DCMF journalist forbidden to leave Qatar

tallg
By tallg

Reporters Without Borders, which helped set up and is a supporter of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, are getting more and more annoyed with the Qatar authorities treatment of the DCMF;

Reporters Without Borders is deeply concerned about a hardening in the attitude of the Qatari authorities towards the Doha Centre for Media Freedom. Hajar Smouni, head of research at the Centre and a former member of the Reporters Without Borders staff, was prevented from leaving Qatar today.

This latest incident appears to be just the tip of the iceberg;

“The Doha Centre has for months been struggling to keep its independence and is under pressure from the Qatari authorities,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said. “This ban is a violation of the undertakings Qatar gave to the Doha Centre.”

Is it feasible that the DCMF would pull out of Qatar altogether if the authorities continue to renege on their promises to the centre?


Full story: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30662

By adey• 30 Mar 2009 22:09
Rating: 5/5
adey

North Korea

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

By Vegas• 30 Mar 2009 21:54
Vegas

Or am I way off base???

You can't teach experience...

By tallg• 30 Mar 2009 21:01
tallg

Totally agree PM. It seems that the "old crowd" are still asserting too much influence over the direction this country is taking. Qatar needs to decide once and for all which way it's going to go, and stick with it.

By tallg• 30 Mar 2009 15:49
tallg

Ah ok, my bad for duplicate posting then.

By MikaylasMom• 30 Mar 2009 15:42
MikaylasMom

My bad... It was here on QL that I read the article and it was posted on the 25th. Sorry about that! The source was still the RSF, but I didn't click on that link then.

Motherhood...The hardest job you'll ever love! : )

By MikaylasMom• 30 Mar 2009 15:32
Rating: 3/5
MikaylasMom

That's interesting too... I read the link posted above and interestingly enough, the article I read in the local papers was much more detailed.

Motherhood...The hardest job you'll ever love! : )

By tallg• 30 Mar 2009 14:43
tallg

Unfortunately I can't find the article on their websites.

By MikaylasMom• 30 Mar 2009 14:35
MikaylasMom

Sorry tallg, time gets away from me when I am at home all day with a little one. I was surprised it was reported too. That's what made it interesting to me.

Motherhood...The hardest job you'll ever love! : )

By tallg• 30 Mar 2009 14:20
tallg

Mikaylas - yes, this did happen a few days ago (24th March), but I only just came across the story after being away for a week. I'm surprised it was reported in the local press.

By tallg• 30 Mar 2009 14:18
Rating: 3/5
tallg

Yes, I've seen those accusations before and I'm sure they do exercise some bias.

Of course we'll probably never know the real reason why the reporter was stopped, and the authorities could have had a very good reason to do so (though the ban on her leaving Qatar was later lifted). But RSF obviously saw this as a chance to take a swipe at Qatar over their treatment of DCMF, which you can hardly blame them for doing given what's gone on.

By MikaylasMom• 30 Mar 2009 14:11
Rating: 2/5
MikaylasMom

I read this in the GT or Peninsula a couple of weeks ago. Very interesting...

Motherhood...The hardest job you'll ever love! : )

By britexpat• 30 Mar 2009 14:08
britexpat

This is only one side of the story, especially since its posted on the RSF website.

I have great admiration for the organization, but in the past they have been accused of bias ... see the link

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7274

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