2015
Radio France Internationale correspondent in Cameroon held over a month, denied access to lawyer
New York, September 8, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention of a Nigerian journalist who has been held for more than a month in Cameroon and denied access to his lawyer for two weeks. CPJ also calls on Cameroonian authorities to explain the reason for Ahmed Abba’s detention and allow him…
Firing of critical newspaper editor raises concern in Ecuador
When the Quito daily El Comercio was sold in December to a Latin America media tycoon known for avoiding editorial conflict, press freedom advocates feared the newspaper would soften its coverage of the Ecuadoran government. Those concerns have now increased with last month’s firing of Martín Pallares, one of El Comercio’s most prominent journalists and…
Sudanese journalist arrested in Saudi Arabia, faces deportation
New York, September 3, 2015–A Sudanese journalist has been detained for more than a month without charge in Saudi Arabia, according to news reports. Waleed al-Hussein al-Dood could face deportation to Sudan, where he is at risk of arrest and abuse by security forces who have threatened his life, according to statements by his family…
Turkey frees 2 VICE News reporters but third remains in custody
New York, September 3, 2015–A Turkish court early today ordered the release of VICE News’ British journalists Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, according to their outlet. A third journalist, Mohammed Ismael Rasool, an Iraqi who is based in Turkey, is still in custody and is being questioned by Turkish authorities, according to news reports. The…
Turkish authorities raid independent media company
New York, September 2, 2015–Turkish police on Tuesday raided the offices of a media group, in what one editor called an attempt to silence opposition media ahead of November parliamentary elections, according to news reports. The move follows terrorism charges leveled against VICE News journalists who have been detained while reporting from the predominantly Kurdish…
Case will test Bangladesh and its commitment to justice for bloggers
Murder charges filed this week against five suspected Islamist militants in the killing of a Bangladesh blogger give the government a chance to prove it’s serious about protecting the nation’s bloggers. The formal charges, filed in connection with the March killing of Washiqur Rahman Babu, mark the first time charges have been brought in any…
Newspaper columnist kidnapped from her home in Nigeria
Abuja, September 2, 2015–A Nigerian newspaper columnist was abducted from her home early Sunday, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerian authorities to do their utmost to find Donu Kogbara, establish a motive for the abduction, and apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators.
In Iran, journalists accused of espionage, sentenced to prison
Iranian government-run media outlets in mid-August 2015 accused Farnaz Fassihi, a New York-based senior reporter for the Wall Street Journal, of being a liaison between the U.S. government and the opposition. After Kayhan, a newspaper closely associated with the Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, accused Fassihi of conspiring against the Iranian government, the Supreme Leader-affiliated…
‘Pedro Canché Law’ obscures the real problem in Quintana Roo
Mayan journalist Pedro Canché spent 271 days in prison on charges of sabotage. Authorities alleged Canché organized protests one year ago against rising water bills in the Zona Maya south of Cancún, in Quintana Roo state, where demonstrators stormed the offices of the local waterworks, CPJ research shows.