Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (UKMK) reportedly has filed a libel lawsuit against an independent journalist in the country’s southern region of Osh.

Shokhrukh Saipov, a freelance correspondent, told RFE/RL on August 25 that the UKMK’s lawsuit against him is related to an article he wrote that was published online in May by the Fergana.ru news website.

The article alleged that UKMK officers extort bribes from Kyrgyz citizens who are arrested on suspicion of seeking to join Islamic militants in Syria.

According to Saipov, local UKMK branch chief Asylbek Kojobekov is seeking a payment of $20,000 in damages.

A trial has been scheduled in Osh on August 28.

The UKMK press secretary, Rakhat Sulaimanov, told RFE/RL that he has no information about the case.

But Sulaimanov insisted that allegations about bribe extortion by UKMK officers are groundless.

http://www.rferl.org/content/fergana-ru-saipov-libel-ukmk-security-damage-trial/26549165.html

A correspondent for Russia’s Ekho Moskvy radio has been attacked while covering single-person pickets supporting Ukraine in St. Petersburg.

An attacker whose name was not made public was seen kicking Vesnin several times in the hands and face during the incident on August 23.

Vesnin was taken to a hospital after the attack, and was diagnosed with a concussion and a closed head injury.

Police detained the suspected attacker but released him on August 25 after he was charged with minor hooliganism.

Deputies in St. Petersburg’s legislature have urged the city’s governor, Georgy Poltavchenko, to take the case under his personal supervision and guarantee that the attacker is held responsible.

http://www.rferl.org/content/ekho-moskvy-attack-ukraine-picket-st-petersburg-vesnin/26548938.html

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (UKMK) reportedly has filed a libel lawsuit against an independent journalist in the country’s southern region of Osh.

Shokhrukh Saipov, a freelance correspondent, told RFE/RL on August 25 that the UKMK’s lawsuit against him is related to an article he wrote that was published online in May by the Fergana.ru news website.

The article alleged that UKMK officers extort bribes from Kyrgyz citizens who are arrested on suspicion of seeking to join Islamic militants in Syria.

According to Saipov, local UKMK branch chief Asylbek Kojobekov is seeking a payment of $20,000 in damages.

A trial has been scheduled in Osh on August 28.

The UKMK press secretary, Rakhat Sulaimanov, told RFE/RL that he has no information about the case.

But Sulaimanov insisted that allegations about bribe extortion by UKMK officers are groundless.

http://www.rferl.org/content/fergana-ru-saipov-libel-ukmk-security-damage-trial/26549165.html

Rossiya Segodnya, a massive state-run media conglomerate, is expected to open a bureau in Dushanbe.

RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports that Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today) — whose mission is to cover Russian state policy and public life for foreign audiences — will also launch a news website in the Tajik language.

A Dushanbe-based journalist, who says she was recently hired by the agency, said on condition of anonymity that Russia Today is planning to hire up to 25 reporters and other media workers across Tajikistan.

It currently employs two reporters in the former Soviet republic.

The journalist said the news agency is in negotiations with Tajik authorities to officially register its office in Dushanbe.

The agency’s spokesperson in Moscow declined to comment.

Rossiya Segodnya replaced Russia’s major state-run news agency RIA Novosti, which was dissolved by President Vladimir Putin in December.

Controversial pro-Kremlin TV personality Dmitry Kiselyov was appointed to lead the agency.

http://www.rferl.org/content/rossia-segodnya-expected-to-open-bureau-in-tajikistan/26518662.html

Midcareer broadcast journalists can apply for a course in the Netherlands. Scholarships are available for applicants from several developing countries.

The Radio Nederland Training Centre (RNTC) offers a broadcast course “Facts and Formats: Sexual and Reproductive Health — HIV/AIDS” in March 2015. The course will focus on how to develop and pitch new creative ideas and teach how to target specific audiences in an effective way.

Broadcast journalists and program-makers with at least three years of experience working in programming — informative programming outside news and current affairs — are eligible to apply.

The Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP) covers travel costs, accommodation and the course fee. The deadline to apply for a fellowship is Oct. 31.

To be eligible for a scholarship you must be a national of one of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Autonomous Palestinian Territories, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Macedonia, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

Self-paying or sponsored candidates from other countries are also welcome to apply, but all applicants must have English proficiency and at least three years of journalism experience.

For more information about the NFP fellowship, click here. For more information about the course, click here: http://www.rntc.nl/factsandformats

Journalists, filmmakers and activists can submit project proposals on peace building and conflict resolution for up to US$50,000 in funding.

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) is seeking peace project proposals. JFW aims to promote peaceful coexistence through dialogue and understanding at the global, regional and local levels.

Some possible themes include: peace education; pluralism and multiculturalism; early warning and conflict prevention; post-conflict reconciliation; and gender equality and empowerment.

Peace Projects will fund projects up to US$50,000. The most successfully implemented projects will receive additional rewards up to US$30,000.

Nonprofit organizations and individuals, including but not limited to academicians, activists, artists, community organizers, educators, filmmakers, journalists, scholars, social workers and students, are eligible to apply.

The deadline is Sept. 30.

For more information, click here: http://peaceprojects.net/

Journalists who want to improve their basic knowledge of numbers, facts and figures can participate in the online seminar.

Poynter’s News University will offer the webinar «There’s Math In My Journalism! Solving Your Numbers Problems» at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4.

The one-hour course will be led by Neil Holdway, treasurer of the American Copy Editors Society. Topics include calculating percentages, rations and proportions, surveys and margins of error, and more.

Registration is ongoing and costs US$29.95. Access to an archived version of the webinar and bonus materials is included in the registration fee.

For more information, click here: http://www.newsu.org/courses/math-solutions-journalists

Journalists from anywhere in the world can apply for the inaugural fellowship.

AJ+, Al Jazeera’s new digital channel, seeks six budding journalists from across the globe to take part in its first fellowship program. The one-year fellowship will allow the chosen journalists to hone their crafts autonomously while also receiving support from Al Jazeera’s structured news-gathering organization.

One fellow will be chosen from each of the following regions: North America, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia-Pacific.

Fellows will be trained at the AJ+ headquarters in San Francisco for three weeks before returning to their home regions to begin their reporting.

The deadline to apply is Aug. 1.

For more information, click here: http://www.ajplus.net/fellows/

A law seen by rights defenders as another move to curb freedom of expression has come into force in Russia as of August 1.

The new law, signed by President Vladimir Putin in May, obliges bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers to register with the mass media regulator, Roskomnadzor, and conform to the regulations that govern Russia’s regular media outlets.

According to the law, bloggers cannot remain anonymous, while social networks must maintain data on their users for six months.

The information must be stored on servers based in Russian territory, so that authorities can gain access.

Hugh Williamson, of New York-based Human Rights Watch, called the law after it was adopted by the Russian parliament in April «another milestone in Russia’s relentless crackdown on free expression.»

Based on reporting by Interfax, ITAR-TASS and hrw.org

http://www.rferl.org/content/law-bloggers-russia-internet-hrw-rights-freedom-of-expression/25477341.html

Anyone interested in learning more about photojournalism can download this free course.

Through its open courseware initiative, MIT is offering the materials for «Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion.» The class was originally taught during the spring semester of 2009.

The course was an introduction to documentary photography, and students learned to see the world around them in new ways and produce a documentary projects.

All materials originally used in the course are available for download for participants to complete at their convenience.

For more information, click here: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/writing-and-humanistic-studies/21w-749-documentary-photography-and-photojournalism-still-images-of-a-world-in-motion-spring-2009/index.htm