1. Executive Summary

The second half of 2004 has been characterized by the increasing number of journalists killed around the world. Continued government clampdowns on freedom of expression, a surge in intra-state conflict, and an onslaught of premeditated attacks on journalists indicate a continued deterioration of conditions for media. In total, 35 journalists have been killed in the past six months.

The Philippines have been the most murderous settings for journalists, with 8 journalists killed since June. In Iraq, 7 have been killed, bringing the total to 23 this year alone.

National security laws, anti-terrorism laws and criminal defamation laws have landed scores of journalists in prison and resigned many more to practicing self-censorship. 130 journalists are currently in prison around the world with Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nepal and Vietnam having the highest number of journalists behind bars. The most blatent attempts to create legal barriers to stifle the press can be seen in for example Iran, Zimbabwe and Vietnam.

The Americas

Violence and repression against the media continue in Latin America. The region remains one of the most dangerous places for the practice of journalism in terms of attacks and threats. Seven journalists have been killed in the last six months. In Cuba, nearly 30 journalists have been imprisoned since March 2003.

In the United States, several cases of pressure on journalists during the last months have raised serious concern about the press freedom situation in the country.

Asia

Asia is the home to some of the most repressive media environments in the world, such as Burma, China, North Korea and Vietnam. It is also the region where the highest number of murdered journalists has been recorded in the last six months -- 15. Other factors that work to erode the status of press freedom in Asia are: severe political repression, excessive restrictions on the media, as well as simmering ethnic and religious tensions.

Europe and Central Asia

Europe and Central Asia continue to show a stark contrast when it comes to levels of press freedom. The situation continues to be problematic in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine where the government exercises extensive control over media and journalist murders in most cases go unpunished.

In Central Asia, government repression remains one of the main obstacles to the development of a free press, together with poor infrastructure, weak economies and a lack of adequate training and professional organisations. Threats and physical attacks on journalists remain common, as well as self-censorship.

Middle East and North Africa

Freedom of expression continues to suffer throughout the region. The press freedom situation in many counties remains alarming, as government control over the press is rigid. In those countries where journalists do enjoy a measure of freedom of expression, they must contend with severe laws that often result in criminal prosecution, arrest and censorship.

In Iran, next year’s presidential election will most likely worsen an already bad situation. In Tunisia, President Ben Ali continues firmly on his course to stamp out all independent media.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Although the number of journalists killed and in prison in Africa has decreased over the last six months, African journalists still faced a multitude of obstacles, including government harassment and physical assaults. Many countries in Africa retain autocratic press laws. Other factors, such as civil conflict, lack of infrastructure, and totalitarian regimes characterise the press free situation in much of Africa. On a positive note, the West-African country of Togo has undertaken 22 democratisation reforms in the past six months, in exchange for lucrative EU aid. The worst press freedom records on the continent concern Eritrea, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

2.Region by Region

Africa

One journalist killed in the last six months

Democratic Republic of Congo

Journalists remain caught in the middle of tensions and sporadic spells of violence between the Congolese authorities and Rwandan-backed rebels, particularly in the eastern parts of the country. On three separate occasions during the temporary seizure of the city of Bukavu by rebels in early June, authorities imprisoned four journalists and ordered media outlets to restrict coverage. Rebels also threatened at least four journalists and forced three community radio stations in city of Bukavu to close.

Abusive and outdated laws - the legacy of the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko - are still used to imprison and silence journalists who dare offend government officials.

Criminal defamation is still regularly used as a tool against journalists. The 1996 Press Law and the Penal Code criminalise a wide array of "press offences" and allow journalists to be prosecuted under vague and outdated statutes introduced under Mobutu. On 19 June, Nicaise Kibel-Bel-Oka, publisher and editor of the private weekly Les Coulisses, was convicted of defamation, sentenced to six months in prison, and ordered to pay US$ 5,000 in damages. He was granted a provisional release on appeal on 10 July.

Sudan

Sudan continues to have one of the most restrictive media environments on the African continent.

Sudanese authorities have imposed a virtual news blackout and denied international observers access to the country. Security personnel routinely confiscate newspaper copies containing articles covering sensitive issues or deemed critical of the government.

