21 Mar 2012 | Africa, Index Index, minipost
A private television station in the Democratic Republic of Congo was stormed by unidentified men yesterday morning. Radio Télévision Kindu Maniema (RTKM) who broadcast from the capital of Maniema province was attacked by a group of men, who set fire to the station’s satellite antenna, and damaged the station’s offices. Programme presenter Mira Dipenge went into hiding five days ago, fearing he would be arrested following orders from the governor of the province, Tutu Salumu. In early February, Salumu ordered station management stop broadcasting call-in programmes in which callers could criticise his management of the province.
20 Mar 2012 | Africa, Index Index, minipost
A political activist and critic of the President’s administration has been detained in Ghana. Ernest Owusu Bempah was arrested on 14 March on charges of “publishing false information with the intent to cause fear and alarm”. On a local radio station Bempah alleged that President Atta Mills’ wife had received 5m Ghana Cedis (approximately GBP£1,854,449 ) as a gift from a businessman who is facing trial for defrauding the state of millions. The government and the first lady have denied the accusations, and the President’s lawyers plan to take legal action against the journalist.
20 Mar 2012 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
A Bolivian journalist has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison on charges of “defamation, libel and spreading insults”. Rogelio Peláez, editor of monthly publication Larga Vista, reported that a lawyer who was representing retired public servants had charged excessively high legal fees. Referring to lawyer Waldo Molina, the journalist used the phrase “un robo con la ley en la mano” roughly translated to mean “using the law to steal”, on the front page of Larga Vista. Peláez was sentenced on 8 March.
20 Mar 2012 | Azerbaijan News, Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
Three senior employees of a TV station in Azerbaijan were arrested on 13 March. Vugar Gonagov, executive director; Zaur Guliyev, editor, and Zaur Mustafayev, head of public relations at Khayal TV were arrested along with Jamil Mammadli, a reporter from Polygon news agency. The journalists were arrested following accusations they were implicated in riots in Quba in early March. The four men are being held, reportedly without charge, in Baku. The riots took place on 1 March, demonstrators gathered to demand the resignation of local government head, after a video appeared on YouTube showing him making derogatory remarks about residents.
