On World Press Freedom Day 2013, we look back at the threats to our journalists over the past 12 months.

1. Threats to Our Journalists
May 2012 – May 2013
World Press Freedom Day

2. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
RFE/RL correspondent Elina Chilingarian was attacked by a
young man while videotaping busloads of people outside a
polling station in Yerevan’s southern Erebuni district. “Will you
film me?” the man said before striking down her camera.
Elina Chilingarian Armenia @RFERL

3. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
VOA correspondent Peter
Heinlein and his translator
Simegineh Yekoye were
arrested by Ethiopian Police on
May 25 for trying to cover a
Muslim demonstration in
Addis Ababa. Heinlein was
held in the Maekelawi prison,
where he was questioned
about what Ethiopian
authorities called his “illegal
reporting.”
Peter Heinlein Ethiopia @VOA_News

4. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Iranian Intelligence Ministry officials continue to interrogate and intimidate
family members of BBG journalists. These officials regularly denounce the
work of Radio Farda and VOA reporters. The intimidation often involves
demands that journalists stop reporting on Iran. VOA, Radio Farda and
other western news agencies including the BBC have condemned these
crude threats to family members, who have long been targeted by
intelligence agents trying to silence government critics and independent
analysts.
Families of Journalists Iran @RFERL @VOA_News

5. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Bonifacio Taban Kuich was detained and questioned by South Sudan’s
army three times between Thursday 1 and Saturday 3 June
Bonifacio Taban Kuich South Sudan @VOA_News

6. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Police grabbed and twisted Ina Studzinskaja's arm to prevent her from using
her mobile phone to call in a live report for the service's afternoon
broadcast. Studzinskaja was then taken to a local police station and
interrogated, although no charges were brought against her.
Ina Studzinskaja Belarus @RFERL

7. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
The house of José Manuel Gimbi, a VOA
correspondent and a human rights lawyer was
ransacked. Two computers, an external hard
drive, a voice recorder, two USB sticks, and a
bag containing important documents related to
his work were stolen.
José Manuel Gimbi Angola @VOA_News

8. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Nushaba Fatullayeva was the target of thugs who stole her camera and
broke her mobile phone. Turkhan Kerimov, another RFE/RL reporter who
arrived soon after to cover the incident, was also roughed-up and a flip
camera he had brought for Fatullayeva was also seized.
Nushaba Fatullayeva and
Turkhan Kerimov Azerbaijan @RFERL

9. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Malick Aliou Maïga was badly beaten by Islamists occupying the north of
the country, after reporting on the Islamists' failed plans to amputate a
thief's hand.
Malick Aliou Maïga Mali @VOA_News

10. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
MISSING
Alhurra Correspondent Bashar
Fahmi remains missing and
incommunicado after
disappearing in Aleppo, Syria.
Fahmi was on a reporting trip
there on Aug. 20, 2012 when
he was caught in the crossfire
that led to the murder of one
journalist and capture of
another. Few clues have
emerged concerning his
whereabouts and wellbeing.
Bashar Fahmi Syria @Alhurra

11. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Boko Haram spokesman Abu Qaqa said in the statement the group was
going to target VOA, charging VOA “has undertaken the task of harming our
religion.” He said the Boko Haram “will not leave any correspondent or staff
of VOA alone.”
VOA Reporters Nigeria @VOA_News

12. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Two correspondents with Radio Ozodi, RFE/RL's Tajik service, were detained
by police officers in Dushanbe on August 31 while reporting on a student
protest in front of the Presidential Palace.
Abdullo Asdhurov and
Zarangez Navruzsho Tajikistan @RFERL

13. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Gulnur Raqifqizi Kazimova was covering an exhibit at a public square
commemorating the 870 year anniversary of a revered local poet, Nizami
Ganjavi. A senior local government official approached her and told her, "I
didn't invite you." Gulnur pointed out that the event was public, and
convened at a public square. He and other authorities prevented her from
taking pictures and crowded around her with the clear intent to intimidate
her and obstruct her work.
Gulnur Raqifqizi Kazimova Azerbaijan @RFERL

14. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Marthe van der Wolf, a VOA reporter in Ethiopia, was briefly detained and
forced to erase recordings that she had made of a protest rally by local
police.
Marthe Van Der Wolf Ethiopia @VOA_News

15. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
RFA and VOA reporters were summoned to a meeting with Cambodian
officials in a blatant attempt to discourage objective reporting on the
Cambodian government. As reported by Reuters, AFP and others, RFA and
VOA broadcast locally in the Khmer language and are among the few radio
stations in Cambodia considered free of government influence.
VOA & RFA reporters Cambodia @RadioFreeAsia @VOA_News

16. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Antonio Rodiles, the Cuba-based
independent producer of the
Emmy-nominated TV Martí
program Estado de SATS was
jailed in Havana after seeking
information on the arrest of two
Cuban dissidents. After 19 days
in a Cuban jail Rodiles was
released, and Charges of
“resisting authority” were
dropped after he paid a nominal
fine on Nov. 26.
Antonio Rodiles Cuba @martinoticias

17. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
In Azerbaijan, Yafez Hasanov, an
RFE/RL correspondent, has received
repeated telephone calls and text
messages from unidentified persons
threatening reprisals against him
and his family if he does not stop
investigating the death last year of a
man in the custody of Azerbaijan’s
Ministry of National Security.
Yafez Hasanov Azerbaijan @RFERL

18. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
RFE/RL's Tajik Service, Radio Ozodi was targeted by an Internet blackout
that included its website and Facebook. In addition to the Internet
outage, Abduqayum Qayumov, a parliamentary correspondent since
2001, has been banned from reporting, the result of a refusal by the
country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to honor a routine request to
accredit him. Authorities provided no official explanation of the
decision, which bans Qayumov from working for the service, and serves
as a warning to other RFE/RL journalists.
Abduqayum Qayumov Tajikistan @RFERL

19. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
As many as 15 Radio Farda journalists who have been targeted with
sophisticated online attacks in Iran. At least three Radio Farda
journalists have been the subject of fake Facebook profiles and blogs
that post false and even scandalous information with the aim of
discrediting them. Radio Farda’s Facebook page, which has more than
300,000 fans, has also been hacked.
Radio Farda Journalists Iran @RFERL

20. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
A Chinese state television report accused Voice of America broadcasts
for encouraging self-immolations in Tibet. CCTV also accused VOA of
using secret code to send messages to people inside Tibet. VOA Director
Ensor and State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland rejected the
claims by Chinese state media, and called the self-immolations a sign of
the distress in Tibet. VOA continues to provide objective coverage on
the tragic events in Tibet have been very difficult to report in a balanced
and comprehensive manner.
VOA Journalists China @VOA_News

21. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
Local journalist Fayaz Zafar, a regular
contributor to VOA’s Deewa Radio and
other local stations, was returning to his
home in the Swat Valley with two other
journalists, when they were attacked by
suspected Taliban gunmen. Police
escorting the reporters fired back at the
gunmen and foiled the attack.
Fayaz Zafar Pakistan @VOA_News

22. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
KILLED
Mohammed Ali Nuxurkey, a local VOA
reporter in Somalia, was killed Monday in a
bomb blast that left 10 people dead in
Mogadishu.
Mohammed Ali Nuxurkey Somalia @VOA_News

23. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
In recent weeks, we have been troubled to see the Cambodian
government exerting unacceptable private and public pressure on Radio
Free Asia to self-censor their reporting of issues sensitive to the
government. Instead of seeking corrections, or even pointing out
specific areas of purported inaccuracy to clarify their point of view for
the record, the government has once again resorted to threatening legal
action against the individual investigative reporters involved. The
constant threat of litigation by a government, for politically sensitive but
accurate reports about the government, is not the hallmark of a free
press and is inconsistent with core democratic values.
RFA journalists Cambodia @RadioFreeAsia

24. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
On April 4, a package was sent to Hasanov's home with documents that
suggested he was having illicit relationships with several women. Soon
after, Hasanov received a call from a man who identified himself as an
agent of the Naxichivani Ministry of National Security (MNS), who
recited orders from Naxichivani regional governor Vasif Talibov to
cooperate with MNS. The caller also warned that if Hasanov reported
on Naxichivan again he would be "exposed" and his life and the lives of
his family members would be in danger. On April 19, the pro-
government Internet TV station "Ses" aired recordings of cellphone
conversations between Hasanov and residents of Naxichivan that
Azerbaijan's Media Rights Institution told the website contact.az could
only have been obtained from the country's security services.
Yafez Hasanov Azerbaijan @RFERL

25. May
2012
May
2013
June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April
THREATENED
In a return to the defamation tactics
that targeted Ismayilova in March
2012, on April 25 a pro-government
website posted a pornographic video
that was fabricated to portray
Ismayilova engaging in sexual acts.
Ismayilova's investigative reports for
RFE/RL, which earned her the 2012
International Women's Media
Foundation's "Courage in Journalism"
award, have implicated the
president's family in financial
activities and arrangements worth
hundreds of millions of dollars.
Khadija Ismayilova Azerbaijan @RFERL

26. For More Information
bbg.gov/broadcasters/threats-to-journalism