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MEAN STREETS MEDIA
Thursday, May 30, 2013
MEXICO City ( 11 people Vanish - Kidnapped in broad Day light from a Mexican Bar ) What the Hell ?
MEXICO CITY — Eleven young people were brazenly kidnapped in broad daylight from an after-hours bar in Mexico City's Zona Rosa, a normally calm district of offices, restaurants, drinking spots and dance clubs, anguished relatives said Thursday.
The apparent mass abduction purportedly happened sometime between 10 a.m. and noon on Sunday morning just off the Paseo de la Reforma, the city's main boulevard, near the Angel of Independence monument and only about 1 1/2 blocks from the U.S. Embassy.
Demanding that authorities find their loved ones, family members marched Thursday morning from the Interior Department building to the Zocalo, the city's main square. Later they protested outside the bar, which bears no name or other signs.
Iran News ( Iranian blogger has been sentenced to three years in prison ) publishing false reports
Family of blogger Kaveh Taheri has also been subjected to threats from the intelligence ministry and the court prosecutor, and his lawyer is said to have been refused access to study his client's file.
Shiraz Revolutionary Court prosecutor and judge Sadati is waging a campaign of oppression bloggers, writers, students and other sectors of the society in the run up to the June election, when mullahs fear a mass public uprising.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
New York ( Ricin Found in Two Threatening Letters Sent to N.Y. Mayor ) See Story
NEW
YORK – Two threatening letters sent last week to New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg contained the poison ricin, the city’s police department announced
Wednesday.One of the letters was received last Friday at a New York municipal office and the other arrived at an office in Washington that houses the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an advocacy group Bloomberg founded to push for stricter gun control laws.
Bloomberg never came in contact with the letters.
The letters contain threats against Bloomberg over his policy against the unrestricted sale of firearms, an effort in which he has become more active after the Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school massacre last December.
Preliminary tests performed on the letters confirmed the presence of ricin, a deadly poison.
The letter sent to New York was opened at a postal reception center for the Mayor’s Office located on Gold St. and contained threats against Bloomberg.
Three members of a New York police unit that deals with emergencies handled the letter and had to be treated last weekend for slight symptoms of exposure to ricin, the police reported.
The letters have a return address in the state of Louisiana.
Authorities waited to announce the receipt of the letters until the results of the initial tests were in hand, tests that were performed at the National Bioforensic Analysis Center in Maryland.
Authorities believe the same person sent both letters, and the NYPD along with the FBI counterterrorism division is investigating their origin.
In mid-April a letter containing ricin was sent to President Barack Obama and on the same day another letter containing the same poison was set to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
A third suspicious letter was sent to the office of Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
James Everette Dutschke was arrested for sending at least two of those letters. EFE
FBI News ( FBI Seeks Salvadoran Suspect in Child Pornography Case ) see photo
FBI Seeks Salvadoran Suspect in Child Pornography
Case
The FBI Washington
Field Office is seeking the following fugitive in connection with a child
pornography case.
Subject Description:
On February 27, 2013, Velasquez was charged with two counts of production of child pornography. On May 24, 2013, Velasquez failed to appear at his plea hearing. Velasquez is a wanted fugitive last seen in Reston, Virginia, and he is believed to be driving a 2004 Toyota Camry with Virginia license plate JPX4156.
Caution: This subject should be considered dangerous.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000 or the Fairfax County Police Department Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477 or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force; the Fairfax County Police Department; and the Harris County, Texas Constable’s Office.
The FBI Washington
Field Office is seeking the following fugitive in connection with a child
pornography case.Subject Description:
- Subject Name: Alex Ernesto Calderon Velasquez
- Date of Birth: December 11, 1986
- Place of Birth: El Salvador
- Sex: Male
- Hair Color: Black
- Eye Color: Brown
- Height: 6’3” tall
- Weight: 200 lbs.
- Race: Hispanic
- Scars or Markings: None
- Description of Dress: Last seen wearing a dark-colored suit
On February 27, 2013, Velasquez was charged with two counts of production of child pornography. On May 24, 2013, Velasquez failed to appear at his plea hearing. Velasquez is a wanted fugitive last seen in Reston, Virginia, and he is believed to be driving a 2004 Toyota Camry with Virginia license plate JPX4156.
Caution: This subject should be considered dangerous.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000 or the Fairfax County Police Department Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477 or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force; the Fairfax County Police Department; and the Harris County, Texas Constable’s Office.
Drone News ( U.S. drone strike killed the number two of the Pakistani Taliban )
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed the number two of the Pakistani Taliban in the North Waziristan region on Wednesday, three security officials said, in what would be a major blow in the fight against militancy.
