Ponovo tjedni pregled vijesti IFEX-a

04.10.2006.

----¦ IFEX COMMUNIQUÉ VOL 15 NO 39 ¦ 2 OCTOBER 2006 ¦ ------

The IFEX Communiqué is the weekly newsletter of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), a global network of 72 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression. IFEX is managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (www.cjfe.org).

FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT:
1. IFEX Members Celebrate Right to Know Day
           
REGIONAL NEWS:
2. Iran: ARTICLE 19, Freedom House Spotlight Censorship
3. Philippines: IFEX Members Decry Libel Actions Against Journalists
4. United Kingdom (Northern Ireland): Journalists Face Death Threats
5. Romania: Media Failing to Promote Tolerance

TAKE ACTION!
6. Burkina Faso: Journalist's Killer Still At Large

JOB NOTICES:
7. International PEN Seeks Research/Campaign Assistant
8. OAS Seeks Human Rights Specialists

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
9. Colombian Poetry Festival Wins "Alternative Nobel"
10. PEN Canada Awards Honour Chinese, Canadian Journalists

USEFUL LINKS:
11. WITNESS

ALERTS ISSUED BY THE IFEX CLEARING HOUSE LAST WEEK
--------------------------------------------------------
FREE EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT

1. IFEX MEMBERS CELEBRATE RIGHT TO KNOW DAY

IFEX members joined dozens of free expression activists around the world last week to celebrate Right to Know Day and promote the right to access information. Since 2002, Right to Know Day has been held each year on 28 September to raise awareness of every individual's right to know how elected officials are exercising power and how public funds are being spent.

In Lagos, Nigeria, Media Rights Agenda convened a workshop on 22-23 September 2006 that brought together 30 civil society groups to share their experiences of campaigning for access to information laws.

Participants included representatives of the Media Foundation for West Africa, the West African Journalists Association, the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building, and the African office of the International Federation of Journalists.

Workshop participants issued a declaration calling on African governments to adopt access to information laws. They also agreed to establish a regional Freedom of Information Centre in Africa, which would act as a clearinghouse to support organisations' campaign efforts and foster collaboration.

In Namibia, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) issued a statement urging governments in Southern Africa to speed up the process of passing access to information laws. So far, South Africa is the only country in the region that guarantees citizens the right to demand information held by government bodies.

In Colombia, the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), held a roundtable discussion with journalists and media executives in Bogotá, where it called on the media profession to provide coverage of Right to Know Day and focus attention on access to information issues.

PROBIDAD marked Right to Know Day in Honduras by taking its message to a local school, where it spoke to students about the importance of access to information and provided teachers with educational materials and publications for further study on the issue.

Around the world, a growing number of governments are passing access to information laws, a recent study by Privacy International has found. There are now 68 countries that have such laws, over half of them adopted in the past decade. Another 50 countries have draft laws pending.

A study by the Open Society Justice Institute confirms the importance of access to information laws in strengthening democracies. It finds that countries with access to information laws performed better in providing government information than those with no law or with administrative provisions instead of a law.

Interestingly, countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Armenia, Mexico, and Peru outperformed more established democracies such as France and Spain in answering citizens' requests for information.

The study also found that governments are most responsive when non-governmental organisations play an active role in promoting access to information as a right.
"[Access to information] is essential for public participation," says Privacy International's David Banisar. "The public is only truly able to participate in the democratic process when they have information about the activities and policies of the government."

Visit these links:
- Right to Know Day: http://www.foiadvocates.net/index.php
- MRA Workshop: http://www.foiadvocates.net/map_2006/nigeria.php
- MISA: http://www.misa.org/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?category=3&id=1159895406
- IPYS: http://www.ipys.org
- ARTICLE 19's Model Access to Information Law: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/standards/modelfoilaw.pdf
- Privacy International: http://www.privacyinternational.org/foi/foisurvey2006.pdf
- OSI Justice Initiative: http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=103424
--------------------------------------------------------
REGIONAL NEWS:

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

2. IRAN: ARTICLE 19, FREEDOM HOUSE SPOTLIGHT CENSORSHIP

With much of the world's attention on Iran, ARTICLE 19 and Freedom House have launched new publications aimed at shedding light on the state of free expression in the country and the challenges faced by artists, writers, journalists and dissidents.

