{"id":54737,"date":"2012-09-22T00:12:27","date_gmt":"2012-09-22T00:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=54737"},"modified":"2012-09-26T08:16:07","modified_gmt":"2012-09-26T08:16:07","slug":"editor-threatened-with-death-is-sacked-as-article-19s-warning-to-un-comes-true-says-article-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/editor-threatened-with-death-is-sacked-as-article-19s-warning-to-un-comes-true-says-article-19\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Editor Threatened With Death Is Sacked As ARTICLE 19\u2019s Warning To UN Comes True’ Says ARTICLE 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colombo Telegraph<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The new owner of the Sunday Leader has sacked editor Frederica Jansz just two months after she received death threats from Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and five months after ARTICLE 19 warned the UN human rights body that the president\u2019s affiliates were buying up the private media in order to take editorial control over all critical voices in the country.” says\u00a0ARTICLE 19<\/a><\/span>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThe sacking of Frederica Jansz<\/a><\/span> \u2013 one of the few remaining independent journalists critical of the government still in the country \u2013 is terrible news for the Sri Lankan media. We warned the UN in April that affiliates of the president appeared to be buying up the private media<\/a><\/span> in order to control their editorial lines, resulting in a severely reduced debate in a country that has only just emerged from conflict,\u201d said Dr Agnes Callamard<\/a><\/span>, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorse still is that Frederica Jansz received death threats from the president\u2019s brother, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, just two months ago. Rather than investigating and taking a stance against threats of violence, they\u2019ve instead focused their energy on further undermining her, and freedom of expression in general,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

In the shadow report for the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka<\/a><\/span> \u2013 due in October 2012, ARTICLE 19 highlighted that media diversity and press freedom are under threat in Sri Lanka where affiliates of the president appear to be buying newspapers that criticise the government, in order to censor them.<\/p>\n

Jansz told the Colombo Telegraph<\/a><\/span>, an online newspaper run by exiled Sri Lankan journalists, that she had told the Sunday Leader<\/a><\/span>s\u2019 new owner, Asanga Seneviratne<\/a><\/span>, that she would resign rather than prevent her reporters from reporting about and criticising the government.<\/p>\n

Jansz was threatened with death in July 2012. She was conducting an interview over the phone with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/a><\/span> when he told her: \u201cYou pig that eats shit! You shit shit dirty fucking journalist! [\u2026] People will kill you! People hate you! They will kill you!<\/a><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sunday Leader and its journalists have until now faced regular attack. The newspaper\u2019s editor, Lasantha Wickramatunge<\/a><\/span>, was assassinated on his way to work on 8 January 2009. Nobody has ever been prosecuted for the crime.<\/p>\n

Related posts;<\/p>\n

Frede Out And Saku In \u2013 Frederica Is Sacked, Not Resigned<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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