New York, November 6,
2009—No charges have been brought against three American hikers nearly 100
days since they were detained after accidentally crossing the border from Iraqi
Kurdistan into

New York, November 6,
2009—No charges have been brought against three American hikers nearly 100
days since they were detained after accidentally crossing the border from Iraqi
Kurdistan into
New York, November 4, 2009—The
Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged that Tunisian police stripped and
mistreated journalist Taoufik ben Brik, a well-known contributor to French
newspapers and one of the top critics of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali,
during his arrest on October 29. CPJ urges Ben Ali to order Ben Brik’s
immediate release and to end the intensifying campaign of intimidation and
assaults against critical reporters, and censorship.
New York, October 30, 2009—Chinese police have reportedly arrested two Uighur journalists who published online about Uighur issues in Xinjiang, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Chinese authorities blamed local and international Uighur Web sites for fueling July's ethnic violence, according to international news reports.
Via facsimile: +1 (202) 647-2283
Dear Secretary Clinton,
As you prepare for the Forum for the Future in
In June, a
court in
Moroccan authorities delayed distribution of the July 15 issue of the French daily Le Monde and banned distribution of the July 9-15 edition of French weekly Le Courrier International, according to French and Moroccan news reports. Le Monde carried a critical opinion piece by award-winning journalist Aboubakr Jamai, former editor of the Moroccan weekly Le Journal Hebdomadaire, in which he said the king had been hostile toward independent journalism. In 2006, Jamai had been forced into exile following a politically motivated and record-breaking defamation ruling. The banned issue of Le Courrier International had republished an article previously run by Le Journal Hebdomadaire. The article, which detailed the wealth of King Mohamed VI, was accompanied by an editorial cartoon.
On
August 1, authorities seized 100,000
copies of the country's two leading newsweeklies—TelQuel and its
Arabic-language sister publication, Nichane—after they published the
results of a poll in which Moroccans were asked to assess their king. More than
90 percent of respondents expressed favorable opinions about the king. In a
statement, Communications Minister Khalid Naciri called the survey an “attack”
and said it was “not authorized.” The statement went on to say that the
monarchy is not a permissible subject for polls and critical journalism. The
Interior Ministry said the newspapers acted in violation of Article 38 of
Morocco's press code, which forbids offending the king.
In September, the Interior Ministry shut down the independent daily Akhbar al-Youm for alleged “blatant disrespect to a member of the royal family.” In its September 26-27 weekend edition, the paper had published an editorial cartoon about the wedding of a cousin of the king. The popular newspaper remains shuttered.
The Moroccan government has been hailed for reforms that were first undertaken a decade ago. But in the last five years, CPJ has documented a steady and alarming decline in freedom of expression.
Executive Director

Swathed in the traditional
black face veil, or niqab, Yemeni women brandish banners with images of
disappeared and imprisoned journalists. Every Tuesday, in

New York, October 22, 2009—Tunisian authorities must halt harassment of independent journalists, release a journalist jailed for taking photographs, and allow a prominent French reporter to enter the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. CPJ has documented a spike in government attacks on independent journalists as Tunisian presidential and legislative elections approach.
New York, October 20, 2009—With the release of Newsweek
reporter Maziar Bahari on bail, the Committee to Protect Journalists today
called on Iranian authorities to release the 25 journalists who still remain in
prison.

Reacting to the release of Newsweek correspondent Maziar Bahari on bail in Iran today, we issued the following statement: “We are greatly relieved that Maziar Bahari is out on bail and at home with his family in Tehran,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We hope the many journalists who remain jailed in Iran will also be released soon.” Bahari was arrested on June 21. His wife, Paola Gourley, is expecting their first child on October 26 and has experienced complications during her pregnancy.