“I believe the ongoing human rights crisis in Darfur could have been averted had the Sudanese authorities refrained from muzzling the media and preventing independent and brave journalists from doing their job.”
Kamel Labidi, journalist and former director of the Tunisian section of Amnesty International, August 2004

Togo

In a surprising turn of events, press freedom has registered a marked improvement in Togo, known as one of the worst countries in which to practice journalism on the African continent. In a bid to lift EU economic sanctions against the government, autocratic President Eyadéma pledged a total of 22 democratisation reforms this spring, in exchange for lucrative EU aid that, even in its initial phase, would be worth tens of millions of Euros.

In keeping with this pledge, in August, the Togolese Parliament unanimously passed amendments to its harsh Press Code, removing criminal penalties for some press offences and abolishing prison sentences for defamation and insult. Provisions that gave the Interior Minister powers to order the closing or seizure of newspapers were also repealed.

Although optimistic, many Togolese journalists remain deeply sceptical given Eyadéma’s record. He broke his pledge not to run again for office last year, winning the June 2003 election amid fraud allegations. Journalists consider to work under difficult conditions, often being the victims of death threats and official harassment for their reporting.

Zimbabwe

The situation for press freedom in Zimbabwe has stagnated, if not worsened, in the past six months. Under President Robert Mugabe, freedom of the press continues to be severely limited. The private press, relatively vigorous in its criticism of the government, has come under severe pressure.

The 2002 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which gives the Information Minister sweeping powers to decide who can work as a journalist in Zimbabwe, continues to be used to muzzle what remains of the independent press in the country. On 10 June, the private weekly The Tribune was suspended for one year. This is the second case the government using the AIPPA to close down a newspaper in 2004. In February, the Daily News, Zimbabwe’s only independent daily, and its sister paper, The Daily News on Sunday, also ceased publishing.

“The State media has been used to propagate hate messages against minorities and incite hatred against a selected group of inconvenient individuals. Violence and intimidation against journalists and lawyers is extensive... Independent journalists are not allowed to cover certain events, while lawyers find it increasingly difficult to access their clients [who are] arrested on politically trumped up charges.” Mission Report, of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, on Zimbabwe, August 2004

Most recently, a new bill has been proposed to regulate non-governmental organisations and if enacted, will further silence critics and deprive the public of its right to access information.

The Americas

7 journalists and one newspaper vendor killed in the last six months

Brazil

One journalist was killed in the last six months, against three in 2003. Radio owner and host Jorge Lourenço dos Santos was shot dead on 11 July in Alagoas State in northeastern Brazil. The 59-year-old dos Santos owned the radio station Criativa FM, which was based in his home, and hosted a show in which he frequently criticized local politicians and businessmen. The motive for the murder has not yet been established.

In August, a bill that seeks to control the exercise of the profession of journalism through the establishment of federal and regional journalism councils was sent to Congress. The bill was introduced by Brazilian President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva for debate in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

"The bill is a clear attempt to control the news and punish journalists." Rafael Molina, chairman of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information of the Inter American Press Association, August 2004

Colombia

In a country which has seen more than 50 journalists killed over the last ten years, six months without a single murder is a rare, and hopefully positive, sign. Nonetheless, kidnappings, threats and editorial pressure continue to be a part of the every day life of journalists in Colombia.

October, nevertheless saw the murder of a newspaper vendor, Jaime Alberto Madero Muñoz, in the city of Santa Marta. The killing is thought to be linked to the publication of an article in the local newspaper El Informador on the capture of individuals presumed to be paramilitaries. This is the second time in recent years that a newspaper vendor has been assassinated in Colombia.

Luis Carlos Molina Yepes, one of the accused in the murder of distinguished Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano, was freed in October. Cano was killed in 1986. The freeing was internationally seen as a setback in the fight against impunity.

Cuba

Nearly thirty Cuban journalists have been imprisoned under appalling circumstances since March 2003. Despite numerous protests from the international community and appeals for better treatment of the prisoners, little seems to improve. Only two of the journalists have been released, due to medical reasons.

Several of the jailed journalists are suffering from deteriorating health. Their families say that they are being subject to harassment, denied medical treatment and served rotten food. Unlike the general prison population, who receive more frequent visits, most imprisoned journalists are allowed family visits every three months and marital visits every five months.

