 RFE/RL Watchdog August 17, 2009 10:25:14 AM A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
 Iraqi Journalists Lead Protest Against Stricter Media Rules A few hundred journalists, academics, bookshop owners, human rights activists, and parliamentarians have demonstrated in central Baghdad to protest moves by the government to muzzle freedom of expression, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports. More  Independent Journalist Leaves Kyrgyzstan After Threats Independent Kyrgyz journalist Syrgak Abdyldaev has left Kyrgyzstan for safety reasons, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  Russian Artist Says Drug Charges Politically Motivated An artist in the western Siberian city of Novosibirsk who has been charged with drug possession says the charges against him are politically motivated because of his civic activism, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Bashkir Authorities Release Four Of Five Activists Four of five bloggers and activists who had been detained in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan have been released, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports. More  Investigative Journalist Killed in Russia's Daghestan A well-known journalist in Daghestan was found shot dead today, RFE/RL's North Caucasus and Russian Services report. Malik Akhmedilov, a leading correspondent for the daily newspaper "Hakikat" (The Truth) was found dead in a car on the outskirts of Daghestan's capital, Makhachkala. More  Kazakh Activists Question Journalist's Guilty Verdict Kazakh rights activists are calling unjust the guilty verdict against Ramazan Esergepov, the owner and chief editor of the weekly newspaper "Alma-Ata Info," RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Two More Rights Activists Murdered In Chechnya Zarema Sadulayeva, the head of a charity for Chechen war victims, was found shot dead today along with her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov. More  Freed Armenian Editor Pledges To Fight For Change As He Fights For His Life Arman Babajanian, the gravely ill newspaper editor released from prison last week, pledged to fight for leadership change in Armenia alongside the country’s main opposition force today as he prepared to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment. More  Russian Rights Groups Assails Kadyrov Over Estemirova Comments The Russian rights group Memorial has responded strongly to comments made to RFE/RL by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov about slain activist Natalya Estemirova. More  Kazakhs Sentenced For Publishing State Secrets Almaty-based "Alma-Ata Info" owner and editor Ramazan Esergepov was ordered by a court in the city of Taras to spend three years in jail for publishing state secrets, while local businessman and fellow defendant Sultan Makhmadov received a seven-year sentence for tax evasion, illegally obtaining state secrets, and revealing them via media. More  Montenegro Police Probe Reporter After Mayoral Brawl Montenegrin prosecutors are targeting a prominent journalist in an investigation into an incident in which he sustained a serious ear injury that he says was inflicted by Podgorica Mayor Miomir Mugosa, his son, and their driver, RFE/RL's Balkan Service reports. More  Missing Uzbek Refugees Found In Southern Kyrgyzstan Rights groups had feared that asylum seekers Sanjar Khudaiberganov and his 11-year-old son, Sarvarbek Erkinzoda, who went missing on July 30, might have been forcibly returned to Uzbekistan. More  In Kazakh Settlement, Little Hope For Squatters Some 4,500 illegally built homes stand in the Shanyraq settlement on the outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city. When authorities decided that those homes should be demolished, there was nothing residents could do. More  Montenegrin Journalists Beaten By Mayor, Son A prominent Montenegrin journalist was seriously injured after he and a photographer were attacked by the capital's mayor and three others, RFE/RL's Balkan Service reports. More  Cancer-Stricken Armenian Editor Remains Imprisoned Armenian prison officials have joined international human rights groups in calling for the release of opposition newspaper editor Arman Babajanian, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Jehovah's Witnesses Denied Registration In Nagorno-Karabakh Authorities in the ethnic Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh region are refusing to allow Jehovah's Witnesses and another nontraditional religious group from legally operating in the self-proclaimed republic, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. More  Uzbek Human Rights Activist Jailed For 12 Years Uzbek human rights activist Dilmurod Sayyid has been sentenced to 12 and 1/2 years in jail, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports. More |
