Media and human rights groups including IFEX members condemn Pakistan’s decision to prevent the entry of Steven Butler, who was scheduled to speak at a human rights conference

On 17 October the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler was refused entry into Pakistan, despite having a valid visa. Butler was told by airport authorities in Lahore that his document was voided because his name was “on a stop list of the Interior Ministry.”

Butler was expected at the Asma Jahangir Conference, the largest annual gathering of human rights advocates in Pakistan. The conference is named in honour of the prominent activist who campaigned for women’s equality, due process, and the strengthening of democratic institutions. This year’s theme is the promotion of “a more tolerant and democratic South Asia.”

CPJ’s executive director Joel Simon described the decision by Pakistani authorities as “a slap in the face to those concerned about press freedom in the country.” He asked authorities to provide a full explanation of their decision to bar Butler and correct this error.

Owais Aslam Ali, secretary general of the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), pointed out the irony that Pakistani officials have in fact been quoting CPJ reports in recent months about the impact of the communications blackout and other media restrictions in India-occupied Kashmir. He echoed the warning of other media groups that the action by immigration authorities will damage the image of Pakistan as a country committed to respecting freedom of the press.

Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch (HRW) called Butler’s deportation “alarming” and urged the Pakistani government to “reverse the decision and take urgent steps towards providing an enabling environment for free expression.”

Butler himself points to the bigger issue: “It would be speculative for me to say why I was stopped. In any case, local journalists bear the brunt of the crackdown. It’s certainly getting worse for them.”

There are indeed rising incidences of violence against the media in the country. You can read more about the state of free expression and press freedom in Pakistan here.

IFEX

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to John Magufuli, President of Tanzania has expressed concern over the arrest of Tanzanian journalist Erick Kabendera, on July 29.
PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali has called on the Tanzanian government to immediately release Kabendera without any charges, Tanzanian authorities should stop targeting journalists working in the line of duty. PPF also urged to provide security to the journalists.
According to International Federation of Journalist (IFJ), Police arrested Kabendera for asking questions regarding his citizenship.
Kabendera appeared in court for bail hearing on August 5, prosecutors filed new and totally different charges of working with criminal networks, tax evasion and money laundering, offences for which he couldn’t qualify for bail.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica has expressed concern over the attack on the Teletica TV channel in Costa Rica.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter has condemned the attack on station and urged the concerned authorities to immediately investigate the matter and determine the motive behind the attack on Teletica.

According to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), at around 11:30 p.m. on July 27 an explosive device was blasted, damaging one of the window of TV station. However, no one got injured.

The judicial authorities have stated that the footage caught three individuals while placing an object on the electric light post at some five yards from the station building.

IAPA President María Elvira Domínguez and editor of the news portal La Silla Rota, Roberto Rock asked the concerned authorities to investigate the matter and find out if the attack is in retaliation against Nicaraguan journalist in exile Carlos Fernando Chamorro.

Chamorro, is an editor of the program “Esta Noche y Esta Semana” (Tonight and This Week) on Teletica. Chamorro is in exile in Costa Rica since January 2019, after the Ortega government’ police force raided and destroyed his offices in Managua.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany has expressed concern over the threats and online harassment to the German journalist Georg Restle.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter has condemned the threats and harassment to the journalist for sharing his views and urged the authorities to look into this matter and ensure safety of Restle.

According to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), on July 11, Restle had critically commented on the right wing party “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) and termed it the “parliamentary arm of a right-wing extremist movement” in a commentary at the news broadcast “Tagesthemen”.

Talking about “Identitäre Bewegung”, an organisation recently categorized as a “right-wing extremist movement” by the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Restle demanded AfD to be labelled right-wing extremist too.

Restle, who is the chief editor of the investigative magazine “Monitor”, faced severe criticisms on social media and from AfD and also received threatening letter.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba has expressed concern over the detention of Ricardo Fernández Izaguirre, a journalist and correspondent of 14ymedio portal.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali has condemned the detention of journalist and call on the concerned authorities to immediately release him without any charges.

