Reporters Without Borders condemns the government’s latest offensive against the Internet coinciding with celebrations marking the Islamic Revolution’s 31st anniversary. Online access has again been disrupted, as it is whenever opposition protests are expected.

In major cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Ahvaz and Shiraz, Internet connections have been slowed right down, restricted to certain neighbourhoods or entirely suspended in some areas for the past few days. Some mobile phone companies have blocked the sending of SMS messages since the evening of 6 February.

CNW Telbec - Reporters Without Borders urges the Sri Lankan authorities to take all necessary measures to investigate threatening letters received six days ago by Frederica Jansz and Munza Mushtaq, two journalists who work for the Leader Publications media group. "We will slice you up if you do not stop your writing," the letters said.

At the same time, senior newspaper employees have been questioned by the police about their sources in a new attack on editorial independence.

Anna Politkovskaya, Murdered Oct. 7/06

Images Coutesy of Reporters Without Borders
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Better figures despite a hostile climate and more Internet repression.

Reporters Without Borders only counted cases in which a link between the violation and the victim's work as a journalist was clearly established or very likely. The figures cover the violations the organisation learned about. They do not cover violations which the victims chose not to report (usually for security reasons). In other words, the same method was used to compile the figures as in previous years, making comparisons possible.

for international journalists to be allowed into the Gaza Strip - CNW Telbec - With 100 news media signatures now on the petition it launched on 9 January, Reporters Without Borders reiterates its appeal for support by the international media and again urges the Israeli authorities to lift the ban on foreign media access to the Gaza Strip that has been in force since November. Allowing journalists into the Gaza Strip would be the best way to ensure independent coverage of the events unfolding there.

The only news coverage of the situation in Gaza comes from the 295 Palestinians who are working for a range of news organisations in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances. Reporters Without Borders express its solidarity with all these media employees and deplores the deaths of four journalists since 27 December, three of them in the course of their work. The four journalists are Basel Faraj, Ihab el-Wahidi, Omar Silawi and Alaa Mortaji. Reporters Without Borders offers its sincere condolences to their families.