The drone strike killed seven people, Pakistani security officials said, including Taliban deputy commander Wali-ur-Rehman, in the first such attack since a May 11 general election in which the use of the unmanned aircraft was a major issue.
Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan region, had said in December.
"This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents," one security official told Reuters, declining further comment.
The Pakistani Taliban are a separate entity allied to the Afghan Taliban. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), they have launched devastating attacks against the Pakistani military and civilians.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan told Reuters the group did not have "confirmed reports" that Wali-ur-Rehman had been killed. He declined further comment.
The drone strike killed seven people, Pakistani security officials said, including Taliban deputy commander Wali-ur-Rehman, in the first such attack since a May 11 general election in which the use of the unmanned aircraft was a major issue.
Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan region, had said in December.
"This is a huge blow to militants and a win in the fight against insurgents," one security official told Reuters, declining further comment.
The Pakistani Taliban are a separate entity allied to the Afghan Taliban. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), they have launched devastating attacks against the Pakistani military and civilians.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan told Reuters the group did not have "confirmed reports" that Wali-ur-Rehman had been killed. He declined further comment.
MINNEAPOLIS ( Somali men attack joggers - Then they make video and show it on youtube) Wanted suspects
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Police are looking for as many as six or seven Somali men after two joggers were randomly attacked in Fridley.
Authorities said two joggers were the victims of what are being labeled as random attacks on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. The joggers, both men, were on a path near East River Road and 37th Avenue NE when the attacks took place.
This Video was made by the Somali men who are attacking people on the street .
This Video was made by the Somali men who are attacking people on the street .
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Rebecca Zahau Murder Case ( The case gets " To Hot " the Coronado Patch Pulls all her Articles of the Website )
SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Nearly two years after her death, the family and estate of Rebecca Zahau filed a lawsuit Wednesday against San Diego County authorities, seeking records and other evidence in their quest to prove that the Coronado woman died as a result of a homicide and not suicide, as investigators concluded.
Zahau, 32, was found hanging outside her boyfriend's historic Spreckels mansion on July 13, 2011.
An attorney for the Zahau family, Marty Rudoy, said the suit was filed against San Diego County, Sheriff Bill Gore and Medical Examiner Dr. Glenn Wagner "to get further information regarding the death of Rebecca Zahau, so that we can bring closure and peace to the Zahau family."
Among the items being sought via the lawsuit is a complete copy of the original 911 call, Rudoy said. The copy of the call turned over to the family contained an unexplained eight-second gap, the attorney said.
Mexico's Drug wars ( Executing and dismembering five Zeta members- Two women - New low ) Human Rights -Human Wrongs
:CDG Executes Zs , Dismembers, Boils 3 Men 2 Women
Thursday, March 28, 2013 | 
Thursday, March 28, 2013 |
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat
C.D.G. Sends Zetas an “Gift for Holy Week” Execution of 3 Men and 2 Women
A ghastly, graphic video depicting CDG executing and dismembering five Zeta members. The five victims comprised of three men and two women.
The video was sent to the facebook page of the popular ValorXTamaulipas several days ago. They posted the photo at left.
The video was sent to the facebook page of the popular ValorXTamaulipas several days ago. They posted the photo at left.
One of the narco blogs advertised they were in possession of the video, but asked for 5000 “likes”before they would publish it. It appears that some blogs regard the tragedy of the drug war as a game.
In the extreme southern portion of Tamaulipas are two cities; Mante and González. They are a 45 minutes drive apart. Zetas control Mante, and their rival CDG controls González.
In the video are five kidnapped Zetas, kneeling, blindfolded, with the hands of the women duct taped together in the front, while the men have their hands duct taped in the back.
The five are surrounded by their CDG captors. There is the usual interrogation of the five, questioned one by one, right to left, each admitting working for Zetas. After the interrogation “Mr. Big” of CDG gives the usual warning speech that the same fate would be waiting for others going against “Golfo” (CDG).
The victims are knocked unconscious from a hit to the head by an ax. They are then decapitated, dismembered and body parts thrown into the blue barrel of boiling acid. On the image above one can see the flames under the blue barrel.
PANAMA City ( Police seized 2.4 tons of cocaine off a speed boat and arrest a Honduran citizen ) After a Jungle foot pursuit (lol)
Panama Seizes 2.7 Tons of Cocaine
PANAMA CITY – Panama’s National Aeronaval
Service, known as Senan, seized 2.7 tons of cocaine in an operation conducted
along the Caribbean coast, authorities said Monday.
