2014
Nigeria targets independent newspapers
Nigerian authorities have been waging widespread attacks on nearly a dozen independent newspapers under the cover of fighting terrorism. By last weekend, no fewer than 10 newspapers had their operations nationwide disrupted, leading to the loss of hundreds of thousands of newspaper sales.
Brazilian authorities must ensure safety of journalists covering World Cup protests
New York, June 12, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about reports that three journalists were injured covering protests against the World Cup in Sao Paulo today. CNN producer Barbara Arvanitidis sought treatment at a hospital for an arm injury and CNN correspondent Shasta Darlington and Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão cameraman Douglas Barbieri suffered…
CPJ calls for a renewed investigation in Askarov’s case
New York, June 12, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by Bishkek City Court’s refusal to open a new investigation into the case of Azimjon Askarov, a journalist and human rights defender who has been imprisoned in Kyrgyzstan since 2010 in retaliation for his work exposing wrongdoing. The court scrapped today an earlier decision…
Harsh sentence in Egypt daunting for the press
New York, June 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the 15-year jail sentence given today to Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd el-Fattah, and at least 24 other defendants, on charges of attacking a police officer and protesting the government’s ban on unsanctioned protests. Dozens of critical voices, including journalists and political and human…
Why Journalists Flee Their Homes
CPJ to release report on exiled journalists to commemorate World Refugee Day New York, June 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists will release a special report on exiled journalists. The report marks World Refugee Day and spotlights the threats of violence and imprisonment which force journalists into exile from some of the world’s most repressive…
At the UN, let’s talk about journalist murders in plain language
The U.N. Human Rights Council was established in 2006 as a replacement for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, which folded in the face of criticism that it gave a platform to many states with poor human rights records. Only time will tell if the U.N. Human Rights Council will be any better. Nevertheless, this…
ECOWAS court rules Gambia failed to investigate journalist murder
Abuja, Nigeria, June 10, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s ruling by a West African regional court, which found that the Gambian government failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara. The ruling is the first ECOWAS case relating to the murder of a Gambian journalist.