“No one can make me feel like a criminal, or an enemy agent, or someone who does not love his country, or make me believe any of the other absurd accusations the government uses to degrade and humiliate. I am only a man who writes. And writes in the country where he was born, and where his great-grandparents were born.”
Raúl Rivero, journalist, Cuba 22 April, 2003

All of the jailed journalists are serving sentences between 14 and 27 years.

Dominican Republic

On 14 September journalist Juan Emilio Andújar was shot to death when leaving the Radio Azua station where he hosted a news and commentary programme. Andújar was shot in the head by gunmen on motorcycles. Jorge Luis Sención, a reporter for Enriquillo Radio, witnessed the shooting and went to Andújar’s aid. Later that morning, Sención was ambushed by the same gunmen. He survived the attack, but lost his right forearm to amputation.

Euri Cabral, director of Channel 23 and commentator on the El Gobierno de la Mañana radio program, was attacked by gunmen as he was returning home on 29 September. Cabral was not harmed.

Haiti

Nine months after the fall of President Aristide, journalists in Haiti still work under great threat. Nonetheless, the journalists targeted have shifted dramatically since Aristide’s departure: the ones who support the exiled president are at particular risk today, whereas the situation used to be the opposite.

On a positive note, private radio stations based in the capital of Port-au-Prince, which endured years of threats and attacks by Aristide supporters, now work under improved circumstances.

Guatemala

Miguel Ángel Morales, journalist and the secretary general of the National Press Society (Círculo Nacional de Prensa, CNP), was assassinated on 28 September. The motive for the killing has not been determined.

Media professionals in Guatemala continue to face hard working conditions, including physical attacks and death threats.

At least eight journalists were attacked by police on 31 August while they were covering the eviction of peasants from a ranch in southern Guatemala. The attacks came after the journalists witnessed police killing several peasants, local news reported. The police also confiscated cameras and video equipment. When some of the journalists tried to recover their equipment, police threatened them, fired shots into the air, and launched tear gas grenades at them.

Mexico

Journalist Francisco J. Ortiz Franco was gunned down in broad daylight in Tijuana, northern Mexico on 22 June. Publisher, co-founder and editorialist of the weekly newspaper Zeta, Ortiz Franco was known for his investigative reporting on corruption and drug trafficking. Over the years, staff at the newspaper have been targeted on numerous occasions, including co-founder Héctor Félix Miranda, who was murdered in April 1988, and editor Jesús Blancornelas, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in November 1997 and is under permanent armed guard.

Prior to his death, Ortiz Franco had been involved in a working group set up by the Mexican government and the Inter American Press Association to investigate the murders of Félix Miranda and Víctor Manuel Oropeza, a columnist with the newspaper Diario de Juárez who was killed in 1991. An investigation into the murder of Ortiz Franco was taken up in August by federal prosecutors, citing evidence that Ortiz Franco’s murder was linked to the powerful Arellano-Félix drug cartel.

“As Francisco Ortiz Franco’s blood was still being hosed off the pavement, more than 100 of his fellow Mexican reporters and editors marched quietly but bravely through the streets of Tijuana holding their pens defiantly high in the air.”
Marc Cooper, journalist, LA Weekly, July 2004

In August, newspaper columnist Francisco Arratia Saldierna, was beaten to death by unidentified assailants in the northern border city of Matamoros. Arratia often wrote about organised crime, political corruption and education.

The United States

Several cases of pressure on journalists during the last months has raised serious concern about the press freedom situation in the United States. In August, five journalists received subpoenas to testify in a federal investigation into which administration officials leaked the identity of an CIA agent. In October, two of the journalists were held in contempt for refusing to reveal their sources. A federal judge sentenced both to prison and ordered Time magazine to pay a daily fine of US$1,000 for refusing to turn over requested information.

"I could not have been an investigative reporter at the Times, covering the growth of Al-Qaeda and other national security issues, without the trust of my sources and their confidence that I would protect them."
Judith Miller, reporter at The New York Times, one of the sentenced journalist,October 2004

Also in August, five reporters were held in contempt and fined for refusing to testify in a civil lawsuit filed by former US nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee. His lawyers are trying to find out which officials leaked confidential information about the scientist to the media.

