2016
Russia jails blogger over post criticizing military action in Syria
New York, December 20, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Russian authorities to release Aleksei Kungurov, a blogger from Siberia who was convicted of “calling for terrorism.” A regional court in Tyumen today sentenced Kungurov to two years in a prison colony over a blog post that criticized Russia’s actions in Syria, according…
Dutch journalist Okke Ornstein due to be freed from Panama prison
New York, December 20, 2016–Dutch journalist Okke Ornstein is due to be released unconditionally from a Panamanian prison by December 23, his lawyer Manuel Succari told CPJ today. The journalist was named in a list published by the government today of people whose sentences were reduced as part of a presidential pardon. Ornstein was arrested…
Uzbek journalist in solitary confinement after 17 years in prison
New York, December 19, 2016–Uzbek authorities should immediately release editor Muhammad Bekjanov and reporter Yusuf Ruzimuradov, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Bekjanov’s relatives today told CPJ that they learned that Bekjanov had been moved to solitary confinement. The two have been imprisoned longer than any other journalists in the world, according to CPJ…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of December 18
Court confiscates assets of 54 journalists Istanbul’s 11th Court of Penal Peace court confiscated the assets of 54 journalists, media workers, and writers, saying there was a “strong suspicion” that they were followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government accuses of maintaining a terrorist organization and “parallel state structure” (FETÖ/PDY, by its…
Malaysian authorities repeatedly arrest, harass award-winning cartoonist Zunar
Bangkok, December 19, 2016–Malaysian authorities should drop all criminal charges against editorial cartoonist Zulikiflee Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar, and stop harassing him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrested Zunar on December 17, the cartoonist said in a statement, the latest incident in authorities’ relentless campaign of judicial and police harassment…
Searching for answers in murder cases amid violence and corruption in Guatemala
On June 25, unidentified assailants shot and killed Álvaro Aceituno López, director of Radio Ilusión in Coatepeque, a town in southeastern Guatemala. López often criticized local government officials when presenting the news and during guest appearances on other programs. But to date, CPJ has been unable to determine if Aceituno was killed for his work…
Killing of journalists eases from record levels
Syria is most deadly country for the fifth consecutive year New York, December 19, 2016–The number of journalists killed in the line of duty is on track to decline in 2016 from recent record levels as fewer journalists were targeted for murder and war became the deadliest beat, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in…
Chad police close radio station, detain manager
Police in Kelo, some 400 kilometres (249 miles) south of the capital N’Djamena, on November 14, 2016, arrested Edmond Oueidigue Kandi, the manager of the community radio station Radio Bargadje, and ordered the station closed, Kandi told the Committee to Protect Journalists. According to Kandi and media reports, local administrative authorities ordered the station closed…
Thai legislation threatens online freedoms
Bangkok, December 16, 2016–Thailand’s cabinet and king should scrap legislation that would give authorities sweeping new powers to censor the internet based on vague and broad criteria, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The military-appointed National Legislative Assembly today passed amendments to the 2007 Computer Crime Act that would severely restrict Thais’ rights to…