January 21 marks Press Day in Somalia , the most dangerous country in Africa to be a journalist. As such, few local journalists
find much reason to celebrate. With nine Somali journalists killed
in the line of duty last year, numerous local journalists have fled, especially
from the restive capital, Mogadishu
Committee to Protect Journalists
Somalia
CPJ honors
top journalists
Somali reporter Mustafa Haji Abdinur, left, is among four leading journalists to receive CPJ's 2009 International Press Freedom Awards. Hundreds of supporters come out to pay tribute to journalists from Tunisia, Sri Lanka, and Azerbaijan.• Video: 2009 Awards
• CPJ Blog: Seen at the benefit
• Thanks to our supporters
Dear Mr President: The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about deteriorating press freedom conditions in Puntland, including detentions, censorship, harassment, and direct attacks by police officers. Many of these disturbing attacks have targeted the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and one of its reporters, although several local reporters say they are seeing an overall pattern of harassment.
New York, December 21, 2009—Mortar shells destroyed the Radio Voice of Democracy building this morning in the Somali capital,
Mohamed Olad Hassan, at left, a reporter for the BBC and The Associated
Press, and chairman of the Somali Foreign Correspondents Association, recounts
his experience covering a deadly ceremony in
Reports
| Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Colombia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Venezuela
CPJ survey finds at least 68 journalists killed in 2009
New York, December 17, 2009—At least 68 journalists worldwide were killed for their work in 2009, the highest yearly tally ever documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the organization said in its year-end analysis. The record toll was driven in large part by the election-related slaughter of more than 30 media workers in the Philippine province of Maguindanao, the deadliest event for the press in CPJ history.
New York, December 3, 2009—Three journalists were among the victims of a suicide bombing at a Benadir University graduation ceremony in Mogadishu today. At least 22 people were killed at Hotel Shamo, including three government ministers, by suspected Islamic insurgents, according to The Associated Press.
Hassan Zubeyr, a cameraman for the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television network and Radio Shabelle reporter Mohamed Amin were killed instantly in the explosion, local journalists told CPJ. Abdulkhafar Abdulkadir, who recently took up freelance photography part-time, died of injuries in the hospital, according to local journalists. CPJ was unable to determine immediately if Abdulkadir was on assignment for a specific outlet.
We issued the following statement after confirming the release today of Canadian freelance reporter Amanda Lindhout and Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan, both held in Somalia since August 2008...
Small in stature but strong in her words, Naziha Réjiba tells a reporter of all the things the Tunisian government does to try to frighten her. But Réjiba said that she will not be scared, that she will never allow such tactics to have power over her. Editor of Kalima, an online news Web site blocked in her own country, Réjiba was honored Tuesday at CPJ’s International Press Freedom Awards at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria for displaying just that sort of courage. Four other leading journalists were recognized as well.
CPJ introduces 2009 International Press Freedom Awardees
Washington, November 19, 2009—Naziha Réjiba,
editor of the Tunisian online news journal Kalima,
said she knows what to expect when she returns home—surveillance, harassment,
and threats conducted by one the world’s most repressive governments.
New York, November 18, 2009—Two Somali correspondents for international media outlets were injured in separate shootings, one in the northeast semi-autonomous region of Puntland, and the other in the capital, Mogadishu, according to local journalists and news reports.
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