Senan deputy commissioner Edgar Pino said at a press conference that the shipment was found last Saturday on a speedboat which ran aground in the Indian sector of Boca Diablo after a pursuit.
Pino said that five people were on board the boat, but they fled into the thick jungle in the region, which lies near the Colombian border.
On May 20, Senan reported the seizure of 2.4 tons of cocaine and the arrest of a Honduran citizen.
According to the service, during the first 4½ months of this year more than 10 tons of illicit substances have been seized by Panamanian law enforcement. EFE
PANAMA CITY – Panama’s National Aeronaval
Service, known as Senan, seized 2.7 tons of cocaine in an operation conducted
along the Caribbean coast, authorities said Monday.Senan deputy commissioner Edgar Pino said at a press conference that the shipment was found last Saturday on a speedboat which ran aground in the Indian sector of Boca Diablo after a pursuit.
Pino said that five people were on board the boat, but they fled into the thick jungle in the region, which lies near the Colombian border.
On May 20, Senan reported the seizure of 2.4 tons of cocaine and the arrest of a Honduran citizen.
According to the service, during the first 4½ months of this year more than 10 tons of illicit substances have been seized by Panamanian law enforcement. EFE
Venezuela ( Two U.S.Embassy Officials shot in a Venezuela Night club )
WASHINGTON –
The U.S. State Department confirmed Tuesday that two officials at its embassy in
Venezuela were hospitalized after they were wounded in a shooting incident at a
Caracas social club.“Two members of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas were injured during an incident early this morning,” department spokesman William Ostick said.
“Medical staff inform us that their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. Embassy security and health unit personnel are at the hospital and have been in touch with the two individuals and their families,” he said.
A doctor at the capital hospital where the pair were taken, identified as Carlos Pacheco, told CNN that the officials were wounded in a shootout at a nightclub in the northwestern portion of Caracas.
Both employees were shot in the abdomen and one of them was also shot in the leg, Pacheco said.
The incident happened in “some sort of social spot or somewhere outside of the embassy grounds,” according to the State Department’s Patrick Ventrell.
The wounded pair are not necessarily State Department personnel and may belong to other U.S. agencies that have a presence in Venezuela, Ventrell said.
The State Department said it is not aware whether any arrests have been made in the case, but it is remaining “in contact with local authorities” on that subject, he added. EFE
Dearborn ( Pressure Cooker left in woman's bathroom -Muslim conference on faith )
Pressure Cooker In Bathroom Causes Dearborn Hotel Evacuation
The Detroit News | Posted: 05/28/2013 9:28 am EDT | Updated: 05/28/2013 9:28 am EDT
Dearborn — A Dearborn hotel was evacuated for a few hours Sunday night after a woman found a pressure cooker in a bathroom during a Muslim conference on faith.
The cooker was discovered on the second floor of the Adoba Hotel about 9:45 p.m., prompting Dearborn police to detonate it as a precaution. It did not contain explosives, Dearborn police said.
The cooker was discovered on the second floor of the Adoba Hotel about 9:45 p.m., prompting Dearborn police to detonate it as a precaution. It did not contain explosives, Dearborn police said.
Southern Philippines ( 14 Die in Clash Between Philippine Soldiers, Muslim Militants )
BANGKOK
– Fourteen people were killed in a clash between soldiers and militants of the
radical Islamic group Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines, media outlets
said.Seven soldiers and seven radicals were killed in a shootout last Saturday in the Patikul district of Sulu province.
The soldiers were part of a reconnaissance group that ran into the Muslim extremists by chance and the battle ensued, military sources said.
Founded in 1991 by Philippine Muslims who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, Abu Sayyaf is a local chapter of Jamiat Islamiya, the Southeast Asian branch of al-Qaeda.
Considered a terrorist group by the Philippine and United States governments, it has been blamed for some of the bloodiest attacks n recent years, as well as for numerous kidnappings. EFE
Colombia ( Jaguar Kills Fisherman on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast )
BOGOTA – A fisherman
was killed by a jaguar in a rural area outside Turbo, a city in northern
Colombia, in the second attack of this kind in the area since April, media
reports said.Matias Escarpeta, who was originally from the city of Quibdo in Choco province but lived in Turbo, was killed by the big cat on Thursday, the El Colombiano newspaper reported.
Escarpeta’s body was taken to the morgue in Turbo on Friday, the newspaper said.
Escarpeta was attacked and killed while checking his nets in Bocas del Atrato, a village on the Gulf of Uraba, police said.
Jaguars are common in the area and have managed to survive even though palm plantations have destroyed their natural habitat.
A jaguar killed a heavy machine operator in Bocas del Atrato in April.
