International Crisis

Media executives attacked in Hong Kong; second incident in a month

Four masked men attacked two media executives on 19 March 2014 in Hong Kong. It was the second attack in a month in the city, after a former editor was attacked with a cleaver on 26 February 2014.

Lei Lun-han, director and vice-president of a group about to launch the newspaper Hong Kong Morning News, and Lam Kin-ming, a news controller, were walking along Science Museum Road, Wednesday, when four masked men attacked them with iron pipes.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said, “This is the second attack on Hong Kong media executives in a month … On the outset, it appears to be a threat to intimidate and stop the publication of the new newspaper.”

The Hong Kong Morning News Group condemned the attack and said it still plans to launch the newspaper.

On 26 February, an unidentified man attacked former Ming Pau editor Kevin Lau with a butcher knife and escaped on a motorcycle with an accomplice.

In a statement on 12 March, Lau said he was “positive that the assault is related to my job in the newspaper.”

Lau was fired as editor in January,  prompting colleagues to fear for the editorial independence of Ming Pau.

“Lau was known to be a prominent critic of government policy and this attack clearly intends to send a message of warning to those seeking to report the truth,” IFJ said. (IFJ / IFEX)

Reporter in Egypt sentenced for “disturbing the peace”

A reporter arrested in Cairo in mid-January was sentenced on 17 March 2014 to a year in prison.  At least nine more journalists are jailed in Egypt, according to news reports and research, as part of a government crackdown on the critical press.

Samah Ibrahim, reporter for the newspaper of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, was convicted on charges of “disturbing the peace,” months after being arrested while she was photographing members of the Muslim Brotherhood protesting against Egypt’s new constitution.

Ibrahim’s lawyer, Khalid Eid, said the reporter had been in prison since the arrest.

Two more reporters have been arrested for covering protests organized by the Muslim Brotherhood: Hussein Hassan Sobhy of online Radio Horytna on 21 February in Giza and Ahmed Fouad of Karmos news website on 25 January in Alexandria. Both are being held and are on trial for joining the protests despite evidence that they were onsite as professionals.

According to research by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least seven other journalists are imprisoned in Egypt. More than 60 had been jailed since July according to CPJ research, although many have been released. (CPJ / IFEX)