Malayasia: 1600 arrested as campaign for electoral reform continues

11 Jul 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

Police in Malaysia made 1600 arrests at the weekend, as protesters ignored government warnings to cancel anti-government action. Leaders of the opposition coalition, Bersih, who have led the campaign for a “free and fair” election system, were amongst the thousands detained. An estimated 10, 000 police officers used tear gas and batons against the 50, 000 people who took to the streets of Kuala Lumpar. Crowds chanting, “Reformasi!” (“Reforms”), ‘”God is great” and “Long Live the People” were successfully prevented from gaining access to the to the king’s palace to hand over a memorandum detailing their demands.

Sudan: Editor facing possible death penalty or life imprisonment

30 Jun 11 | Index Index, minipost

Abuzar Ali Al-Amin, the deputy editor of Sudanese opposition daily, Raj Al-Shaab, is facing the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Two weeks ago, Al-Amin had the release date for his five-year jail sentence for “publishing incorrect information” and “attacking the state” brought forward to 3 July of this year. A new charge, brought by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), accuses Al-Amin of causing deliberate injury to an agent when he was arrested in May 2010. This year has already seen the arrest of more than 30 journalists in Sudan and a popular newspaper has been prevented from printing five times.

India: Journalist beaten by police

27 Jun 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

Shalabh Mani Tripathi, Bureau Chief of Hindi news channel IBN, has claimed that he was beaten by police for his reporting on a medical officer found dead in a jail hospital. Tripathi alleges that he was dragged into a car, interrogated about his “wrong and sensational” reports and beaten. Journalists in Lucknow protested outside the Chief Minister’s residence until it was announced  that the officers involved had been suspended pending further investigations.