The case has been referred to the Uraba Public Development Corporation, or Corpouraba, the agency responsible for protecting the area’s wildlife and plants, in the hopes that it can prevent residents from hunting the jaguar, police said
Monday, May 27, 2013
TACOMA WA ( Father arrested for putting baby in freezer to stop her from crying )
Father accused of putting baby in freezer to stop her crying
TACOMA, WA - A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly putting his 6-week-old daughter in a freezer in their home to stop her from crying, authorities said Sunday.
The baby was rushed to the hospital with a body temperature of 84 degrees.
Doctors at Tacoma's Mary Bridge Children's Hospital expect the infant to recover, Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said Sunday.
The infant's 22-year-old mother called 911 at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday and said she had found her boyfriend, Tyler Deutsch, taking the baby out of the freezer in their home in the 7600 block of 320th Street South, near the city of Roy, Troyer said.
The child is believed to have been in the freezer for about an hour.
Deutsch told sheriff's deputies he put the infant in the freezer to stop the girl from crying, Troyer said.
He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on a charge of suspicion of attempted murder. He has no criminal history.
The baby was rushed to the hospital with a body temperature of 84 degrees.
Doctors at Tacoma's Mary Bridge Children's Hospital expect the infant to recover, Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said Sunday.
The infant's 22-year-old mother called 911 at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday and said she had found her boyfriend, Tyler Deutsch, taking the baby out of the freezer in their home in the 7600 block of 320th Street South, near the city of Roy, Troyer said.
The child is believed to have been in the freezer for about an hour.
Deutsch told sheriff's deputies he put the infant in the freezer to stop the girl from crying, Troyer said.
He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on a charge of suspicion of attempted murder. He has no criminal history.
Nike Factory ( Cambodian police used cattle prods to stun workers protesting - pregnant woman shocked )
Cambodian police used cattle prods to stun workers protesting over pay at a factory that makes clothing for U.S. sportswear company Nike - injuring at least 23 women and causing one to miscarry her baby.
Police dressed in riot gear were deployed to move around 3,000 predominantly female workers who had blocked a road outside their factory owned by Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment Manufacturing in Kampong Speu province, west of the capital, Phnom Penh, in Cambodia today.
Among the 23 women injured in the incident was a two-months pregnant worker who lost her child after military police pushed her to the ground, Sun Vanny, president of the Free Trade Union (FTU) at Sabrina said.
'There was a pregnant woman among them. She lost blood and then she lost the baby,' he said.
According to the International Monetary Fund, garments accounted for 75 pct of Cambodia's total exports of $5.22 billion in 2011.
Low-cost labour has attracted manufacturers making clothes and shoes for Western brands but strikes over pay and working conditions have become common.
This month, two workers were killed at a factory making running shoes for Asics when part of a warehouse fell in on them. Police revised the original death toll of three given by a minister.
A series of deadly incidents at factories in Bangladesh, including the collapse of a building last month that killed more than 1,000 people, has focused global attention on safety in factories in Asia makes goods for Western companies.
Police dressed in riot gear were deployed to move around 3,000 predominantly female workers who had blocked a road outside their factory owned by Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment Manufacturing in Kampong Speu province, west of the capital, Phnom Penh, in Cambodia today.
Among the 23 women injured in the incident was a two-months pregnant worker who lost her child after military police pushed her to the ground, Sun Vanny, president of the Free Trade Union (FTU) at Sabrina said.
Police clashed with around 3,000 predominantly female workers protesting over pay outside a factory owned by Sabrina Garment Manufacturing in Kampong Speu which makes sportswear for Nike (stock image)
According to the International Monetary Fund, garments accounted for 75 pct of Cambodia's total exports of $5.22 billion in 2011.
Low-cost labour has attracted manufacturers making clothes and shoes for Western brands but strikes over pay and working conditions have become common.
This month, two workers were killed at a factory making running shoes for Asics when part of a warehouse fell in on them. Police revised the original death toll of three given by a minister.
A series of deadly incidents at factories in Bangladesh, including the collapse of a building last month that killed more than 1,000 people, has focused global attention on safety in factories in Asia makes goods for Western companies.
Quebec ( Students suspected of cheating - strip-searched by their teacher ) Hmm
High school students suspected of cheating on final exams were subjected to a strip-search by their teacher who was looking for a missing cell phone.
An internal investigation is underway at Cap-Jeunesse High School, in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, regarding the May 24 incident which involved 28 students.
According to reports, during a math exam, the teacher asked all the students to hand in their cellphones to avoid cheating.
When it was discovered that one was missing, she allegedly stopped the exam and ordered each girl into another room where they were strip searched, according to reports.
