Committee to Protect Journalists tag:cpj.org,2008-07-12://1 2012-05-15T21:45:56Z Movable Type 4.34-en In Yemen, two journalists face trial for covering uprisings tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19366 2012-05-15T21:24:49Z 2012-05-15T21:45:56Z New York, May 15, 2012--Yemen's Press and Publications Court must drop charges against two Al-Jazeera journalists for their coverage of last year's uprising, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. CPJ also urged the Cabinet not to revive a restrictive Audio-Visual and Electronic Media bill that has been pending... Committee to Protect Journalists Yemeni protesters in Aden on May 11 call for the trial of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. (AFP)

New York, May 15, 2012--Yemen's Press and Publications Court must drop charges against two Al-Jazeera journalists for their coverage of last year's uprising, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. CPJ also urged the Cabinet not to revive a restrictive Audio-Visual and Electronic Media bill that has been pending in Parliament since 2010.

]]> Blog: CPJ calls for release of jailed reporters in Central Asia tag:cpj.org,2012:/blog//8.19361 2012-05-15T17:30:00Z 2012-05-14T19:14:53Z Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/ World leaders must hold Central Asian regimes responsible for denying global access to information by throwing critical reporters behind bars, CPJ Eurasia researcher Muzaffar Suleymanov told the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe  at a briefing Tuesday on political prisoners in Central Asia.

]]> Syria detains journalists, releases others tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19363 2012-05-14T21:49:51Z 2012-05-14T22:05:10Z New York, May 14, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Syria's release of several journalists and press freedom activists over the weekend, but condemns the continued detention of at least nine journalists--and likely several more--including two journalists arrested without charge in the past month.... Committee to Protect Journalists Turkish journalist Adem Özköse, pictured Monday at the Istanbul office of his newspaper Milat, and freelance cameraman Hamit Coşkun were released Saturday from detention in Syria. (AP/Chris Torchia)

New York, May 14, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Syria's release of several journalists and press freedom activists over the weekend, but condemns the continued detention of at least nine journalists--and likely several more--including two journalists arrested without charge in the past month.

]]> Blog: Audio slideshow: Supporting family of Anton Hammerl tag:cpj.org,2012:/blog//8.19344 2012-05-14T21:05:33Z 2012-05-15T21:53:14Z Freelance photographer Anton Hammerl was killed in Libya on April 5, 2011. Friends of Hammerl are holding an auction May 15 to raise funds for his three children. James Foley elaborates.... Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/

Freelance photographer Anton Hammerl was killed in Libya on April 5, 2011. Friends of Hammerl are holding an auction May 15 to raise funds for his three children. James Foley elaborates.

]]> Togo must investigate, discipline security officers tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19357 2012-05-14T19:20:17Z 2012-05-14T19:53:09Z New York, May 14, 2012- Togolese authorities should ensure that security forces allow journalists to do their jobs and that officers involved in acts of abuse are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists stated in a letter to Togo's security minister. Committee to Protect Journalists Journalist detained by Mali state security over document tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19360 2012-05-14T16:24:01Z 2012-05-14T16:29:01Z Committee to Protect Journalists On May 12, 2012, intelligence agents in the capital Bamako summoned editor Biram Fall of the private biweekly Le Prétoire for interrogation, according to local news reports and Agence France-Presse.

]]> Blog: Nigeria journalists obstructed on World Press Freedom Day tag:cpj.org,2012:/blog//8.19348 2012-05-11T20:50:40Z 2012-05-14T23:14:45Z On World Press Freedom Day last week, Nigeria's Information Minister, Labaran Maku, publicly asserted that the country's media "is one of the freest in the universe." On paper, Nigeria's 1999 Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press to "uphold...the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people." But... Peter Nkanga/CPJ West Africa Consultant Police shielded parliamentarian and former state governor Bukola Saraki, left, from journalists after he was questioned by a police fraud unit. (247nigerianewsupdate.com)

On World Press Freedom Day last week, Nigeria's Information Minister, Labaran Maku, publicly asserted that the country's media "is one of the freest in the universe." On paper, Nigeria's 1999 Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press to "uphold...the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people." But seven journalists who attempted to put this principle to practice on World Press Freedom Day experienced a different reality -- one all too common for independent journalists working in Africa's most populated nation.