According to the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), the State Security of Cuba detained Fernandez on July 12 and till now his whereabouts are unknown.

The journalist was last seen on July 12 at the headquarters of the Damas de Blanco organization in Havana that was surrounded by a police operation that morning.

The same day Fernández had planned to travel to Pinar del Río city to meet his daughter, but he never reached their neither received any calls.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda has expressed concern over the attack on journalist Godfrey Katongole on July 15, 2019.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali has condemned the attack on journalists working in the line of duty and urged the concerned authorities to immediately look into this matter and hold those responsible behind attacking journalists.

According to the Human Rights Network for Journalists – Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda), Katongole, a journalist working with the Vision Group’ Bukedde TV was kicked, punched and beaten with a baton by a group of journalists and other people at Salt Media in Lungujja, Kampala.

Katongole also lost his camera, cell phone and bag. Another journalist, Siraje Kiberu working with Record TV was also attacked and sustained injuries on the arm and body.

The journalists were covering a protest demonstration organized by women activists protesting the insulting comments used by Pastor Aloysius Bugingo against his separated wife Teddy Bugingo.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine has expressed concern over the attack on private TV broadcaster 112 Ukraine in Kyiv on July 13, 2019.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali has condemned the attack on private TV channel and urged the concerned authorities to immediately investigate this matter and hold those responsible behind this act.

According to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), two unidentified attackers targeted the office of the channel using a grenade launcher.

The attack happened at 3:27 am and damaged the front wall of the building and cars parked nearby. The local residents informed the police at around 3:40 am, police found spent tube used to fire a rocket propelled grenade.

The channel had received a threat earlier this week after they planned to broadcast the public premiere of the documentary “Revealing Ukraine”, considered as “anti-Ukrainian narratives of Kremlin propaganda” by the Ukrainian ministry of information policy.

Though the channel cancelled its broadcast in order to avoid legal consequences and also sought police protection after some of the employees received threatening messages.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan has expressed deep concern over the murder of Nadershah Sahibzada, a radio presenter and producer working with the privately owned “Seday-e-Gardiz” (voice of Gardiz).

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter has condemned the brutal murder of the journalist and urged the law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate the murder and hold the perpetrators responsible behind this heinous crime.

According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), Nadershah was missing from the evening of July 12, later the security forces found his dead body from a well in Bagh-e-Per area in Gardiz on July 13.

Throughout the year 2019, Nadershah is the sixth journalist and media worker to be killed in Afghanistan.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana has expressed concern over the attack on two Accra based journalists on July 5, 2019.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter has condemned the assault on journalists working in the line of duty and called on the authorities to immediately investigate the matter and take legal action against the culprits.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Citi TV reporter Elvis Washington and cameraman, Edward Twum were detained by the officials of National Identification Authority (NIA) while covering the proceedings at the Mataheko registration centre of the national identification project in the Ningo-Prampram district of Accra region.

The journalists were interviewing the angry applicants who were waiting in the long queues for their turn.

Four people from NIA staff stopped Twum and tried to seize and destroy his camera, while a security officer stopped Washington from going to rescue his colleague.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana has expressed concern over the attack on David Ankomah, cameraman of Accra-based Joy News by the soldiers on June 23, 2019.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter has condemned the violence against journalist working in the line of duty and termed it an attack on freedom of expression. PPF urged the concerned authorities to investigate the matter and hold the officers involved in attacking journalist.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Ankomah was physically assaulted at a Church in East Legon, Accra while covering protests led by the clients of two investment companies EL Real Estates and Tikowre Capital owned by Kelvin Kossi Kobiri, the Head Pastor of Zoe Outreach Embassy Church.

Pastor Kobiri called the law enforcement officers to restrain the protestors who were disrupting the ongoing church service to protest the alleged mismanagement of their funds invested in the pastor’s companies.

The officers also seized journalist’s camera, to prevent him from covering their suppression of the protestors.