JURIST - Paper Chase: Rwandan media execs sentenced to life for role in 1994 genocide

In Wednesday's media and information law news, two Rwandan media executives have been sentenced to life in prison, and a third was sentenced to 35-years in prison for their roles in the 1994 genocide, BBC News reports. Ferdinand Nahimana and Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza helped establish a radio station that broadcast messages encouraging the killing of minority Tutsis. Hassan Ngeze was the editor of a magazine that "dehumanized" Tutsis. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has more information on the cases against Nahimana and Barayagwiza.... Human Rights Watch, a US human rights group, has criticized Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for increasing harassment of journalists, including one case in particular, according to an AFP story on Aljazeera. Amir Mir, an editor for the magazine Herald, was allegedly threatened by Musharraf at a reception and was subjected to further threats and attacks. HRW has more information, and the group's letter to Musharraf can be viewed here.... The Italian legislature has approved a controversial new media law bill that will ease ownership restrictions, BBC News reports. One provision in particular reverses a court ruling that Mediaset, owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, must sell off one of its three television stations by next year. Opponents of the bill urged the Italian president not to approve it and planned to demonstrate in Rome.... Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered police to find the killer of a prominent broadcaster, who was murdered Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse. Macapagal last month offered rewards for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the murders of Filipino journalists in the past five years.

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