Ishema suspension lifted

The Forum for Private Newspapers (FPN) has lifted the suspension on local publication, Ishema, following the owner’s apology to the forum seeking forgiveness. Ishema was suspended in June for six months by the FPN, after it published an article that ridiculed the person of the President of the Republic and undermined the government. According to a statement from the forum’s president, Theodore Ntarindwa, FPN decided to forgive Ishema because the publication management has since then enforced the media professionalism. “We have been doing close monitoring on Ishema, the paper has been following media standards. He also apologised to President Paul Kagame and Rwandans in writing, that’s why we have forgiven him,” Ntarindwa told The News Times yesterday in an interview. The ban was lifted ten days earlier, according to Ntarindwa. Ishema editorial team published a slanderous article which was lifted from another newspaper without attributing it to the source which was against media regulations. Speaking to The New Times Fidele Gakire, the publisher of the embattled publication, said he was very excited after being cleared. “I am very happy and I hope to start the New Year with enough courage to move my newspaper to another level. I promise to enforce professionalism in my work,” he asserted. Gakire was ion agreement that the article he published was offensive, adding that he will never replicate the same mistake again in future. frank.kanyesigye@newtimes.co.rw

National

Ishema suspension lifted