]]> In DRC, journalists detained without charge for two days tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19349 2012-05-11T20:12:45Z 2012-05-11T21:19:20Z New York, May 11, 2012--Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo must immediately release two journalists who have been detained without charge since Wednesday over their story criticizing a government official, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, May 11, 2012--Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo must immediately release two journalists who have been detained without charge since Wednesday over their story criticizing a government official, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

]]> Pakistani journalist killed by gunmen tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19347 2012-05-11T18:45:31Z 2012-05-11T21:20:43Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, May 11, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murders of a local Pakistani journalist, his brother, and a friend, and calls on authorities to immediately investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

]]> Five journalists killed in jet crash in Indonesia tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19346 2012-05-11T18:16:40Z 2012-05-11T18:23:50Z New York, May 11, 2012--Five journalists were killed in Indonesia on Wednesday when a jetliner slammed into Mount Salak, a volcano south of Jakarta, during a demonstration flight, according to news reports.... Committee to Protect Journalists Debris and the belongings of passengers killed in the jet crash are being found around the wreckage site. (Reuters/Duyeh Cidayu)

New York, May 11, 2012--Five journalists were killed in Indonesia on Wednesday when a jetliner slammed into Mount Salak, a volcano south of Jakarta, during a demonstration flight, according to news reports.

]]> CPJ condemns attacks against Honduran journalists tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19341 2012-05-10T20:37:30Z 2012-05-10T20:42:49Z New York, May 10, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about a recent wave of violence and intimidation against journalists in Honduras, including the abduction of a radio journalist and two attacks on television journalists.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, May 10, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about a recent wave of violence and intimidation against journalists in Honduras, including the abduction of a radio journalist and two attacks on television journalists.

]]> Blog: Chinese microblog regulates, suspends users--again tag:cpj.org,2012:/blog//8.19340 2012-05-10T19:40:40Z 2012-05-10T20:35:56Z Pity those of us who monitor the ups and downs of China's popular microblog platform, Sina Weibo. For every story its users spread in defiance of local censorship, there follows a clampdown. Whether it's the latest strike against rumors, or real name registration, or newly banned keywords, there's always... Madeline Earp/CPJ Senior Asia Research Associate Several Internet users in China are now unable to access Weibo, the popular microblog platform. (Reuters)

Pity those of us who monitor the ups and downs of China's popular microblog platform, Sina Weibo. For every story its users spread in defiance of local censorship, there follows a clampdown. Whether it's the latest strike against rumors, or real name registration, or newly banned keywords, there's always another restriction in the works as the service struggles to keep a lid on sensitive conversations without driving away its user base. "China tightens grip on social media," we might report, as the Financial Times did in April. And last October. (The U.K.-based newspaper also noted China's grip tightening on lawyers in March.) It's not that these headlines are misleading. They simply show how difficult it is to illustrate the grip that always tightens, but never quite suffocates.

]]> Journalist in western Kenya faces death threats tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19338 2012-05-10T16:11:32Z 2012-05-10T19:53:54Z New York, May 10, 2012--Kenyan authorities must immediately investigate recent death threats against a Kenyan journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Local businessman Armstrong Pino allegedly threatened Joel Eshikumo, a reporter for the Weekly Citizen and a political columnist for the weekly Western Times, in public on... Committee to Protect Journalists

Joel Eshikumo has been threatened repeatedly over photographs he took in court. (Joel Eshikumo)

New York, May 10, 2012--Kenyan authorities must immediately investigate recent death threats against a Kenyan journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Local businessman Armstrong Pino allegedly threatened Joel Eshikumo, a reporter for the Weekly Citizen and a political columnist for the weekly Western Times, in public on Saturday over photographs the journalist had taken of him in court on April 27, local journalists told CPJ. Eshikumo told CPJ that unidentified callers had threatened him every night since Saturday, saying they would burn his house down and telling him to be prepared to die over the pictures he had taken of Pino in court.

]]> In Ethiopia, new printing directive equals pre-censorship tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19336 2012-05-09T21:47:54Z 2012-05-10T13:00:41Z New York, May 9, 2012--Ethiopia's main, state-owned printing company has directed newspaper publishers to censor any content that may draw government prosecution under the country's anti-terrorism law or face cancellation of their printing contracts, according to local journalists and news reports.... Committee to Protect Journalists The directive from Barhanena Selam, in Amharic. (CPJ)

New York, May 9, 2012--Ethiopia's main, state-owned printing company has directed newspaper publishers to censor any content that may draw government prosecution under the country's anti-terrorism law or face cancellation of their printing contracts, according to local journalists and news reports.

]]> Attacks on Iraqi journalists should be investigated tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19335 2012-05-09T20:39:19Z 2012-05-10T13:32:05Z New York, May 9, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns two official attacks on journalists working in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the assault on a television news crew and the arrest of an editor whose articles alleged corruption. CPJ also calls for an investigation into a car bombing that wounded a... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, May 9, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns two official attacks on journalists working in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the assault on a television news crew and the arrest of an editor whose articles alleged corruption. CPJ also calls for an investigation into a car bombing that wounded a journalist in Baghdad.

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