One teenage girl, who did not want to be named, told QMI Agency: 'They put us in a small room. They said "take off your bra, then raise your arms". They even tapped us on the back.'
The school board said the principal was not told of the incident.
The parents of the students involved were later contacted and the situation was explained.
Spokeswoman for the school Nadyne Brochu told Sun News that it was a 'disproportionate action under the circumstances'.
The school board said that 'the decision seemed best' to the teacher at that time but later acknowledged she 'lacked judgement'.
They also acknowledged that the 'climate was not conducive to a good test' so they were allowed to retake the test if they wanted.
It is not known if any of the teachers involved will face disciplinary action.
An internal investigation is underway at Cap-Jeunesse High School, in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, regarding the May 24 incident which involved 28 students.
According to reports, during a math exam, the teacher asked all the students to hand in their cellphones to avoid cheating.
A school board has launched an internal investigation after staff at this school strip searched 28 sophomore students to find a cellphone during a year-end exam
One teenage girl, who did not want to be named, told QMI Agency: 'They put us in a small room. They said "take off your bra, then raise your arms". They even tapped us on the back.'
The school board said the principal was not told of the incident.
The parents of the students involved were later contacted and the situation was explained.
Spokeswoman for the school Nadyne Brochu told Sun News that it was a 'disproportionate action under the circumstances'.
The school board said that 'the decision seemed best' to the teacher at that time but later acknowledged she 'lacked judgement'.
They also acknowledged that the 'climate was not conducive to a good test' so they were allowed to retake the test if they wanted.
It is not known if any of the teachers involved will face disciplinary action.
United Kingdom ( War memorials defaced and mosque firebombed )
Two of Britain's most celebrated war memorials have been defaced, apparently with the word 'Islam' scrawled across them and inscriptions scrubbed out with red paint.
Police have confirmed they are investigating the vandalism of the RAF Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park and the Animals In War Memorial in Park Lane, both in central London.Pictures taken today show that the damage has now been covered over with plastic or white sheets.
Scotland Yard said there have not been any arrests, so it not clear if it has been done by Muslim protesters or far-right groups attempting to stir-up hatred.
Message: This image shows the word 'Islam' daubed on the Animals In War Memorial, but police are not sure if it was carried out by Muslim protesters or far-right groups trying to stir up trouble
Attack: The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, was also targeted in the past 24 hours and was then covered in black plastic and guarded by police
A tarpaulin covers part of the Animals in War Memorial on Park Lane, which police say they found at 5am
'Royal Parks' officers and Westminster police are investigating. There have been no arrests at present.'
The Bomber Command Memorial remembers the sacrifice and bravery of the 55,573 RAF crew who lost their lives in the Second World War and was unveiled by the Queen last summer.
Just last week Dame Judi Dench described herself as being 'very proud' to be the first patron of a new campaign to preserve it for generations to come.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331598/War-memorial-defaced-EDL-prepare-march-Downing-Street-tensions-rise-country.html#ixzz2UVwsXF2b
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Sunday, May 26, 2013
Uganda ( Police raid News outlets in Media crackdown- authorities are trying to censor news )
Police raid news outlets in media crackdown in Uganda
Nairobi, May 21, 2013--Ugandan police surrounded the Kampala offices of two private newspapers for seven hours on Monday, barring access to the premises, disabling printing presses, and effectively halting publication indefinitely, according to news reports. The police said they had search warrants to find documents related to a letter written by an army official that described an assassination plot.
One of the newspapers, Daily Monitor, had reportedon an April 29 letter written by Gen. David Sejusa, or Tinyefuza, Coordinator of Security Agencies, to the director general of Uganda's Internal Security Organisation earlier this month. The letter, which Sejusa confirmed writing, called for an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate senior government officials who were opposed to Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni, assuming the presidency in 2016, the Monitorreported. Museveni, who has been in office since 1986, is expected to step down in 2016.
Police surrounded the offices of the Monitor in the Namuwongo district of the capital on Monday, shut down the paper's printing press, and tried to shut down the paper's website, local journalists told CPJ. "Instead of carrying out the search, the armed men disabled the printing press, computer servers, and radio transmission equipment," the paper's managing director, Alex Asiimwe, said, according to news reports. Asiimwe said that the police had a search warrant to find the original letter written by Sejusa and other unspecified documents.
Police are continuing the search today and have refused most staff entry into the compound while the newspaper and website remain indefinitely shut down, Editor Charles Mwanguhya told CPJ. "We get the impression the [police] operation is not only a search but designed to punish the media house," he said.