The same month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized the UK servers of the global independent media network Indymedia. The seizure seriously affected the activities of Indymedia worldwide. Several streaming radio stations, a Linux distribution site and other services hosted on those servers were also disrupted.

Venezuela

Mauro Marcano, a 55-year-old journalist and politician, was shot dead on the morning of 1 September in the city of Maturín in eastern Venezuela. Marcano hosted an opinion programme on Radio 1.080 AM station in which he had reported on drug trafficking in Monagas, implicating a number of local businessmen. No clear motive for the killing has yet been established.

Asia

15 journalists killed in the last six months

Burma

Burma’s military government continues to stifle criticism of any sort through the jailing of journalists, censorship and restrictive licensing laws.

At least eight journalists and writers reportedly remain in prison for publishing views critical of the government. In November, it was reported that U Win Tin, the 2001 winner of the WAN Golden Pen of Freedom, had been released after 15 years in prison.

Recent incidents of state censorship and intimidation include the closure of the bi-monthly current affairs journal Khit-Sann, the censorship of privately-owned publication Khit-Thit and the harassment of two pro-democracy writers, Ludu Sein Win and Dagon Tayar, who have been targeted by authorities since they gave interviews to the Burmese-language services of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

In July, Military Intelligence agents arrested Lazing La Htoi, a local documentary filmmaker, for filming a flooding disaster in Myitkyina, northern Burma. The journalist was reportedly arrested while copying the documentary on VCDs. His video clips included an interview with one witness who claimed about 50 people had died in the flooding.

China

There has been no change in the government’s brutal stance towards all forms of criticism by media or human rights activists in the past six months. Over 40 journalists and internet dissidents are known to remain incarcerated in prisons throughout the country.

In the past two months, the diplomacy magazine Zhanlue Yu Guanli (Strategy and Management), and a widely used web forum, the Yitahutu, have been shut down.

In September, Kong Youping, an Internet essayist who has been in detention since December 2003, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Internet essayist, writer and journalist Huang Jinqiu (aka Qing Shuijun) was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of "subversion of state power”.

On a positive note, in August, the editor-in-chief of one of China’s most progressive newspapers, the Southern Metropolis Daily, Cheng Yizhong, was released after being detained for five months without charges. Local authorities had been dogged by the newspaper’s tenacious reporting under Cheng’s direction, including an exposé on the fatal police beating of a man that led to the arrest of several local government and police officials. The newspaper had also aggressively followed the outbreak, and re-emergence of the SARS virus in 2003.

"Some people are sharpening their weapons. . . . This storm was bound to come sooner or later," he said. "We are already prepared. For the progress of the nation, the development of society and the happiness of the people, it is worth suffering some inconvenience and misery!"
Cheng Yizhong in an address to his staff a few days before his arrest, April 2004

The July raid of six newspaper offices in Hong Kong by local authorities could signal a weakening of resolve on the part of the local authorities to uphold press freedom.

Indonesia

Despite a relatively open and lively media environment, the ongoing use of the country’s outdated criminal defamation laws to punish journalists who criticize public figures continues to impede press freedom in the country.

In September, Bambang Harymurti, editor-in-chief of the investigative newspaper Tempo Daily and weekly Tempo magazine, was found guilty of defamation and sentenced to one year in prison, over an article which appeared in Tempo magazine concerning a local businessman in 2003. At least nine lawsuits have been filed against Tempo magazine and its staff.

The September presidential elections ushered a new leader into power, as former General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono replaced Megawati Sukarnoputri in the country’s first ever, direct presidential elections. His general stance towards to the media has yet to be assessed.

Nepal

The media, particularly in the provinces, remain caught between ongoing tensions and skirmishes between Maoist rebels and the government. Violence, threats and harassment against journalists are common throughout the country.

Two journalists have been killed and several others threatened in the past two months. In August, Maoist rebels killed journalist Dakendra Raj Thapa in the western district of Dailekh. Accused by the rebels of being a government spy, the journalist had been held for three months before being executed.

Following outrage over Dekendra Raj Thapa’s murder, Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara made a public commitment to protect Nepalese media, and issued a statement that the central leadership had directed their cadres to leave journalists alone. Despite these assurances, however, in October, three journalists working for national newspapers in the central Parbat region received death threats from a local Maoist leader after they investigated abductions of schoolchildren by Maoists.