ARTICLE 19's report "Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran" contains personal accounts of Iranian musicians, poets, painters, film-makers and actors who have faced censorship because of their work. It finds that "in spite of the mechanisms through which censorship is exercised and the myriad number of difficulties artists face in Iran, Iran's rich artistic and cultural heritage has managed to endure and transcend these stringent controls."

Freedom House has launched "Gozaar" ("Transition"), a new online magazine aimed at providing Iranians with a forum for discussing democracy and human rights. It is a bi-monthly magazine in Persian and English that features interviews, essays, political cartoons, feature articles, satire and reviews of art, film and literature in Iran.

One of the main features of "Gozaar" is its moderated discussion forums in which readers from around the world can contribute their opinions in either Persian or English. To prevent government surveillance or blockage of the site, "Gozaar" uses innovative internet security technologies to allow readers in Iran or elsewhere to bypass censors and filters. The magazine is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other private sources.

Visit these links:
- Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran:
http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/iran-art-censorship.pdf
- Gozaar: http://www.gozaar.org
- IFEX Alerts on Iran: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/221/

ASIA-PACIFIC

3. PHILIPPINES: IFEX MEMBERS DECRY LIBEL ACTIONS AGAINST JOURNALISTS

Hundreds of free expression advocates and more than 25 local and international organisations, including seven IFEX members, have signed a petition calling on congressional representatives in the Philippines to abolish a libel law they say is being used to shield powerful figures from public scrutiny.

Coordinated by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the petition comes in response to libel cases filed by the husband of President Gloria Arroyo against 43 reporters, columnists, editors and publishers of various publications.

Arroyo has claimed his critics have maliciously and falsely accused him of corruption, reports the "South China Morning Post". The claims include vote-buying for President Arroyo's 2004 poll victory, money laundering, demanding illegal gambling payoffs and influence peddling.

Under the country's laws, libel is a criminal offence. Anyone convicted can be sentenced to jail for up to six years and fined.

The IFEX members who signed NUJ's petition include IFJ, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Hong Kong Journalists Association, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance, Pakistan Press Foundation, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.

Visit these links:
- NUJ Petition: http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=1210#more-1210
- SEAPA: http://www.seapabkk.org/newdesign/newsdetail.php?No=526
- Asia Media News: http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=51219
- ARTICLE 19 Study on Free Expression and the Media in the Philippines: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/publications/philippines-baseline-study.pdf
- Text of Phillipines' Penal Code: http://www.chanrobles.com/revisedpenalcodeofthephilippines.htm

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

4. UNITED KINGDOM (NORTHERN IRELAND): JOURNALISTS FACE DEATH THREATS

Five years after investigative reporter Martin O'Hagan was gunned down in Northern Ireland, his killers remain at large and threats of violence against journalists have quadrupled, a new report by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) has found.

The National Union of Journalists' (NUJ) Belfast chapter recently sent a protest letter to the local police ombudsman expressing its grave concern over the lack of justice in O'Hagan's murder. O'Hagan was killed on 28 September 2001 in what many believe was retaliation for his reporting on the criminal activities of paramilitary groups and on allegations of police collusion with paramilitaries. He was the first journalist killed in Northern Ireland in 40 years, and his murder sent shockwaves through the journalism community.

RSF says that despite considerable evidence that a paramilitary group was responsible for the murder, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has failed to solve the murder. There have been repeated allegations that the police failed to vigorously pursue the killers for fear of exposing their informers or agents within the paramilitary group. The PSNI says it will conduct a review of the investigation and discuss the outcome with O'Hagan's family.

