5 Feb 2010 | Azerbaijan News, Index Index, minipost
Newspaper editor Ayyub Karimov has been given a 18-month suspended sentence after being convicted of libelling the interior minister Ramil Usubov. Ububov claimed articles printed in the Azadlyg and Femida 007 newspapers were inaccurate and damaged his dignity and honour, citing article 147.2 of the criminal code, slander by accusal of committing grave crimes. The minister’s lawyer demanded a two-year prison sentence and is considering appealing the sentence. Karimov has also vowed to appeal the verdict.
26 Sep 2009 | Uncategorized
While I was in Minsk helping out on a media rights survey last week, the actual source of the problems in that area, Belarus president Alaksandr Lukashenka, was in Vilnius on a state visit, reportedly excusing the absence of his wife to the local press by praising the beauty of Lithuania’s ladies.
Unreconstructed East European male he may be, he nevertheless left the shop at home – and the responsibility of dealing with me and my colleagues – in the care of his imperious and elegant first deputy head of administration, Natalia Petkevich.
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26 Sep 2009 | Comment, News and features
Freedom of expression groups joined forces this month to investigate the obstacles facing independent media in Alaksandr Lukashenka’s Belarus; censorship made possible by the combination of a number of blunt-edged tools in a deceptively sophisticated system of media control.
Rohan Jayasekera (second left) comments from Minsk.
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27 Aug 2009 | Index Index, minipost
In Italy state-owned TV channels have refused to show the trailer of the latest documentary by Erik Gandini, Videocracy, which looks at the rise of Berlusconi’s TV stations and impact on the Italy’s customs and ethics. In a press statement state-owned Rai TV executives justified their decision by saying that the documentary is critical of the government. Read more here
