Watchdog

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on Iraqi authorities to investigate the killing of a journalist who criticized the government and helped organize pro-reform protests.

Journalist Hadi al-Mehdi was shot dead in his Baghdad home on September 8 by assailants using silenced guns. Dozens of people turned out today to mourn Mehdi.

HRW says Mehdi had informed his friends of death threats he had received recently from unknown people.

Mehdi was one of four Iraqi journalists who said they were abducted by Iraqi Army soldiers after an antigovernment demonstration as part of protests across Iraq in February.

He said he was blindfolded, doused with water, and subjected to electric shocks.

Mehdi was known for his sharp critiques of government ineptitude and corruption on his radio show. He also wrote commentaries for several websites and was a playwright.

compiled from agency reports

Russian Major Igor Matveyev of the Interior Ministry, the man who claimed Russian soldiers were being given dog food to eat, has been convicted of abuse of power and sentenced to four years in prison.

In June, Matveyev posted videos of cans of dog food that had been relabeled as canned meat.

Matveyev was found guilty of striking lower-ranking officers in February, one of whom Matveev claimed was selling narcotics. Prosecutors said Matveyev made up the dog food story to deflect attention from the incidents with the subordinate officers.

Speaking ahead of today's court session, Matveyev told journalists, "Military prosecution and court officials have made this case so complicated that it is going to be difficult to establish the truth and find out who exactly hit soldier [Pavel] Lukanin."

The Vladivostok court that convicted Matveev also ordered that he be stripped of his military rank and pay a fine of 25,000 rubles ($840).

with agency reports