The government is not without blood on its hands either. Also in August, journalist Badri Khadka was murdered, after reportedly being arrested by security forces and tortured while in custody. Khadka was a regional correspondent for Janadesh Weekly, a publication which is disseminated via the Internet and is believed to have links with the CPN-Maoist rebels. Government security forces, however, denied having arrested Khadka, and allege that the journalist may have been killed in crossfire between them and the CPN-Maoists.

Sri Lanka

Conditions have deteriorated for journalists working in Sri Lanka as tensions between two rival Tamil groups flared in the spring and violence ensued.

On 31 May, Aiyathurai Nadesan, a veteran reporter with the Tamil-language daily Virakesari, was shot and killed by unidentified assailants, and in August, Kandasamy Iyer Balanadarajah, a journalist and media spokesperson for the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), was gunned down by two unidentified assailants.

In August, however, in a landmark case on freedom of expression vs. criminal defamation law submitted by Victor Ivan, editor of the Ravaya weekly newspaper, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled against the Sri Lanka government, finding the government in violation of protocol under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Since 1993, Ivan has been indicted a number of times for allegedly having defamed ministers and high level officials of the police and other departments, in articles and reports published in his newspaper.

The Philippines

Despite possessing a relatively active and outspoken independent media, the Philippines continues to provide a hostile environment for journalists.

In the past six months, eight journalists have been murdered, making a total of nine killed this year. The latest case is a radio commentator, Eldy Gabinales, who was shot three times in the back by an unidentified assailant on 19 October. Gabinales was a strident critic of the drug trade and illegal gambling.

“When can newsmen ever be in peace while pursuing their media career to earn their living and those of their family? Just this week, another news correspondent, Romeo Binungcal, 43, was killed in Pilar, Bataan. He was helpless when this incident happened, shot four times in the head and body, and died on the spot.”
Editorial in the Manila Bulletin, October 2004

In a positive step in the fight against impunity, the alleged murderer of journalist Edgar Damalerio, former police officer Guillermo Wapile, surrendered to police in September, and is currently in custody. Wapile had been charged with murder in a January 2003 warrant, but had been a fugitive since that time.

According to reports, a total of forty-five journalists have been slain in the Philippines since the country became a democracy in 1986.

Vietnam

The general situation of freedom of the media in Vietnam has stagnated in the past six months, and little change is expected for 2005.

The authoritarian government continues to stifle all forms of dissent and criticism from media and pro-democracy advocates. There continues to exist no independent media, and all Internet activity is strictly regulated and monitored by the government.

In July, three pro-democracy writers were condemned to lengthy jail sentences; Pham Que Duong and Tran Khue were sentenced to 19 months in prison for "taking advantage of democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the state", and for violating a house arrest order; writer and doctor Nguyen Dan Que was sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges of "taking advantage of democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the state."

Que had sent an email to his brother in the U.S. in which he criticized the Vietnamese government’s claim to guarantee freedom of information, pointing out there were no independent media in the country. He had no legal representation at his 3-hour trial, and was sentenced to a total of 30 months in prison.

Europe and Central Asia

3 journalists killed in the last six months

Belarus

Conditions for press freedom in Belarus remain dire under President Lukashenko’s authoritarian rule. Although the constitution formally provides for freedom of speech, authorities remain extremely intolerant of criticism, often silencing opposition media with libel lawsuits, financial pressures, closures and suspensions, and intimidation of journalists.

“Pressure is currently being put on Belarus through weapons of mass destruction, there is no other name for them, that is, the mass media. The mass media are weapons of mass destruction today, the most powerful ones.” President Lukashenko, Belarusian television, June 2003

In the run-up to the October 2004 referendum and parliamentary elections, the independent media came under increasing attack. Official results of the referendum showed support for lifting the two-term limit on Mr Lukashenko’s rule but there were widespread allegations of fraud from western observers who said the vote was neither free nor fair. Opposition parties failed to win a single seat in the parliamentary elections.

On 5 October Information Minister Vladimir Rusakevich ordered Nedelya newspaper to stop publishing for three months. No reasons were given for the newspaper’s temporary closure.

