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Al Jazeera staff held for one year in Egypt – Middle East – Al Jazeera English
Al Jazeera staff held for one year in Egypt – Middle East – Al Jazeera English.
It has been one year since three Al Jazeera journalists were arrested in Egypt in a case that sparked international outrage.
Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste were arrested in Cairo on December 29, 2013 under false charges of aiding the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false news.
In June, Greste, an Australian, and Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian, received seven-year jail terms, while Mohamed, an Egyptian, was sentenced to 10 years.
Baher Mohamed’s wife, Jehan Rashed, told Al Jazeera that the day her husband was arrested had been the worst of her life.
“The sentiment of injustice is overwhelming,” she said.
“Baher was arrested on this day a year ago. It was the worst day Baher, our children and I have ever lived.
Journalists under attack around the world – Inside Story – Al Jazeera English
Journalists under attack around the world – Inside Story – Al Jazeera English.
The past year was a difficult one for journalists. The number of attacks and kidnappings of media workers soared. Carefully staged murders of reporters became all too common. And governments around the world increasingly used national security as an excuse to detain journalists and stifle criticism of their actions.
Some countries were more dangerous for journalists than others. The Middle East, and Syria in particular, was the worst place to be a journalist. China, Iran and Eritrea were among the countries that imprisoned the most journalists.
Freedom House says press freedom around the world is at its lowest level in a decade.
Inside Story takes a look at why the profession has got so dangerous, and what it will take to ensure journalists do their jobs safely.
Presenter: Hazem Sika
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
BBC News – Turkey police raid opposition media with Gulen links
BBC News – Turkey police raid opposition media with Gulen links.
Turkish police have made at least 23 arrests during raids on a newspaper and TV station with close ties to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Those detained are accused of forming an illegal organisation and trying to seize control of the state.
Mr Gulen, the spiritual leader of the Hizmet movement, is a rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The raids come days after Mr Erdogan pledged a fresh campaign against Mr Gulen’s supporters.
Among those arrested are journalists, producers, scriptwriters and a police chief in eastern Turkey.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Hundreds of Japanese protest ‘unclear’ whistleblower law — RT News
Hundreds of Japanese protest ‘unclear’ whistleblower law — RT News.
Demonstrators flooded Tokyo’s streets over a just-activated secrecy law set to threaten the disclosure of government wrongdoings, as well as limit press freedom. The government hopes the added safeguards will lead to intelligence-sharing with the US.
Starting Wednesday, anyone leaking state secrets can get 10 years in prison. Anyone who becomes an accessory to the crime – such as a journalist – can get five. According to the Kyodo news agency, a total of 460,000 documents are to immediately gain classification under the law.
This fact led to hundreds of people with banners and tambourines filling the capital’s streets very early Wednesday, prior to the year-old law coming into effect – the exact same picture seen in November 2013, when they tried to prevent the document from being ratified.
“This terrible law must be revoked, but at least if we keep on protesting the government won’t be able to do whatever it wants,” Yumi Nakagomi, 59, told Reuters. “If we give up on this Japan will end up just like Russia or China, or North Korea.”
“This law will restrict the peoples’ right to know,” Tomoki Hiyama, one of approximately 800 people gathered in front of the parliament said late Tuesday. “It’s full of ambiguity and will take us back to the ‘public peace and order’ controls of World War II.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Journalists Silenced as Killers Walk Free – Our World
Journalists Silenced as Killers Walk Free – Our World.
A new report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) shows that nine out of 10 cases of journalist killings go unpunished.
The report found that between 2004 and 2013, 370 journalists were murdered “in direct retaliation for their work” and that in 90 percent of these cases there was total impunity — “no arrests, no prosecutions, no convictions”.
CPJ also found that although “in some cases, the assassin or an accomplice has been convicted, in only a handful is the mastermind of the crime brought to justice.”
The report’s author, Elisabeth Witchel, told IPS, “Impunity has really grown to be one of the greatest threats to journalist safety. When journalists are killed, and no one is prosecuted, it opens the doors for new attacks to take place.
“It’s not just one story, it’s not just one journalist that is killed, the whole media community feels intimidated.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
