Or, well, I should have said lack of press freedom, specially after the last events. Not only there is a new worrying Press Law. 55% de country’s radios can be shut during next weeks.

Much more commercial radios are in danger of being closed than previously thought. 360, of a total number of 656, can be punished and shut by the new Hugo Chávez’s law.

Also, leaders from the opposition, who normally have gone into exile, opposition bloggers and Twitter (specially the hashtag #FreeMediaVe, which is a result, according to the “Bolivarian News Agency”, of the “media campaign from the far-right extremists” to “create terror” , although the Government has lost the battle in this social network, mainly because of the international audience it has) are being targeted. Alexis Marrero is being prosecuted by “inciting to kill Hugo Chávez, war propaganda and being against the presidency”, because (it’s widely supposed as they haven’t pointed out the real reasons for this prosecution) of his anti-Chávez blog (written in Spanish) and being a neighbourhood’s leader who has repeatedly demonstrated against Chávez.

I would like people like Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Naomi Campbell and others who have endorsed Chávez in the past, to speak about these measures. It’s interesting to note that Lee Barnes, head of English racist and xenophobe BNP party, has already said that “Chávez is on target here”, as English MSM are not favourable to their slanders (specially those about “Zionist propaganda” (you can just read his blog…). Just to underline where freedom and liberty stand for some people: you’re free as long as you say the same things I want you to say.

By the way, Alexis Marrero was arrested by Chávez’s thugs some weeks ago.

On Dec 1st, 125 journalists were in prison because of their work and 45% of them actually works for Internet sites, according to the Comission for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) in this year’s annual report. Written press’ journalists , editors and photographers are next with 53 cases in 2008, and the rest of the cases are radio and TV reporters.

According to the report, China is, for 10th year, the country with the highest number of journalists in prison. 24 of the 28 reporters imprisoned work for Internet sites and the list includes the blogger Hu Jia, who was sentenced to 3 years and a half in prison for making comments and interviews which were critical with the Communist Party. Cuba is situated in the second place, with 21 imprisoned, while Burma / Myanmar maintains 14 reporters in prison, five of them when they were trying to publish news and images of the places devastated by the Nargis. USA, who maintains photographer Ibrahim Jassam imprisoned with no accusation, is situated in the fifth place in the list of countries that jail journalists.

via El número de periodistas digitales encarcelados supera por primera vez al de los de prensa escrita · ELPAÍS.com.

I have traslated that part because I wanted you to read what the public in Spain read normally. That mention to USA, without anyone to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, for example, who detain bloggers and journalists in a normal basis is really unbelievable. Yes, USA is a democracy so it must do things well, but comparing it to China, Cuba or Burma, who are three of the worst dictatorships is just nonsense. For example, nowadays Iran has arrested with no charges and in an unknown location for days (though Iran has finally recognised they have her in the infamous Evin prison), US Freelance Journalist Roxana Saberi via FOXNews.com – American Freelance Journalist Arrested in Iran for Engaging in ‘Illegal’ Activities – Iran | Map | News:

An Iranian-American journalist, whose family has not heard from her for three weeks, was arrested for engaging in “illegal” activities because she continued to work after the government revoked her press credentials Iran said Monday.

Roxana Saberi moved to Iran six years ago and had previously reported for NPR, the BBC and FOX News.

“She called from an unknown place and said she’s been kept in detention,” her father Reza Saberi said about the Feb. 10 call. “She said that she had bought a bottle of wine and the person that sold it had reported it and then they came and arrested her.”

You see? No mention of this. AT ALL.

And looks like that Cuba has not changed, be Castro or not in charge of the country. Yes, the Government has changed but the methods haven’t. Yoani is a famous Cuban blogger who blogs at Generación Y and who has been censored and reprimanded in the past because of her acid comments on normal life in Cuba. Since yesterday, her blog looks like this:

So, in the end, nothind has really changed…

Rebel blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has vowed to die in silence as a sign of protest if he is re-arrested on what many believe are politically motivated grounds. His pledge came as a court was due to rule whether he is to return to prison under Malaysia’s Internal Security Act (ISA),

Raja Petra, who has risen to prominence as a pro-opposition blogger, was arrested on 12 September after accusations lodged by several religious groups who claim that he offended Islam in an article published on 8 August.

He was released on 7 November last year but the government has appealed the court decision and a verdict is expected on Tuesday.

“I shall no longer open my mouth or utter one word during my detention. I shall maintain the silence of a mute person. I shall not sign any documents of the so many documents that they make you sign when under detention,” he said.

via Malaysia: Blogger vows to die in silence if re-arrested – Adnkronos Culture And Media.

RSF press release on the case:

He was appearing before the Shah Alam court under Section 4(1) of the 1948 Sedition Act after writing an article about the implication of leaders of the ruling party in the 2006 murder of a young Mongolian woman. He pleaded not guilty at the first hearing of the case.

“The government is abusing the law in order to silence critical voices and to gag free expression,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

Raja Petra Kamarudin is being hounded by the courts and could end up serving a very long prison sentence. It is an unacceptable criminalisation of the freedom to reveal facts and opinions”, it said.

He wrote an article in which he accused the Malaysian PM of killing a woman. So he is accused by some religious groups of insulting Islam. And the Government is prosecuting him on sedition charges. (