Police also surrounded the Red Pepper offices in Namanve on Monday and disabled the paper's printing press, according to the paper's managing director, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, and news reports. "We were just having our editorial meeting when roughly 30 armed police surrounded the station," Rugyendo said. Local journalists told CPJ they were finally allowed to leave the premises on Monday at around 6 p.m.
On May 15, Red Pepper had published a press release said to have been written by Sejusa's lawyer that discussed the general's letter, according to a statementby the paper. The statement said that the paper had already complied with a court order and handed a copy of the document to the police, but that police had decided to search the paper's premises anyway. Police have also denied Red Pepper reporters access to the office.
Judith Nabakooba, a spokesman for the police, said in a statement that Ugandan police would continue to search the offices until the documents were found. In its statement, Red Pepper said they did not know what further documents police were looking for.
Around 2 p.m. Monday, police also shuttered two radio stations, Dembe FM and KFM, which are owned by Monitor Publications Limited and are based in the same compound, local journalists told CPJ. Godfrey Mutabazi, chairman of the state-controlled broadcast regulator the Uganda Communications Commission, said the stations were temporarily suspended while the search at Monitor continued. News accounts reported that the commission said that broadcasts related to the Sejusa letter earlier this month were "not professional," according to news reports.
"Ugandan authorities are trying to censor news that is crucial to the public interest," CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes said. "Authorities should immediately halt their efforts to silence Daily Monitor and Red Pepper, and they must allow these publications and related news outlets to do their jobs without further harassment."
Last week, a judge ordered Monitor to present its sources for Sejusa's letter, lawyer James Nangwala told CPJ. The publishers filed a challenge to the order, citing journalists' privilege in protecting their sources, he added.
Police also interrogatedMonitor Managing Editor Don Wanyama and reporters Richard Wanambwa and Risdel Kasasira about their sources last week. The journalists were accused of non-cooperation with police requests for their sources for the Sejusa story, Wanyama told CPJ.
Civil society activists issued an impromptu protest outside of the Monitor'soffices around 5 p.m. Monday but were chased away by police with tear gas, Monitor journalists inside the office told CPJ.
Monitor and Red Pepper have been raided and their printing presses shut down before. Gunmen raidedthe Red Pepper premises in July 2008 and set fire to the paper's generator and printing press, Rugyendo told CPJ. The paper believed the assailants were security operatives, he said. Police also raidedthe Monitor in October 2002 after the paper published a story that claimed former rebels in northern Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army, had shot down a government helicopter, according to local journalists.
Police surrounded the offices of the Monitor in the Namuwongo district of the capital on Monday, shut down the paper's printing press, and tried to shut down the paper's website, local journalists told CPJ. "Instead of carrying out the search, the armed men disabled the printing press, computer servers, and radio transmission equipment," the paper's managing director, Alex Asiimwe, said, according to news reports. Asiimwe said that the police had a search warrant to find the original letter written by Sejusa and other unspecified documents.
Police are continuing the search today and have refused most staff entry into the compound while the newspaper and website remain indefinitely shut down, Editor Charles Mwanguhya told CPJ. "We get the impression the [police] operation is not only a search but designed to punish the media house," he said.
Police also surrounded the Red Pepper offices in Namanve on Monday and disabled the paper's printing press, according to the paper's managing director, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, and news reports. "We were just having our editorial meeting when roughly 30 armed police surrounded the station," Rugyendo said. Local journalists told CPJ they were finally allowed to leave the premises on Monday at around 6 p.m.
On May 15, Red Pepper had published a press release said to have been written by Sejusa's lawyer that discussed the general's letter, according to a statementby the paper. The statement said that the paper had already complied with a court order and handed a copy of the document to the police, but that police had decided to search the paper's premises anyway. Police have also denied Red Pepper reporters access to the office.
Judith Nabakooba, a spokesman for the police, said in a statement that Ugandan police would continue to search the offices until the documents were found. In its statement, Red Pepper said they did not know what further documents police were looking for.
Around 2 p.m. Monday, police also shuttered two radio stations, Dembe FM and KFM, which are owned by Monitor Publications Limited and are based in the same compound, local journalists told CPJ. Godfrey Mutabazi, chairman of the state-controlled broadcast regulator the Uganda Communications Commission, said the stations were temporarily suspended while the search at Monitor continued. News accounts reported that the commission said that broadcasts related to the Sejusa letter earlier this month were "not professional," according to news reports.
"Ugandan authorities are trying to censor news that is crucial to the public interest," CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes said. "Authorities should immediately halt their efforts to silence Daily Monitor and Red Pepper, and they must allow these publications and related news outlets to do their jobs without further harassment."
