Media Tracker lists the challenges and achievements of the journalists and media organisations worldwide. Here’s a list of journalism at risk stories in the recent month. We would like to thank international media protection organisation and news outlets for their content.
- The violent aftermath of the first general elections in Zimbabwe since Robert Mugabe’s 4-decade long regime last year have taken a toll on its citizen amid protest against the army, trying to sabotage the otherwise peaceful elections and trasition of power. The situation is equally disturbing for the journalists. Assaults against the journalists and detention have been reported. Journalists are also being barred from covering demonstrations and accessing the press conferences. NewsDay Editor Wisdom Mdzungairi said that journalists are receiving threatening calls from unregistered numbers (IPI)
- Members of the anti-immigration group Atalante caused ruckus in the Montreal offices of Vice on Wednesday, as they entered the premises unannounced wearing masks, making noise and throwing flyers in the newsroom. The intimidation tactic came a week after Vice Quebec journalist Simon Coutu published an article reporting the rise of far-right groups in Montreal. (CJFE)
- Earlier in October, Victoria Marinova, Bulgarian presenter and administrative director of local television channel TVN, was found dead in a park near capital Sofia. She had been raped, beaten, and strangled, according to media reports. The 30-years old’s last broadcast was an interview with Romanian journalist Attila Biro from the investigative news website Rise Project and his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Stoyanov, from investigative news website Bivol, who were looking into allegations of fraud involving EU funds for the global investigative reporting platform Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Bulgarian news site Terminal 3 reported. The two reporters had been detained by Bulgarian police for several hours in September. (CPJ)
- According to reports at least 28 journalists are currently in Saudi Arabia’s jails victimed by the arbitrary judicial system:
- Raif Badawi: sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes in 2012 for “insulting Islam.” He is also banned from leaving the country for ten years post-release and is fined up to USD226000.
- Salman al Awdah: The religious intellectual and blogger was sentenced to death in September.
- Fayez Ben Damakh: Journalist and poet, is missing since September last, as he was planning the launch of a TV news channel in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti media say he was extradited to Saudi Arabia to be imprisoned.
- Alaa Brinji: journalist for Al-Sharq, El Bilad and Okaz has been imprisoned since 2014 incriminated under cybercrime law for insulting comments on social media. In 2016 he was awarded 7-years jail term.
- Waleed Abu Al Khair: founder of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia imprisoned since 2014 for inciting rebellion, publishing false news and running an NGO without authorization. He was sentenced 15 years jail term and another 15 ban post-release.
- Nazir Al Majid: writer and journalist for AlHayat, Al Sharq, etc. Imprisoned since 2017, Waleed has been charged with disobeying authority, writing for international media, criticising government in writing and taking part in demonstrations. Nazir is incarcerated for 7 years and banned from travelling outside the country for 7 years after release.
- FAdhel Al Manafes: citizen journalist and human rights defender is in jail since 2011. He is charged for working against national security, disloyalty to the King. Harming the state’s image through his international reportage. He is Fadhel is fined USD 26653 and a 15 years’ imprisonment. He also has a travel ban of 15 years after finishing his sentence.
- The plight of the remainder 11 journalists will be shared in next TT edition.(RSF)
- On October 30, scores of journalists set up a protest camp in front of the national parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan, protesting against large-scale layoffs, increasing censorship, and violence. Journalist Ehsanullah Sherpao was killed in the northwestern town of Charsadda on October 30. Many Pakistani media organizations recently shut down or fired hundreds of journalists and media workers after the government stopped providing advertisements, which is a major revenue source for many newspapers and television channels. (REFRI)
