Tag: Protest Letters by PPF

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PPF condemns fine imposed on opposition aligned Raajje TV

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) raised concerns over the fine imposed on opposition aligned broadcaster Raajje TV, on August 8.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter to Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, President of Maldives on August 10, 2018, demands immediate withdrawal of the fine against Raajje TV and urges authorities to stop targeting broadcasters and respect press freedom.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has imposed MVR two million (USD 130,000) on Raajje TV for broadcasting a politician’s speech from an opposition protest that was considered to be derogatory towards President Abdulla Yameen and a threat to national security.

Since March 2017 this is the fourth time that MBC has imposed a fine on the channel and this is the largest fine imposed under the Maldives Defamation Act for its content during an opposition protest.

In a statement Raajje TV said, the fine imposed did not have any legal basis. The previous fines calculated to be 1.7 million MVR (USD 110,408) and the requests are still pending. After payment of fine the station can appeal.

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PPF expresses concern over detainment of Belarusian journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus expressed over the raid on media outlets and detainment of journalists on Tuesday, August 7, in Minsk.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately release the detained journalists and stop harassment of independent media organizations and journalists.

According to Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), on the morning of August 7 police raided the newsrooms of news portal Tut.by, news agency BelaPAN and Navuka (Science) newspaper located in the building of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences.

The arrested journalists are Tatsiana Karavenkova and Andrei Serada from BelaPAN and Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Ulyana Babayed, Halina Ulasik, Dzmitry Bobryk, Hanna Yermachonak, Yauheniya Beraziuk and Ludmila Chekina from Tut.by. After interrogation five journalists were released in the evening while others are still under custody.

The police lodged a criminal case for illegal access to computer information under Article 349 Part 2 of the Criminal Code “Unauthorized access to computer information”.

A report by BelTA unitary enterprise is the main reason behind starting a criminal case against journalists. BelTA faced malfunctions while accessing a paid subscription to the services provided by them to one of its customers.

The investigative team also searched the apartments of some of the journalists including Pauliuk Bykouski, Ulyana Babayed, Hanna Yermachonak, Halina Ulasik, and Maryna Zolatava. The summer house of BelaPAN journalist Tatsiana Karavenkova in Zhodzishki village of Hrodna region was also raided by the team and her Minsk apartment was searched on August 8.

Journalist Aliaksei Zhukau was also detained in his house in Barauliany along with his wife. Zhukau who is a former editor of Selskaya Haspadarka an agricultural magazine and also worked with Belarusy i Rynak newspaper. The police also seized cameras and laptops belonging to the journalists.

 

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PPF concerned over the detention of Somali Journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minster of Somalia to expressed serious concern over the arrest of journalist Omar Ali Hassan after returning from Mogadishu on July 8.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali demanded immediate and unconditional release of Hassan and also urged Somali government must respect journalist’s right to freedom of movement across the country, especially free access to Mogadishu and the rest of southern regions so that they can perform their journalistic work without fear of any restrictions.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), an independent non-governmental institution committed to promoting and defending freedom of expression is writing to expresses

According to National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Hassan, works for Mogadishu-based privately owned radio station, Goobjoog, was travelling his wife. Somaliland authorities arrested him at the airport.

Police official cleared that Hassan detention was made after the order passed by Ministry of interior. Hassan have not officially charged by the authorizes. He is currently detained at Hargeisa’s central police station.

Journalists in Hargeisa believe that Hassan dentation because of his media work in Mogadishu, and Somaliland is putting pressure on journalists who hail from its regions not to work for media houses established in Southern Somalia, and is using such an arrest to intimidate other journalists who would want to go to southern regions for media related work.

 

 

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PPF raises concern over the killing and free expression violations

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned over the brutal murder, conviction and detention of journalists and blogger in Mexico, Vietnam and Myanmar.

On July 4, PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in a letter to Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico is alarmed at the brutal murder of journalist Salvador Adame; whose burnt body was found on June 14, 2017 at the roadside in the western state of Michoacán.

Adame was the director of Canal 6 Media TV, a local TV channel, and at the same time one of its presenters. He had had been missing since 18 May, when gunmen kidnapped him in the municipality of Nueva Italia.

Still four journalists are missing in Michoacán state named José Antonio García Apac, Mauricio Estrada Zamora, Ramón Ángeles Zalpa and María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe.

On July 4, Ali in his letter to Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam expressed concern over the conviction of blogger and government critic Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, also known by her pen name Me Nam (‘Mother Mushroom’), on June 29, 2017.

According PEN International, Me Nam, who had been in custody since in October 2016, was convicted under “conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam” convicted 10 years in prison.

On July 5, PPF had written a letter to Htin Kyaw President of the Republic of Myanmar to express its concern over the detention of three journalists in Northern Myanmar on June 26 2017.

According to Southeast Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA), Aye Naing and Pyae Phone Naing from Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Thein Zaw from The Irrawaddy News were arrested while traveling in Shan State in Northern Myanmar for alleged links to a rebel group.

Both the organizations have confirmed that three of them were on a reporting assignment as part of their coverage on the ongoing conflicts in the country.

 

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PPF condemns the detention of three  Burmese journalists

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has written a letter to Htin Kyaw President of the Republic of Myanmar to express its concern over the detention of three journalists in Northern Myanmar on June 26 2017.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali, in a letter called for the immediate release of Aye, Pyae and Zaw and withdraws the charges against them. We further called on government of Myanmar to ensure an environment for the journalist where they can perform their duties freely and professionally.

According to Southeast Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA), Aye Naing and Pyae Phone Naing from Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and Thein Zaw from The Irrawaddy News were arrested while traveling in Shan State in Northern Myanmar for alleged links to a rebel group.

Both the organizations have confirmed that three of them were on a reporting assignment as part of their coverage on the ongoing conflicts in the country.

 

 

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PPF condemns the conviction of Vietnamese blogger

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam expressed concern over the conviction of blogger and government critic Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, also known by her pen name Me Nam (‘Mother Mushroom’), on June 29, 2017.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in a letter condemned the Me Nam conviction and urges your government to nullify the decision and, release Me Nam without delay and unconditionally.

According PEN International, Me Nam, who had been in custody since in October 2016, was convicted under “conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam” convicted 10 years in prison.

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PPF concern over the attack on Nepali Journalist

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal, expressed serious concern over the attack by a gang on Anup Tiwari, reporter with Radio Birgunj and Mountain TV while he was having dinner with his friends at a hotel in Birgunj, a city in the southern plain of Nepal on June 5.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali urged the government of Nepal, to thoroughly investigate this matter and take positive steps to encourage independent reporting and freedom of expression.

According to Nepal Press Freedom, Tiwari identified three attackers as Sujit Giri, Ejaj Babu Raki and Krishna Chaurasiya. Attackers alleged Tiwari of writing news story against Madhesi community. Some days ago, Giri had threatened Tiwari on Facebook with abusive words for reporting against Madhesi community.

Tiwari has lodged a complaint on June 6 in the nearby police station, Parsa, informing about the incident.