Rwanda's Media High Council has suspended two independent magazines. At a press conference the council announced an immediate six-month suspension of the privately-owned weeklies Umuseso and Umivugizi.

Council official Wilson Karamaga said that Umuseso had insulted the head of state and created fear among the public. The council also claimed that the magazines lacked professionalism and confused information and opinion. The executive secretary of the council, Patrice Mulama, added: "This kind of journalism can not be tolerated in the country."

The magazines may challenge the council's suspensions in court.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent organisation that defends press freedom, based in New York, criticised the suspension. According to the CPJ, the measure is designed to silence local language publications known for their critical reporting against the ruling party, the Patriotic Front of Rwanda, on the eve of the presidential elections.

"The suspension is a thinly-disguised attempt to practice censorship," said Tom Rhodes, program coordinator for CPJ. "To ensure that the elections be free and transparent, the board shall reverse the decision and ensure that all media can cover the campaign."

On February 22, a Rwandan court sentenced the director of Umuseso and two of its journalists to six months in prison and fined them for for "interference with privacy by the press."

In Reporters Without Borders' world ranking of press freedom, Rwanda makes 157th place out of 175 countries.

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