RSF says the failure to bring O'Hagan's murderers to justice has fostered a culture of impunity in Northern Ireland. Roughly a dozen journalists have received death threats this year for their reporting, compared to three in 2001. In 2005, one paramilitary group unhappy with "Sunday World's" reporting, set fire to copies of the newspaper at a newsstand, nearly killing two people.

There have also been reports of a growing sense of antipathy among certain politicians and establishment figures towards people branded "Journalists Against the Peace Process", notes RSF. These are reporters who seek to unearth inconvenient truths that may be uncomfortable for leading figures of the peace process.

Visit these links:
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19011
- IFEX Alerts on Northern Ireland: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/50103/
- NUJ: http://media.gn.apc.org/ohagan1.html
- Pat Finucane Centre: http://www.serve.com/pfc/
- About Northern Ireland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland

5. ROMANIA: MEDIA FAILING TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE

Romania's media touts itself as an important player in the fight against corruption, but when it comes to promoting tolerance, it plays to the prejudices of its consumers and does a poor job of fighting racist attitudes, argues the head of the European Roma Grassroots Organisation in a recent issue of "Index on Censorship".

"Far from performing an educational role, the media forms part of the political and judicial structures that effectively ensure an almost complete ban on the exposure of racism, discrimination, inequality and violence," writes Valeriu Nicolae. "Discussion of such issues is seen as prejudicial to the country's efforts to join the European Union."

Romania's media is largely commercially driven, and there is little appetite or will for producing programming that promotes tolerance for ethnic minorities such as the Roma, or gender equality, Nicolae says. "Commercial television and tabloid newspapers overwhelmingly portray Roma in a negative light, reproducing the conventional racist stereotypes."

Leading intellectuals and opinion-makers openly promote anti-Roma attitudes in the press, including Andrei Cioroianu, who writes a column for the magazine "Dilema", and Mircea Radu, host of a popular TV show on Antena 1, notes Nicolae.

To read Nicolae's article in "Index on Censorship", visit: http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-09-21-nicolae-en.html

For information on media and freedom of expression in Romania, visit:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/211/
--------------------------------------------------------
TAKE ACTION!

6. BURKINA FASO: JOURNALIST'S KILLER STILL AT LARGE

RAP 21 (The African Press Network for the 21st Century), an initiative of the World Association of Newspapers, has launched an online letter-writing action to protest the impunity in the murder of journalist Norbert Zongo.

On 16 August 2006, an appeals court in Burkina Faso upheld a lower court ruling dismissing charges against the only suspect in Zongo's murder. Zongo was killed in 1998 after investigating allegations that François Compaoré, brother and special advisor to President Blaise Compaoré, took part in the January 1998 torture and killing of his driver, David Ouedraogo.

Sign the letter here: http://www.rap21.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=394

For more information, see:
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18562
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/africa/burkina20july06na.html
- Norbert Zongo Centre: http://www.cnpress-zongo.net/
--------------------------------------------------------
JOB NOTICES

7. INTERNATIONAL PEN SEEKS RESEARCH/CAMPAIGN ASSISTANT

International PEN'S Writers in Prison Committee is seeking a research and campaign assistant to work three days a week in its London office with the Middle East/Asia Pacific Researcher. The successful candidate will have at least two years' experience working on human rights or related issues, with a special interest in freedom of expression. Those invited to interview will have excellent writing skills and good political judgment. Fluency in both English and French is essential.

The application deadline is 16 October 2006. Interviews will be held on 31 October 2006.

For full details of the job, visit: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/images/jobDownload/download.php?f=1159451032.doc

Contact Sara Whyatt: wipc@internationalpen.org.uk

8. OAS SEEKS HUMAN RIGHTS SPECIALISTS

The Organization of American States' (OAS) Inter-American Commission of Human Rights
is seeking to hire Human Rights Specialists to monitor human rights violations in the Americas region, conduct legal research and assess complaints.

