IFEX Communiqué Vol 21, No 13

Vol. 21 No. 13 | 28 March 2012
Headlines
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International: Index on Censorship opens up archive to mark 40th birthday, announces free expression award winners

Syria: On eve of peace plan, three more journalists killed

Bahrain: At least 31 extrajudicial killings since official commission of inquiry, says Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Sri Lanka: State media outlets label journalists "traitors"

Mali: Independent media one of the first casualties in coup

Kazakhstan: IFEX members help get editor out of jail

Europe and Central Asia: Reporters Without Borders demands access to Europe's migrant detention centres

Free Expression Spotlight
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INTERNATIONAL: INDEX ON CENSORSHIP OPENS UP ARCHIVE TO MARK 40TH BIRTHDAY, ANNOUNCES FREE EXPRESSION AWARD WINNERS
Index on Censorship is celebrating 40 years of existence, and wants you to be a part of it. In honour of the 40th anniversary, Index's publisher Sage has opened up the Index archive to the public for 40 days starting this week. Plus, hot off the press: the winners of Index's Free Expression Awards! Read more>>

Regional news
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SYRIA: ON EVE OF PEACE PLAN, THREE MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED
Syrian security forces shot and killed two freelance British journalists and wounded a third during an attack on Monday in Darkoush near the Turkish border, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Meanwhile, a Kurdish citizen journalist has been kidnapped and murdered, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Read more>>

BAHRAIN: AT LEAST 31 EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS SINCE OFFICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, SAYS BAHRAIN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Since an official commission of inquiry reported last November, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) has documented at least 31 "extrajudicial killings" in Bahrain. Most of the deaths were from teargas inhalation, including three in the past week alone, and three were as a result of torture in custody, says BCHR in a new report. Human Rights Watch also issued its own report following a national commission's assessment that lauded the government's progress. Read more>>

SRI LANKA: STATE MEDIA OUTLETS LABEL JOURNALISTS "TRAITORS"
Sri Lankan authorities have openly threatened journalists who supported a UN resolution calling for an investigation into the country's abuse of international laws during its war with Tamil separatists, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Officials are calling these journalists "traitors" and one threatened to break their legs. Read more>>

MALI: INDEPENDENT MEDIA ONE OF THE FIRST CASUALTIES IN COUP
Mutinous soldiers who seized power last week from Mali's President Amadou Toumani Touré also occupied the headquarters of the state radio and TV broadcaster and interrupted other TV and radio shows, say Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Human Rights Watch. Some citizens turned to Twitter to get their news updates, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Read more>>

KAZAKHSTAN: IFEX MEMBERS HELP GET EDITOR OUT OF JAIL
Independent editor Igor Vinyavsky, who was jailed on politically motivated charges of inciting hatred in Kazakhstan, has been released - in large part due to the efforts of IFEX members, reports the International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech in Kazakhstan (Adil Soz). Read more>>

Also in this issue
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EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS DEMANDS ACCESS TO EUROPE'S MIGRANT DETENTION CENTRES
What do the insides of migrant detention centres look like, and what actually happens in them? Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has teamed up with migrant rights groups in the "Open Access" campaign, demanding that the right of access to Europe's detention centres be granted to journalists and civil society. Read more>>
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The "IFEX Communiqué" is the weekly newsletter of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression. The IFEX Clearing House is managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.
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