Reporters sans frontières - coffins in Paris for slain Russian journalists; cover-up attempt in Istanbul at Dink's murder trial

Eighteen coffins line Paris human rights plaza in homage to slain Russian journalists on first anniversary of Politkovskaya murder

Reporters Without Borders staged a ceremony today at the Trocadero human rights plaza in Paris to mark the first anniversary of Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya’s murder in Moscow, displaying photos of Vladimir Putin and Politkovskaya alongside 18 coffins representing the 18 journalists killed in connection with their work in Russia since Putin became president in March 2000. Putin’s photo was embellished with the insignia of his French Legion of Honour award. More...

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Call for all relevant evidence to be incorporated into Hrant Dink murder file

Reporters Without Borders is outraged by reports of the disappearance of evidence in the investigation into the murder of Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink. The second hearing in the trial of Dink’s alleged murderers was held before a court in the Istanbul district of Besikta on 1 October.

The press freedom organisation also regrets that the trial judge rejected its request to be formally registered as a civil party in the case on the grounds that it was not directly affected by the murder of Dink, who was gunned down outside the Istanbul office of his newspaper, Agos, on 19 January. More...

*picture by AFP

Sakharov Prize: fighting for a better world

Fighting For Freedom Of Thought



2007 Sakharov Prize finalists:

Anna Politkovskaya
This Russian journalist made her name investigating and reporting human rights abuses and torture especially in lawless Chechnya. She authored several books about the Chechen wars, life in Russia and President Putin's regime and received numerous prestigious international awards for her work. Politkovskaya survived a poisoning attempt, but was shot dead on 7 October 2006 in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow. The perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

Salih Mahmoud Osman
A human rights attorney working with the Sudan Organisation Against Torture, he has for over two decades provided free legal representation for the many victims of Sudan's civil war and human rights abuses. Mr. Salih's fight against injustice has had a personal cost; members of his family have been killed and tortured. He serves currently as a Member of the Sudanese National Parliament.

Zeng Jinyan and Hu Jia: Children of Tiananmen
Zeng Jinyan is a cyber-dissident reporting Chinese rights abuses in her daily blog. Her husband Hu Jia is an anti-AIDS and environmental activist. Both human rights activists live in Beijing under house arrest. They were prevented from leaving China on May 18, accused of being a threat to national security.

*European Parliament