Call to free journalists imprisoned in Prophet cartoons row

[barb162]

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16847

International17 February 2006

Call to free journalists imprisoned in Prophet cartoons row

Reporters Without Borders today launched an appeal and a petition for the immediate release of six journalists thrown into prison in Yemen and Algeria for reprinting the controversial Prophet cartoons as part of informing their readers.

“Whatever one thinks of the cartoons or whether they should be published, it is absolutely unjustified to jail or prosecute journalists, threaten them with death or shut down newspapers for this reason,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

At least eleven journalists are being prosecuted in five countries and six have been jailed. Some face long prison sentences if convicted. Two editors in Jordan have been charged with provocation and encouraging disorder. Four journalists have been jailed in Yemen and charged under article 103 of the press law, which bans publication of anything that “harms Islam, denigrates monotheistic religion or a humanitarian belief.” Reporters Without Borders calls for all criminal cases among these to be dropped.

Thirteen publications have been closely temporarily or permanently in Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia for reprinting the cartoons. Reporters Without Borders demands that these bans be lifted.
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[Terran1212]

1. Why they probably were jailed in Algeria

The Algerian government has been fighting a bloody war of suppression against Muslim and Muslim political parties ever since it canceled an election win by Muslim groups; by jailing the cartoonist, they are probably trying to get Muslim support for the undemocratic government.