PEN SA Africa Pulse #1

PEN SA Africa Pulse is a weekly round-up of news concerning cases of freedom of expression and the freedom of the press in Africa.

South African photojournalist kidnapped in Syria

Shiraaz Mohamed, a Johannesburg-based photojournalist, has been kidnapped in Syria. At the time of his kidnapping, Mohamed was traveling on Aljamiliye Road, close to the Turkish border, with two Gift of the Givers members. The armed men, after questioning the other two members about Mohamed’s identity, removed Mohamed from the car at gunpoint. All three of them were then blindfolded and driven around for an hour. The two Gift of the Givers members were dropped off and were told that Mohamed would be questioned due to a “misunderstanding” and would be returned within two days. That was on 10 January, it is now 16 January, 6 days later, and Mohamed’s whereabouts remain unknown.
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Sunday Standard, a Botswana newspaper whose editor is currently in jail, remains resolute against government pressure to change its editorial policy

Sunday Standard newspaper’s deputy editor, Spencer Mogapi has said the newspaper will not cave in to government pressure to amend its editorial policy. The newspaper’s editor, Outsa Mokone, and its senior journalist, Edgar Tsimane, has fled the country and is seeking asylum in neighbouring South Africa following threats on his life. Mogapi said despite all this, the Sunday Standard newspaper will not review its editorial policy to suit the conditions of the government.
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Egypt’s Journalists’ Syndicate, Yahya Qalash, and board members Gamal Abdel-Rahim and Khaled el-Balshy sentenced to two years of hard labor in prison

In November last year, a minor offenses court in Egypt, sentenced the head of Journalists’ Syndicate, Yahya Qalash, and board members Gamal Abdel-Rahim and Khaled el-Balshy, to two years of hard labor in prison on charges of “harboring fugitives from justice” in the syndicate’s building. In a recent interview with Al Monitor, Yahya Qalash speaks of the syndicate’s problem with the state, which was ignited May 1 when security forces stormed into the syndicate’s building for the first time since the syndicate’s inception decades ago.

Other news:

How to side-step governments shutting down the internet or social media in your country

In Africa, we saw a fair share of governments closing down the internet and social media in 2016. This was a cause for alarm and the United Nations’ 2016 adoption of the on promoting and protecting the freedom of users online will assist in a big way but it is possible that there will be further attempts to curb freedom of expression in 2017. If indeed there are, Quartz Africa has put a guide to staying online if the internet or social media gets blocked in your country.