Candidates must possess a law degree from a recognised university and at least two years of experience in international law. They should also have an excellent command of English and Spanish.

The deadline for applications is 24 October 2006.

For more details, visit:
http://www.cidh.oas.org/vacancyexternalP2.eng.htm
http://www.cidh.oas.org/vacancyexternalP3.eng.htm
--------------------------------------------------------
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

9. COLOMBIAN POETRY FESTIVAL WINS "ALTERNATIVE NOBEL"

The International Poetry Festival of Medellín in Colombia has been named co-winner of the 2006 Right Livelihood Award for "showing how creativity, beauty, free expression and community can flourish amongst and overcome deeply entrenched fear and violence."

The annual award, known as the "alternative Nobel prize", honours exemplary individuals and organisations that work on solutions to environmental, human rights, health and social justice issues.

Founded in 1991, the International Poetry Festival of Medellín began as a protest against the violence that had gripped the city and the rest of the country. Featuring poetry readings in public spaces by local and international writers, the festival has attracted a growing audience over the years who have overcome their fear of violence to attend the readings. Now, as many as 80 poets from 55 countries participate in the festival each year and read to audiences numbering up to 200,000.

Promoteo, the Festival's organizer, has also engaged in peace promotion initiatives in Colombia, including a 2003 conference on poetry for peace and a campaign that garnered the support of more than 500 authors from 82 countries. 

Visit these links:
- International Poetry Festival of Medellín: http://www.festivaldepoesiademedellin.org
- Right Livelihood Award: http://www.rightlivelihood.org

10. PEN CANADA AWARDS HONOUR CHINESE, CANADIAN JOURNALISTS

PEN Canada is honouring investigative reporters from China and Canada with awards recognising their courage in defending freedom of expression.

Chinese journalist Jiang Weiping is the recipient of the inaugural PEN Canada One Humanity Award for his work in exposing high-level corruption in China. The new award honours a writer, journalist, academic or PEN Canada honourary member whose work "reflects a belief in the peaceful expression of ideas and has transcended the boundaries of national divides and inspired connections across cultures."

Jiang spent nearly six years in prison after a court convicted him of "revealing state secrets." Jiang had written articles for the Hong Kong-based magazine "Qianshao" ("Frontline") exposing high-level government corruption in north-eastern China. Following sustained pressure from international free expression groups, he was released in January 2006, 11 months before his sentence was due to expire. He currently works as a calligrapher in the city of Dalian. Jiang will receive CAD$5,000 (US$4,500) for the award.

Canadian reporter Kim Bolan is the recipient of the PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Prize, which recognises writers and journalists who have "displayed exceptional courage and integrity in the interest of freedom of expression."

Bolan has devoted much of her career to reporting on the 1985 Air India tragedy in which 329 Canadians perished after a bomb exploded aboard Flight 182. She was put on a death list for reporting on the story. Bolan is a reporter for the "Vancouver Sun" and is the author of "Loss of Faith: How the Air India Bombers Got Away with Murder."

For more information, visit:
- PEN Canada: http://www.pencanada.ca
--------------------------------------------------------
USEFUL LINKS:

11) WITNESS

WITNESS is an international human rights organization that provides training and support to local groups to use video to document human rights violations and support their campaigns.

Visit: http://www.witness.org
--------------------------------------------------------
ALERTS ISSUED BY THE IFEX CLEARING HOUSE DURING THE PAST WEEK