Last week, a judge ordered Monitor to present its sources for Sejusa's letter, lawyer James Nangwala told CPJ. The publishers filed a challenge to the order, citing journalists' privilege in protecting their sources, he added.
Police also interrogatedMonitor Managing Editor Don Wanyama and reporters Richard Wanambwa and Risdel Kasasira about their sources last week. The journalists were accused of non-cooperation with police requests for their sources for the Sejusa story, Wanyama told CPJ.
Civil society activists issued an impromptu protest outside of the Monitor'soffices around 5 p.m. Monday but were chased away by police with tear gas, Monitor journalists inside the office told CPJ.
Monitor and Red Pepper have been raided and their printing presses shut down before. Gunmen raidedthe Red Pepper premises in July 2008 and set fire to the paper's generator and printing press, Rugyendo told CPJ. The paper believed the assailants were security operatives, he said. Police also raidedthe Monitor in October 2002 after the paper published a story that claimed former rebels in northern Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army, had shot down a government helicopter, according to local journalists.
Bahrain ( The " Blogfather" emerges from hiding - Granted asylum in the United Kingdom ) Blogger flees country
Bahrain's "Blogfather" emerges from hiding
For two years, Bahrainis have been asking "Where is Ali Abdel Imam?" And now finally, they have an answer.
The prominent opposition blogger suddenly emergedfrom hiding last week, announcing he had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, news sources reported.
He had not been heard from since March 17, 2011, when he cryptically tweeted, "I get tired from my phone so I switched it of no need for rumors plz." The Bahraini government had just declared a state of emergency, as massive reform protests rocked the island country. Abdel Imam, who had already been arrested twice before for his work, feared the government would arrest him again in an impending crackdown. So when they came for him the following day, Abdel Imam made sure he wasn't there. He had not been heard from since--until last week.
The prominent opposition blogger suddenly emergedfrom hiding last week, announcing he had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, news sources reported.
He had not been heard from since March 17, 2011, when he cryptically tweeted, "I get tired from my phone so I switched it of no need for rumors plz." The Bahraini government had just declared a state of emergency, as massive reform protests rocked the island country. Abdel Imam, who had already been arrested twice before for his work, feared the government would arrest him again in an impending crackdown. So when they came for him the following day, Abdel Imam made sure he wasn't there. He had not been heard from since--until last week.
The story of Abdel Imam's escape from Bahrain, as reportedby The Atlantic, reads like a Hollywood script, complete with outlandish plots involving body doubles, code names, and secret compartments. The news electrified the Bahraini opposition and human rights defenders across the region. His first tweet since his disappearance, simply reading "online," was retweeted 257 times and favorited 74 times.
There was one group clearly not entertained by the news: the Bahraini government. In a statementto CNN, the government accused Abdel Imam of "inciting and encouraging continuous acts of violent attacks against police officers." The government also expressed its surprise that "certain NGOs have taken it as their mission to aid and abet fugitives from justice."
In the strictest sense of the term, Abdel Imam is in fact a fugitive. In June 2011, Abdel Imam was sentencedin absentia to 15 years imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the regime by an extraordinary tribunal established under martial law. Some of his co-defendants--bloggers, activists, and opposition politicians--received life sentences.
In April the following year, CPJ was one of 50 human rights and press freedom groups that sent a letter to King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa in support of Abdel Imam and his 20 co-defendants--all convicted for their political beliefs and activism.
Despite such pressure, a civilian court upheld Abel Imam's convictions in September 2012. At the time, CPJ slammedthe court decision, and our executive director, Joel Simon, said, "The expression of critical opinion is protected by international law and can never be a crime."
As such, Abdel Imam is not so much a fugitive as an opposition voice in exile. The U.K.'s decision to grant Abdel Imam asylum indicates the British too believe the charges against him amount to political persecution.
The Bahraini government makes clear in its statement to CNN that it considers Abdel Imam a serious threat to security, explaining he is the"founder of Bahrain Online, a website that has repeatedly been used to incite hatred."
To be sure, anger towards the government is readily apparent on Bahrain Online. Founded almost 15 years ago, Bahrain Onlinebecame a central hub for opposition voices, hosting blogs and an immensely popular discussion forum. With opposition voices largely excluded from the traditional press, dissent in Bahrain went digital years before YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Abdel Imam became knownas the "Blogfather of Bahrain," and he helped pave the way for netizens across the Arab world to establish their own blogs and online forums.
