2013
Egypt bans Al-Jazeera, detains journalists, raids outlets
New York, August 30, 2013–Egyptian security forces continue to detain and harass journalists working for news outlets critical of the military-led government, particularly Al-Jazeera and its affiliates. Journalists also still face physical threats from protesters, as tensions persist between the government and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
A fine and shifting line for Pakistan’s media
The government of Balochistan, the troubled southwestern province of Pakistan, registered a case against national television news channel ARY on Monday, August 26, after it aired a video clip of the destruction of the residence of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammed Ali Jinnah. The case was filed under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorist Act of 1997, claiming that airing the…
Radio commentator shot dead in Philippines
Bangkok, August 30, 2013–A radio commentator was shot dead in Iligan City on Thursday, the fourth journalist to be murdered in the Philippines in the past month. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to investigate the murder of Fernando “Nanding” Solijon and swiftly bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.
Tunisian journalist jailed for filming attack on official
New York, August 29, 2013–Tunisian authorities should release a journalist and drop charges against him for allegedly conspiring to commit violence against a government official, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mourad Meherzi, a photographer for the local online TV channel Astrolabe, could face up to five years in jail, according to news reports.
News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, August 2013
A sad landmark for CPJ: 1,000 journalists killed When Mick Deane was killed in Egypt on August 14, he became the 1,000th journalist documented by CPJ as having died in direct relation to his work. Some died in the crossfire of combat or civil unrest, but most were targeted for murder. In 1992, CPJ began…
News outlets, Twitter targeted in alleged cyberattacks
New York, August 28, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by cyber-attacks on several websites on Tuesday, including The New York Times, whose site was disabled for several hours. The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a group of hackers who support President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, took credit for the attack via its Twitter account.…
Escapees give hope in cases of journalists missing in Syria
It has now been an entire year since Al-Hurra correspondent Bashar Fahmi, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, and freelancer Austin Tice, of the United States, went missing in Syria. But the recent liberation of two freelance journalists held for months gives us some reason to hope.