25 SEPTEMBER 2006
Brazil - Legislative representative's adviser assaults journalist (IPYS) - alert
Iran - Former MP tortured to make him "repent" for his criticisms of judiciary and intelligence services (Human Rights Watch) - alert update
Mexico - Members of activist group threaten journalists (IPYS) - alert
Zimbabwe - Court denies government's bid to further postpone trial of radio station's directors (MISA) - alert update
Sudan - President urged to guarantee no recurrence of 12-day wave of censorship (RSF) - alert update
Pakistan - Journalist brutally tortured, then released; 6-year-old brother of slain journalist also murdered (PPF) - alert update
South Africa - FXI welcomes court ruling on attempted gagging of "Mail & Guardian" newspaper (FXI) - alert update
Ghana - GJA threatens legal action against attackers of journalists (MFWA) - alert
Thailand - Military clamps down on local, provincial government bodies; critical website suspends webboard following "a disturbance" (SEAPA) - alert update
Russia - Police seize 70,000 copies of newspaper (CJES) - alert
Philippines - Journalist Edgar Amoro's alleged murderer caught by Pagadian police (RSF) - alert update
Iran - Government accuses journalists of being Western spies (IFJ) - alert
Singapore - Journalist detained, faces deportation, prevented from covering trial (SEAPA) - alert
South Africa - Constitutional Court rejects appeal against decision to prohibit broadcasting from courtroom (FXI) - alert update
Vietnam - Cyber-dissident released, sent back to United States (CPJ) - alert update
Pakistan - Musharraf government ignores promises to protect journalists (CPJ) - capsule report
Turkey - Prime minister talks of amending "national identity" article used to prosecute writers and journalists (RSF) - alert update 
26 SEPTEMBER 2006
Uruguay - Supreme Court reinstates criminal libel verdict against journalist (CPJ) - alert update
Honduras - Transparency Law bill up for final debate (PROBIDAD) - alert update
Honduras - Owner of private security company now seeking to avoid court proceedings after accusing journalists of defamation (RSF) - alert update
Argentina - Draft law aims to censor media coverage believed potentially "harmful for young people" (RSF) - alert
Guatemala - Journalist's murderers convicted, sentenced to long prison terms (IPYS) - alert update
The Gambia - No end in sight for abuse of press freedom as newly re-elected president intimidates media (MFWA) - alert
Thailand - Journalists demand media protection in interim Constitution (SEAPA) - alert
Democratic Republic of Congo - Two television stations resume broadcasting after fire (JED) - alert update
Namibia - MISA condemns former president's lawsuit against newspaper (MISA) - alert update
Pakistan - Possible motives revealed in murder of slain journalist's young brother (IFJ) - alert update
Guatemala - Suspected murderer of journalist Eduardo Maas captured (
Mexico - Members of activist social organisation assault and threaten news agency director (IPYS) - alert
Namibia - Former president and "founding father of the nation" sues local newspaper (MISA) - alert
Democratic Republic of Congo - Journalist released on bail after spending 14 days in prison (JED) - alert update
International - IFJ calls on FIFA to lift ban on investigative reporter (IFJ) - alert
Serbia (Kosovo) - Journalist assaulted by security officer of Kosovo Assembly (IPI) - alert
Niger - Appeals court upholds 18-month jail sentences for journalists (CPJ) - alert update

27 SEPTEMBER 2006
Yemen - Press freedom and freedom of expression "the victims" of the elections, says HRinfo (HRinfo) - capsule report
Zambia - MISA highlights bias in news coverage ahead of local elections (MISA) - alert
International - RSF urges OIF Secretary-General Abdou Diouf to use Francophone summit to set deadline for decriminalising press offences (RSF) - alert
Vietnam - RSF calls on Canada's PM to raise cases of cyber-dissidents at francophone summit (RSF) - alert update
Uzbekistan - Missing journalist found forcibly detained in psychiatric hospital; imprisoned journalist shows signs of mistreatment (CPJ) - alert update
Honduras - Journalist avoids defamation trial without being obliged to retract his reports (PROBIDAD) - alert update

