2018

New York, July 31, 2018–Belarusian authorities should end their harassment of independent blogger Sergey Petrukhin and allow him to work without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court today charged Petrukhin with disobedience of an official order, according to the independent Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Nairobi, July 31, 2018–Authorities in Somalia should rigorously investigate the killing of Abdirizak Kasim Iman, a cameraperson for the privately owned SBS TV, who was shot dead in Mogadishu on the afternoon of July 26, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Four journalists, one media worker killed in shooting in Annapolis On June 28, a gunman shot five people to death in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. Police arrested Jarrod Ramos, an individual described as having a long-standing grudge against the paper, and charged him with five counts of first-degree murder. Days…

New York, July 31, 2018–A Kuala Lumpur court yesterday dropped nine sedition charges against Malaysia’s political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, according to news reports. If convicted, Zunar, who was honored with CPJ’s 2015 International Press Freedom Award, could have been jailed for up to 43 years.

Bangkok, July 30, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the Cambodian government’s move to block news websites ahead of yesterday’s national elections and called for an end to the state’s censorship and harassment of the media.

New York, July 27, 2018–Yemeni authorities should credibly investigate the attack on Mazen al-Shaabi, a reporter for United Arab Emirates-funded Sharjah TV, and ensure that journalists operating in areas under their control can work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Al-Shaabi was attacked by unknown assailants the evening of July 23…

New York, July 27, 2018–Chilean authorities should immediately drop all criminal proceedings against a journalist charged with defamation, and lawmakers should act swiftly to repeal all criminal defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The journalist, Javier Ignacio Rebolledo Escobar, could face up to three years in prison if convicted next month.

New York, July 27, 2018– Nigerian musician Davido should hold accountable those responsible for the assault of Adekanmbi Damilola, CEO of the online entertainment news platform NoStoryTV, by a member of his private security team and ensure journalists can safely cover his events, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Beirut, July 27, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about the arrest and detention without charge of Lama Khater, a Palestinian blogger and contributing opinion writer to several media outlets, including Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network, and the Arab online women’s publication Meem Magazine.

Washington, D.C., July 26, 2018– Egyptian national security prosecutors in the past two weeks prolonged the detention of at least five journalists, according to Egypt’s Journalists’ Syndicate, the local press freedom group Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), and news reports. Authorities accuse the journalists, who had been arrested separately beginning in March, of…