The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the murder of Alberto Graves Chakussanga, journalist presenter of Radio Despertar who was gunned down last Sunday, 5 September 2010 by unknown gunmen at his house located in Viana District in Luanda, capital of Angola.
“We are shocked by this senseless murder and the entire community of journalists is deeply concerned by the level of insecurity and intolerance in Angola,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “We urge Angolan authorities and law enforcement bodies to ensure his killers are brought to justice”.
Alberto Graves Chakussanga, 32, was a presenter of a weekly, Umbundu-language news call-in program on Radio Despertar which was critical of the ruling MPLA government. He was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Agostinho Neto state university and at the Angolan police academy, according to local sources.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
today called on all political groups in Iraq to voice their opposition to
violence against media following the murder of Safaa al-Khayat by gunmen in the
main northern city of Mosul yesterday morning. The victim, who worked as a presenter of
religious programmes on Al- Mosuliyah satellite television, was the second
journalist to be killed in as many days following the death of Ryad al-Saray
who was shot dead on Tuesday morning in
Baghdad. "Iraqi journalists are once again being targeted and
killed for their work," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "Politicians
from all sides must declare their intention to stamp out violence against media
and eradicate the impunity for those who target journalists." Media reports say that Safaa al-Khayat was shot dead
as he was leaving his house to work at the Al-Mosuliyah television where he
presented religious programmes devoted to mosques and shrines.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Israel to permit new dialogue in Palestine by granting permission for a global journalists´ leader to travel to the region to take part in an international mission.
Younes M'Jahed, the Senior Vice-President of the IFJ and General Secretary of the Federation's affiliate in Morocco, is due to join a delegation of IFJ leaders from Cyprus, Italy, Norway and including the IFJ President Jim Boumelha, which plans to travel to the Palestinian territories in the coming days to investigate the problems facing Palestinian journalists. But his application for permission to travel has been turned down by Israeli authorities, prompting a protest by the Palestine Journalists´ Syndicate (PJS). Echoing the PJS concerns, the IFJ is writing to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on him to intervene to allow Mr M'Jahed to travel.
8
September UK: BBC
World to Cut Services in Burma and Russia The BBC World Service in Burma could face
closure as a result of budget cuts, which could also affect the declining
popularity of the World Service in Russia. A decision will be made about the
future of the BBC World Service on 20 October 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/07/bbc-world-service-burma-axe US: New
platform Aims to Launch Crowd-funding to Finance Photojournalism A new
online platform called Emphas will soon be launched to use crowd-funding hoping
to sustain the future of photojournalism. According to the founders of the new
platform, it aims to attract amateur photojournalists and readers to fund the
project by offering them "an exclusive access to top photojournalists carefully
selected by a board of reviewers composed of industry professionals". However,
it is not clear how crowd-funding can finance photojournalism in the long term .
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today supported the call from the
Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate ( IJS) on Iraqi authorities to launch a prompt
investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of journalist Ryad
Al Saray, presenter at Al-Iraqiya Television, who was killed in the early hours
of this morning in Western Baghdad. "This has all
the hallmarks of yet another targeted killing of an Iraqi journalist," said
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We are concerned that journalists are once
again becoming easy prey in the renewed violence which has rocked Iraq in
recent days. The authorities must spare no efforts to find the killers and protect
our colleagues." According to
reports, Al - Saray was killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car.
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) has demanded the immediate release of two Yemeni journalists who have
been held without charge since 16 August and accused the Yemeni government of
broken promises for backtracking on pledges to allow journalists in the country
to work freely.
Abdelelaah Shaie, a reporter working for the
official Yemeni News Agency (SABA), and Kmal Sharaf, a cartoonist at a state
owned newspaper al-Gomhoriah were both arrested at their homes and taken into
detention by Yemeni National Security. There is no word on charges that may
have been made against them.
The Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS), an IFJ
affiliate, says the security forces confiscated their computers, mobile phones
and other belongings during the raid. In a statement, the YJS says it has been
barred from visiting the journalists in prison.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the violent
assault on Muhannad Abu Zaiton, managing editor of Alwatan newspaper by two unidentified men on Wednesday 26 August. "We are deeply shocked by this vicious assault and possible
assassination attempt against a leading Bahraini journalist," said Aidan White,
IFJ General Secretary. "The authorities must do everything they can to bring
the attackers to justice and guarantee the safety of Bahrain's journalists." According to the Bahrain Journalists' Association (BJA), an IFJ
affiliate, Abu Zaiton left his office yesterday afternoon and was walking to
his car when the masked attackers struck. While one attacked the journalist
with a sharp weapon, aiming at his heart and head, the other threw a Molotov cocktail
at the car, setting it on fire. Abu Zaiiton
was left with an injured shoulder having fought off the attackers who then fled
the scene.
The European
Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional group of the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), today expressed its support to Romanian
journalists following the publication of a devastating report on the state of
Romanian journalism by the Romanian Federation of Journalists MediaSind (RFJ
MediaSind.) The report claims
that since the start of the economic crises up to 6000 journalists and media
workers have lost their jobs, that journalists are being forced to renounce
their contracts in favour of royalty payments,
and that the union is fighting over fifty cases against illegal and
indiscriminate dismissals. "Romanian journalism
is under siege from the country's economic woes and employers' greed,"
said EFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "The future of the profession is in
serious danger.
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for the safe return
of Vasily Klimentyev, editor in chief of Novy
Stil ( New style) newspaper who has been missing since 11 August. "We are deeply
concerned about the safety of Klimentyev," said Aidan White, IFJ General
Secretary. "The Government must do all it can to identify his whereabouts and
return him to his family and colleagues who must be fearing the worst." According to
security sources quoted in Ukrainian press, Klimentyev went missing on 11
August after he left his home with an unidentified man. Klimentyev's colleagues say he set out to
photograph luxurious residences belonging to a high ranking official in the
Regional tax inspectorate. Shortly afterwards, contact with the journalist was
lost. The
journalists' colleagues believe his disappearance is linked to his
investigative work into corruption in local courts, the police and the tax
inspectorate.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has sounded the alarm over the complete absence of safety for journalists in Somalia following the death of veteran journalist, Barkhad Awale Adan. Awale Adan was killed in the afternoon of Tuesday, 24 August 2010, during gunfire exchange between the Transitional Federation Government and the Islamists group, Al-Shabaab, in Mogadishu, Somalia . “This killing demonstrates again that journalists in Somalia are being targeted bygangs and militias in the country,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “ The authorities must take concrete and urgent measures to protect journalists doing their work and innocent civilians in general”.
According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Barkhad Awale Adan, 60, Director of Hurma Radio and was on duty at the radio station when he was hit by a bullet during an exchange of fire between the warring sides.
RSS
8
September UK: BBC
World to Cut Services in Burma and Russia The BBC World Service in Burma could face
closure as a result of budget cuts, which could also affect the declining
popularity of the World Service in Russia. A decision will be made about the
future of the BBC World Service on 20 October 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/07/bbc-world-service-burma-axe US: New
platform Aims to Launch Crowd-funding to Finance Photojournalism A new
online platform called Emphas will soon be launched to use crowd-funding hoping
to sustain the future of photojournalism. According to the founders of the new
platform, it aims to attract amateur photojournalists and readers to fund the
project by offering them "an exclusive access to top photojournalists carefully
selected by a board of reviewers composed of industry professionals". However,
it is not clear how crowd-funding can finance photojournalism in the long term .
