IFEX Communiqué Vol 20, No 05

Headlines
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Egypt: IFEX members denounce Mubarak's unparallelled onslaught on free expression

Uganda: Gay rights activist beaten to death after receiving threats

Sudan: Authorities tighten controls on press after anti-government protests, referendum

India: Journalist who reported on health issues gunned down

Vietnam: Reporter dies following brutal attack

Mexico: Another media worker killed in Ciudad Juárez

Egypt: Keep Egypt online

China: New IFJ report identifies more than 80 censorship orders in China in 2010

Free Expression Spotlight
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EGYPT: IFEX MEMBERS DENOUNCE MUBARAK'S UNPARALLELLED ONSLAUGHT ON FREE EXPRESSION
The Egyptian government's attacks on journalists and unprecedented blackout of the nation's Internet and mobile phone services have crushed the rights of free expression, assembly and association and should be reversed immediately, say the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) and a growing chorus of IFEX members. Read more>>

Regional news
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UGANDA: GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST BEATEN TO DEATH AFTER RECEIVING THREATS
A leading gay rights activist whose photo was printed on the front page of a Ugandan newspaper that called for homosexuals to be hanged was bludgeoned to death at his home near Kampala last week, report Human Rights Watch and ARTICLE 19. Read more>>

SUDAN: AUTHORITIES TIGHTEN CONTROLS ON PRESS AFTER ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS, REFERENDUM
Although last month's Sudanese referendum was largely seen as a success, the authorities harassed, obstructed and censored local and international news media covering the vote, and are continuing their clampdown on free expression in the face of street protests that are rapidly spreading across the North African region, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Read more>>

INDIA: JOURNALIST WHO REPORTED ON HEALTH ISSUES GUNNED DOWN
A journalist who had received death threats after publishing a story about an operation gone wrong was shot dead last week outside his residence near Raipur district, India, report the International Press Institute (IPI), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Read more>>

VIETNAM: REPORTER DIES FOLLOWING BRUTAL ATTACK
A Vietnamese journalist who was brutally attacked last week has died from his wounds, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Le Hoang Hung, a reporter with the "Nguoi Lao Dong" (Labourer) newspaper, succumbed to severe burns in a Ho Chi Minh City hospital over the weekend. Read more>>

MEXICO: ANOTHER MEDIA WORKER KILLED IN CIUDAD JUÁREZ
A woman who worked as a newspaper distributor in Ciudad Juárez was shot to death on 31 January while driving a vehicle bearing the logo of the media company, reports the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET). Read more>>

Also in this issue
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EGYPT: KEEP EGYPT ONLINE
Join Access in calling on Egypt's Internet service providers and mobile phone operators to keep the channels of communication open. Sign the petition here. Read more>>

CHINA: NEW IFJ REPORT IDENTIFIES MORE THAN 80 CENSORSHIP ORDERS IN CHINA IN 2010
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has uncovered a series of orders issued by the Chinese authorities in 2010 that blocked information on public health, disasters, corruption and civil unrest, from defective vaccines to deadly explosions. Read more>>

ENDS

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