2011
From Karachi to New York: A tale of fear, loss, and hope
On Monday, a well-known Pakistani journalist came to our office in New York. We had been messaging and texting for a few weeks, so I knew what to expect. Despite the harsh reality check that CPJ’s Sheryl Mendez and I offered during our 90-minute meeting, he is going ahead with the process of applying for…
Thailand tries to censor site devoted to flood news
Bangkok, October 25, 2011 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government has tried to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood, which has provided crucial news and information about massive flooding that has inundated one-third of the country’s provinces. At least 350 people have been killed and…
Appeal against Risen keeps source protection in focus
A reporter’s right to protect confidential sources, a topic of debate both in the U.S. and internationally, will undergo another round of legal scrutiny after federal prosecutors formally appealed a decision shielding journalist James Risen’s sources in a CIA leak case.
Ethiopia steps up terrorism allegations against journalists
New York, October 24, 2011–Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi last week accused journalists in the country of being “messengers” with “terrorist” groups, while a state newspaper accused the chief editor of an independent publication of having terrorist ties and called on security forces to “take action” against him. The Committee to Protect Journalists today said…
Holding intermediaries liable for users’ content
Earlier this month, I spoke as an expert witness in the ongoing trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the editor of Thailand’s Prachatai.com website, who is being criminally prosecuted under that country’s Computer Crime Act and Lesé Majesté laws. The crime involves online posts allegedly disrespectful to Thailand’s monarchy, but Chiranuch herself is not accused of originating…
Nigerian journalist killed; Islamists claim responsibility
New York, October 24, 2011–Authorities in northeastern Nigeria must urgently take steps to ensure the safety of media workers, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today following Saturday’s assassination of a journalist in a shooting claimed by Islamist militants.
Mauritius jails journalist for contempt of court
New York, October 20, 2011–Authorities in Mauritius today imprisoned a journalist for contempt of the Supreme Court and levied two fines over coverage of a case, according to local journalists and news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentences. Editor-in-Chief Dharmanand Dooharika of the private weekly Samedi Plus was incarcerated in the main…
Puntland radio station hit by grenade attack
New York, October 19, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Tuesday’s grenade attack on a Puntland radio station and calls for authorities to take immediate steps to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. This was the third local radio station hit with a blast in three months, CPJ research showed.On Tuesday evening, a grenade was hurled…