2020

  

Uzbek authorities interrogate journalists, confiscate equipment over retracted COVID-19 report

Since July 25, 2020, Uzbek police and representatives of the country’s public prosecutor’s office have interrogated at least six local journalists and confiscated their computers and mobile devices, according to news reports and journalists who spoke to CPJ. On July 25, several local Uzbek outlets shared allegations originally published on the news website Repost that…

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Sudanese authorities in North Darfur state harass 2 journalists reporting on COVID-19

Between May 29 and May 31, 2020, local authorities harassed journalists Aida Abdel Qadir and Lena Sabeel in the Sudanese state of North Darfur as they were reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the independent outlet Radio Dabanga and a representative of the independent Sudanese Journalists Network, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app….

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Journalist Alex Braga attacked, threatened in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, July 30, 2020 – Brazilian authorities must promptly and thoroughly investigate the attack on journalist Alex Braga, bring those responsible to justice, and ensure he can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Shortly after 9 p.m. on July 23, unidentified men drove a car into Braga’s vehicle while he…

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Iraqi Kurdish authorities file complaint against journalist for COVID-19 criticism

On July 22, 2020, the attorney general’s office of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq filed a complaint against Kurdish journalist Rebwar Kerim Wali, alleging he violated the 2008 Law on Misuse of Communication Devices, according to news reports, a statement by a government spokesperson, which CPJ reviewed, and Wali, who spoke to CPJ…

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Chinese journalist Lu Yuyu describes abuse and mistreatment over 4 years in prison

Covering protests in China is a difficult and dangerous task, as Lu Yuyu, the founder of the blog Not News, knows firsthand. Lu ran the outlet with his partner, Li Tingyu, with the goal of evading censorship and publishing information about protests throughout the country. Not News covered demonstrations against land grabs, wage disputes, pollution,…

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Journalists Moncef Aït Kaci and Ramdane Rahmouni detained in Algeria

On July 28, 2020, Algerian authorities detained Moncef Aït Kaci, a former correspondent for French public broadcaster France 24, and Ramdane Rahmouni, a freelance producer and camera operator who contributes to the broadcaster, according to a report by France 24, news reports, and Mustapha Bendjama, a local journalist and press freedom advocate, who spoke to…

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Hamas security forces hold 2 journalists in Gaza for 48 hours for allegedly spreading false news

On July 16, 2020, security forces in Gaza summoned journalists Muthanna al-Najjar, a reporter for the Saudi-funded broadcaster Al-Hadath and the local Al-Quds Radio, and freelance journalist Tareq abu Ishaq, who contributes to the news website 4Media, to the local Attorney General’s office for questioning over a complaint by the local Education Ministry, according to…

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Journalist Omar Radi arrested, charged in Morocco

New York, July 29, 2020 – Moroccan authorities must release journalist Omar Radi immediately and refrain from filing retaliatory charges against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today, the National Brigade of Judicial Police summoned Radi, a reporter at the independent Le Desk news website, and then transferred him to the Casablanca…

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Somali court sentences editor to 6 months in prison for spreading false news

Nairobi, July 29, 2020 — In response to a Somali court sentencing Goobjoog Media Group Deputy Director Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye to six months in prison on false news charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “This conviction, in a case that should never have been entertained by the courts, is not only…

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How will the EU’s Digital Services Act impact journalism?

The European Union is reviewing the legal framework for digital information, goods and services—a process with the potential to change the course of internet history for journalists and everybody else.  In June, the European Commission launched public consultations about the upcoming Digital Services Act (DSA), an initiative to review and expand rules established 20 years…

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