As the hope of the 2011 Pearl Revolution devolved into repression and street clashes, anger in some corners of the opposition grew. Today, a banner on Bahrain Onlinereads "No dialogue with you" next to a picture of a vampiric King Hamad and a massive fireball. Some threads now discuss how to battle riot police in actions described by the posters as self-defense. The government calls such operations--usually involving molotov cocktails, stones, and iron rods--acts of terror.
Yet such posts apparently came from website users and not Abdel Imam, who was in hiding, and they are essentially part of an ongoing intra-opposition debate over how to seek change in Bahrain. In an interviewwith Al-Jazeera last week, Abdel Imam blamed the increase of violence by protesters on the regime "because they didn't provide any proper channel for change."
Asked about his new life in exile, Abdel Imam told Al-Jazeera, "I didn't plan it, but if it's the price of the freedom for my country and for the people I love to have their rights then I'm willing to pay." Separated from his family, at least now Abdel Imam is safe, physically and legally--unlike so many journalists and activists still in Bahrain.
Just yesterday, a Bahraini court jailedsix people for insulting King Hamad on Twitter, and another court once again delayed the trial of photographer Ahmed Humaidan, accusedof "using violence to assault police" after he covered anti-government demonstrations. In the past month, three international journalists were askedto leave the country for covering unrest coinciding with a major Formula One race, and police continued to harass professional photographers working for outlets like The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and others.
Not everyone under threat can choose exile. Now, the opposition voices that remain will at least once again have an essential advocate to amplify their message.
There was one group clearly not entertained by the news: the Bahraini government. In a statementto CNN, the government accused Abdel Imam of "inciting and encouraging continuous acts of violent attacks against police officers." The government also expressed its surprise that "certain NGOs have taken it as their mission to aid and abet fugitives from justice."
In the strictest sense of the term, Abdel Imam is in fact a fugitive. In June 2011, Abdel Imam was sentencedin absentia to 15 years imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the regime by an extraordinary tribunal established under martial law. Some of his co-defendants--bloggers, activists, and opposition politicians--received life sentences.
In April the following year, CPJ was one of 50 human rights and press freedom groups that sent a letter to King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa in support of Abdel Imam and his 20 co-defendants--all convicted for their political beliefs and activism.
Despite such pressure, a civilian court upheld Abel Imam's convictions in September 2012. At the time, CPJ slammedthe court decision, and our executive director, Joel Simon, said, "The expression of critical opinion is protected by international law and can never be a crime."
As such, Abdel Imam is not so much a fugitive as an opposition voice in exile. The U.K.'s decision to grant Abdel Imam asylum indicates the British too believe the charges against him amount to political persecution.
The Bahraini government makes clear in its statement to CNN that it considers Abdel Imam a serious threat to security, explaining he is the"founder of Bahrain Online, a website that has repeatedly been used to incite hatred."
To be sure, anger towards the government is readily apparent on Bahrain Online. Founded almost 15 years ago, Bahrain Onlinebecame a central hub for opposition voices, hosting blogs and an immensely popular discussion forum. With opposition voices largely excluded from the traditional press, dissent in Bahrain went digital years before YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Abdel Imam became knownas the "Blogfather of Bahrain," and he helped pave the way for netizens across the Arab world to establish their own blogs and online forums.
As the hope of the 2011 Pearl Revolution devolved into repression and street clashes, anger in some corners of the opposition grew. Today, a banner on Bahrain Onlinereads "No dialogue with you" next to a picture of a vampiric King Hamad and a massive fireball. Some threads now discuss how to battle riot police in actions described by the posters as self-defense. The government calls such operations--usually involving molotov cocktails, stones, and iron rods--acts of terror.
Yet such posts apparently came from website users and not Abdel Imam, who was in hiding, and they are essentially part of an ongoing intra-opposition debate over how to seek change in Bahrain. In an interviewwith Al-Jazeera last week, Abdel Imam blamed the increase of violence by protesters on the regime "because they didn't provide any proper channel for change."
Asked about his new life in exile, Abdel Imam told Al-Jazeera, "I didn't plan it, but if it's the price of the freedom for my country and for the people I love to have their rights then I'm willing to pay." Separated from his family, at least now Abdel Imam is safe, physically and legally--unlike so many journalists and activists still in Bahrain.
Just yesterday, a Bahraini court jailedsix people for insulting King Hamad on Twitter, and another court once again delayed the trial of photographer Ahmed Humaidan, accusedof "using violence to assault police" after he covered anti-government demonstrations. In the past month, three international journalists were askedto leave the country for covering unrest coinciding with a major Formula One race, and police continued to harass professional photographers working for outlets like The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and others.
Not everyone under threat can choose exile. Now, the opposition voices that remain will at least once again have an essential advocate to amplify their message.
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