28 SEPTEMBER 2006
Iran - Independent news website closed, blog platform briefly blocked (RSF) - capsule report
Thailand - Media groups continue to pressure for protection of press freedom; previously detained television director released (SEAPA) - alert update
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) - Spectre of journalist Martin O'Hagan's unsolved murder refuses to fade as press freedom takes a back seat on the road to peace, says RSF (RSF) - capsule report
Kazakhstan - CPJ urges examination of Kazakhstan's press freedom record, says President Nazarbayev has left "repressive mark" (CPJ) - capsule report
Sri Lanka - FMM, journalists' organisations concerned about self-censorship, sensationalist reporting on escalating violence (FMM) - press release
Russia - Mayor asks for editor and newspaper to be charged with criminal defamation (CJES) - alert
India - Six journalists seriously injured in police publicity stunt accident (IFJ) - alert
Serbia - Journalist given two-year suspended sentence in defamation case (IPI) - alert
United States - US military at Guantánamo threaten imprisoned Al-Jazeera cameraman's lawyer, try to discredit him (RSF) - alert update

29 SEPTEMBER 2006
Russia - Perm newspaper staff experience further harassment, searches and detentions (CJES) - alert update
Ghana - Policemen assault, briefly detain radio journalist (MFWA) - alert
Liberia - Ruling party threatens action against "opposition" journalists (CEMESP) - alert
Botswana - Government official warns media to be patriotic (MISA) - alert
Singapore - Government revokes sales permit of "Far Eastern Economic Review" (SEAPA) - alert update
Philippines - Journalists demand repeal of libel law following multiple lawsuits from president's husband (SEAPA) - alert
Zimbabwe - MISA-Zimbabwe harassed by state media body (MISA) - alert
Thailand - Military head says interim Constitution will protect media (SEAPA) - alert update
Indonesia - Law challenged by activist and lawyer charged with defaming president (SEAPA) - alert
Philippines - Police hot on trail of Aklan broadcaster's killer (CMFR) - alert update
Serbia - Parliament re-adopts problematic amendments to Broadcast Act (ANEM) - alert update
Somalia - Islamic court militias arrest three journalists in Kismayo, close down their radio station (RSF) - alert
Sri Lanka - Defence Ministry imposes unofficial censorship on media (FMM) - alert
Azerbaijan - Editor receives two-year suspended sentence and ordered to pay sizeable damages for investigation of interior minister (RSF) - alert
Peru - Journalist's contract not renewed for having referred to her own professional conduct; colleague threatened for defending her (IPYS) - alert
Burundi - Radio station director forced into hiding again by continued government harassment (CPJ) - alert update
Palestine - Molotov cocktails thrown against house of television station manager previously subject to death threats (IPI) - alert
Colombia - Photojournalist struck at labour demonstration, national union leader condemns assault (FLIP) - alert
Canada/China - Chinese journalist Jiang Weiping wins inaugural PEN Canada One Humanity Award (PEN Canada) - press release
Togo - Radio journalists harassed by military (IFJ) - alert
Egypt/Tunisia - Governments ban newspaper editions on pope's controversial comments (CPJ) - alert
Iran - Freedom House opens space for freedom of expression with launch of "Gozaar", a journal on democracy and human rights (Freedom House) - press release
-------------------------------------------------------
The "IFEX Communiqué" is published weekly by the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX). IFEX is managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (www.cjfe.org) on behalf of the network's 72 member organisations.

The IFEX Communiqué is also available in French, Spanish, Russian (www.ifex.cjes.ru/) and Arabic (http://hrinfo.net/ifex/).

The views expressed in the "IFEX Communiqué" are the sole responsibility of the sources to which they are attributed.

The "IFEX Communiqué" grants permission for its material to be reproduced or republished only if it is credited as the source.

Contact: "IFEX Communiqué" Editor: Geoffrey Chan: communiqué [at] ifex [dot] org
Mailing Address: 555 Richmond Street West, #1101, PO Box 407, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3B1 Canada, Tel: +1 416 515 9622; Fax: +1 416 515 7879; Website: http://www.ifex.org
-------------------------------------------------------
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com --

Povratak