Five other publications have been suspended or closed in the past three months. Regionalnaya Gazeta was closed on 29 September for an alleged breach of its publishing. Satirical newspaper Navinki was closed by the Information Ministry for three months on 27 August for failing to notify the ministry of its new address and publication schedule. On 16 August the independent weekly Novaya Gazeta Smorgoni was suspended for three months and on 4 August, the independent daily Narodnaya Volya was suspended for the newspaper’s alleged failure to pay damages to a former head of state television and businessman. Finally, on 2 August Rabochaya Solidarnost was closed permanently after the Supreme Court dissolved its founder, the Belarus Labour Party.

Russia

Journalists in Russia continue to be harassed, intimidated and pressured. In connection to the Beslan tragedy, a number of journalists were detained or prevented by authorities from covering the event, including the well known journalist and human rights activist, Anna Politkovskaya, who was allegedlypoisoned on her way to Beslan to cover the event.

“The nurse tells me that when they brought me in I was ‘almost hopeless’. Then she whispers: ‘My dear, they tried to poison you.’ All the tests taken at the airport have been destroyed - on orders ‘from on high’, say the doctors.” Anna Politkovskaya, on waking up in hospital after she tried to travel to Beslan, September 2004

Journalism in Russia remains a sometimes deadly profession, and there is an ongoing culture of impunity. July was a particularly bloody month. On the evening of the 9 July, Paul Klebnikov, editor of the Russian edition of Forbes Magazine, was shot and killed as he was leaving his office in Moscow. A few days later, the body of Payl Peloyan, editor-in-chief of a Russian-language arts magazine, was found at the side of a major road with knife wounds to his chest and signs of beating on his head and face.

On 20 October, the independent daily Kommersant was ordered to pay record libel damages of US$ 11 million to Alfa-Bank, the country’s largest commercial bank. The damages were a compensation for losses that the Alfa-Bank allegedly suffered following a report in June about "serious problems" at the bank during last summer’s financial crisis.

Ukraine

Conditions for press freedom in the lead up to the October elections deteriorated in the Ukraine, although it has been mostly radio and television that has been targeted.

The government continued to resist an open investigation into the 2000 murder of journalist and editor Georgy Gongadze, who was known for investigating high-level corruption. To date, no one has been brought to trial for his murder or those of several other journalists in the country in recent years. This continues to be a clear blemish on the Kuchma administration’s press freedom record.

In August, Dmitry Shkuropat, an investigative journalist working on a story about government corruption was assaulted in the middle of the day. Taped interviews for his article were taken from him during the assault.

Kazakhstan

Conditions for media have remained difficult in the past six months, despite a small hope that the authoritarian regime of Nazerbayev could be softening its stance toward the media with his veto of a draft media law in April, that would have had wide ranging implications on the country’s already struggling independent media.

A local press freedom organisation documented 39 cases of violations of journalists’ rights surrounding the 19 September elections for the lower chamber of Parliament. A large number of cases involved camera crews that were denied information about the elections and prohibited from covering polling and vote-counting, often by force.

"External organisations say things are improving in the region. We say that things are deteriorating. You help and help, but the bad governments just keep on getting stronger".
Sergei Duvanov, WAN Media in Danger Conference, October 2004

Uzbekistan

President Karimov’s regime continues its systematic harassment of the independent press, and this has not improved in the past six months. Conditions look set to worsen in the months leading up to the December parliamentary elections.

Media development organisations have been Karimov’s latest victims. Internews-Uzbekistan, an international media training institute, was shut in September for a period of six months for violating a law regulating non-governmental organizations. The closure followed an Internews-Uzbekistan project documenting government press abuses. It also points to a broader government crackdown ahead of parliamentary elections in December. Tashkent’s decision to suspend Internews follows the spring closure of the local branch of the Open Society Institute/Soros Foundation, which also sought to support democratic change and media development in Uzbekistan.

June saw the secret release of 2004 Golden Pen laureate Ruslan Sharipov from prison. The journalist and human rights defender was subsequently expelled from Uzbekistan. Following a stint in Moscow, Sharipov was granted political asylum in the United States, where he travelled on 21 October to join members of his family, who had already relocated from Uzbekistan.

Under the guise of monitoring terrorist activities as following the attacks in March and April, the government strictly regulates the Internet. With less than three percent of the population “online”, this threat in reality is exaggerated. It has also been reported that the authorities have begun using "modified mirrors" - doctored versions of controversial websites that look like the original sites but actually contain altered information.

