Raid on paper sparks protests.

02 Mar, 2006

Diplomats have joined journalists and media groups in condemning the recent police raid on the privately-owned The Standard newspaper in Nairobi in what the paper has described as an extraordinary act of aggression against press freedom". During the night between 1 and 2 March police confiscated tapes and destroyed equipment at the papers editorial offices and printing presses in the capital and burned copies. They also took the papers sister television channel Kenya Television News (KTN) off the air. The crackdown came after three journalists working for the paper were arrested on charges of fabricating stories and Kenya's interior minister John Michuki said it had been carried out in the interests of national security. The newspaper has been critical of the government over its handling of recent corruption scandals. The Standard was back on the streets the following morning.