CPJ deplores deterioration of press freedom standards

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Malian President Alpha Konare to condemn publicly a physical attack by a parliamentarian against a journalist, punish the perpetrator and “take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all journalists working in the country”. The parliamentarian had seized the journalist by the neck and attempted to choke him, CPJ said, adding that, according to its sources, the assault, which occurred on 30 August, may have resulted from a recent article by the journalist. The CPJ “is especially concerned because Mali has until recently had an exemplary record for press freedom”, the watchdog said in a letter to Konare on 1 September.