Middle East and North Africa

8 journalists killed in the last six months

Algeria

Although the Algerian press is among the most vibrant in the region, press freedom has continued to suffer serious setbacks over the last six months. New constraints have been imposed on the independent media and critics suggest that President Bouteflika has been inspired by Tunisian president Ben Ali, in his changed stance towards independent media.

In August, Mohammed Benchicou, the editor of the daily newspaper Le Matin was sentenced to two years in jail. Benchicou was sentenced for currency offences, however, international press freedom organisations consider Benchicou’s journalistic activities to be the real reason behind the sentence. Hafnaoui Ghoul, another journalist and human rights activist, charged with defamation after an interview published in the Algerian daily Le Soir, is currently serving a three-month jail sentence.

Iran

The government continues to stifle the free press of the country. Next year’s presidential elections will most likely worsen the situation even further.

Weblogs, which over the last years have provided a unique possibility for Iranians to express themselves freely and without censorship, are now being targeted by the government. Since the beginning of September, four online journalists have been arrested and are currently awaiting trial. Their families have not been allowed to meet with them since their arrests.

A proposed bill on "the punishment of crimes linked to the Internet" contains a number of provisions that would severely restrict freedom of expression online. It proposes jail sentences of up to three years for the spreading of "information that poses a threat for the country’s internal or external security" and five to 15 years if the information is passed to "foreign states or foreign organizations."

Iraq

Iraqi and foreign journalists continue to work in an extremely dangerous climate, where almost every work assignment means risking one’s life.

In the last six months, seven journalists have been killed while covering the conflict. Insurgent actions are the first cause of journalists deaths in Iraq, fire from U.S. forces the second.

At least 35 journalists have been killed since the war started in March 2003. Almost half of those killed are Iraqi journalists. Drivers, interpreters and guides also face growing danger in their work, with 11 killed in 2004 alone. Most foreign correspondents would not be able to do their work without these people.

At least 22 journalists have been kidnapped for extended periods in 2004. Nineteen were released, one - the Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni - was executed, and two remain captive - the French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot.

Israel/Palestinian Authority Territoires

A recent international study of 562 press freedom violations during the four years of the Palestinian Uprising, show that at least 497 abuses, or 88.4 per cent of all violations, were perpetrated by Israelis. 10 of the 12 journalists killed in the last four years were Palestinian. The other two were Italian and British. In the majority of the cases, no one has been punished, let alone brought to justice.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate threatened local journalists in both July and August. In July, journalists were told they would be punished if they reported on internal conflicts within the Palestinian leadership. In August the syndicate banned journalists from photographing Palestinian children wearing military uniforms or carrying weapons, arguing that such footage violated children’s rights and served "the interests of Israel and its propaganda against the Palestinian people." The order was rescinded a few days later amid local and international protest.

Morocco

Despite some progressive change in the Moroccan society, journalists continue to work in difficult circumstances.

On 29 September, editor Anas Tadili received a one-year prison sentence and 10,000 dirham (900 euros) fine for libelling Economy Minister Fathallah Oualalou. Tadili was convicted for reporting that police had surprised a government minister in a homosexual act at a beach resort. He did not name the minister but was clearly alluding to the economy minister. Tadili, the editor of the weekly Akhbar al-Ousbouaâ, is already serving a six-month prison sentence for a common law offence. His family and lawyer has reported he is being held in the wing reserved for those who have been sentenced to death.

On 18 September, one of Morocco’s leading independent newspapers, the weekly Le Journal Hebdomadaire, was told that its earnings and those of Assahifa, an Arabic-language weekly belonging to the same group, were to be seized as a result of a libel action brought by Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed Benaïssa in 2001.

Yemen

The country which probably enjoys the greatest press freedom in the Persian Gulf, is continuing its battle for freedom of expression. On 5 September, Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani, editor of the opposition weekly "Al-Shoura", was sentenced to one year in prison. He was convicted of incitement, insulting the president, publishing false news and causing tribal and sectarian discrimination. In June, Mahboob Ali, the chairman Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) and deputy chairman of the Arab Journalists Federation received death threats. Ali is known for his outspokenness about press freedom issues in the Arab world.