15 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A new report has claimed that the Mongolian government routinely uses defamation legislation against journalists exposing corruption or abuses of power. Globe International conducted a study into 215 journalists working in the world’s most sparsely populated country, discovering that more than 60 per cent of defamation cases are initiated by politicians and public officials. The organisation also found that 50 per cent of the journalists questioned admitted to self-censoring.
02 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Three Rwandan journalists have been found guilty of defaming two government ministers, in a move that has described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as an effort to silence critical journalism in the country. Former editor Charles Kabonero, acting editor-in-chief Didas Gasana, and reporter Richard Kayigamba of the private weekly newspaper Umuseso were sentenced to prison terms under Rwanda’s 2009 Media Law for a story highlighting an extramarital affair between the mayor of Kigali, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, and Cabinet Affairs Minister Protais Musoni. The court did, however, turn down a request from the prosecution for the newspaper to be banned. Umuseso has previously been found guilty of libel after publishing an article about the parliamentary deputy speaker Denis Polisi’s political ambitions in 2004.
15 Feb 10 | Index Index, minipost
Mallam Tukur, editor and publisher of Desert Herald, an independent weekly in Kaduna state, has been arrested and threatened with prosecution on defamation charges. The Committee to Protect Journalists claim the threats are related to a recent article accusing Yobe’s Governor Ibrahim Geidam of corruption.
12 Feb 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
An award winning Uzbek photographer sentenced to jail after a court ruled she had insulted the nation, has been released thanks to an amnesty. Umida Akhmedova said that she had done nothing wrong and will therefore appeal on the verdict. Akhmedova could have faced six months in jail or two years in a labour camp.
