media Council blocked the distribution of newspaper due to upset caused by an image...
Kazakhstan: privacy bill threatens journalists
Kazakhstan’s parliament passed a new privacy bill on 19 November which threatens the ability of journalists to carry out investigative work. The bill forbids the publication of information relating to private lives, including those of public...
Journalists released in Somalia after 15 months captivity
Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan have been released after being held captive by militants for 15 months. Reports state that the pair were freed after a ransom of $1m was paid. The two journalists were...
Defamation decriminalised in the Maldives
A bill has been passed in the Maldives parliament that abolishes five articles from the Penal Code that provided for criminal defamation. Read more here
UN calls for release of Gambian journalist
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called on the Gambian government to release journalist Chief Ebrimah Manneh, citing his arrest and detention as being without legal justification and in breach of international law. Manneh was a young...