2020
Cuban authorities harass journalists, block social media amid protests
Miami, November 30, 2020 – Cuban authorities should stop harassing journalists and allow all citizens to access the internet without restriction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since November 26, amid protests following the arrest of artist Denis Solís of the San Isidro Movement, a local freedom of expression and artistic freedom group, Cuban…
Egypt extends pretrial detention of photographer Sayed Abd Ellah by filing new terrorism charge
New York, November 30, 2020 – Yesterday, the Egyptian state prosecutor’s office charged imprisoned Egyptian freelance photographer Sayed Abd Ellah with membership in a terrorist group and extended his pretrial detention by 15 days, according to a family member who spoke with CPJ via messaging app on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal,…
Turkish police raid Mezopotamya News Agency, detain journalist Dindar Karataş
Istanbul, November 24, 2020 – Turkish authorities should stop harassing journalists working at the Mezopotamya News Agency, immediately release reporter Dindar Karataş, and return any equipment confiscated from the outlet, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. This morning, police officers in the eastern city of Van arrested Karataş at his home, and then brought…
CPJ joins call for new emergency visa regulations to protect journalists fleeing threats
Yesterday, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined a panel marking the launch of a report, “Providing Safe Refuge to Journalists at Risk,” published by the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, and CPJ endorsed the report’s findings and recommendations. The report recommends that countries prioritize the issuance of emergency visas to allow…
Philippine soldiers shoot and kill journalist Ronnie Villamor at checkpoint
Bangkok, November 23, 2020 – Philippine authorities should independently investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of journalist Ronnie Villamor, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the afternoon of November 14, Philippine Army soldiers shot and killed Villamor, a contributor to the local independent Dos Kantos Balita weekly tabloid, outside…
Sudan tightens cybercrime law as army pursues “fake news”
Dura Qambo was on vacation in Egypt in July when a friend called to warn her to stop criticizing the Sudanese army online, she told CPJ. Earlier that day, the army had announced on Facebook that it had appointed a Special Commissioner in May to sue anyone who insults or defames the military on the…
Bangladesh prosecutors block bail of journalist Jamal Mir
On November 10, 2020, the Dhaka High Court granted the bail of Jamal Mir, a freelance journalist who had been detained since May, but on November 15, a chamber judge in the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s appellate division blocked that order, keeping the journalist in detention, according to court documents reviewed by CPJ and Rezaur Rehman…
Ecuadorian journalist Juán Sarmiento sentenced to prison for ‘discrediting’ local official
Bogotá, November 20, 2020 – Ecuadorian authorities should not contest journalist Juan Sarmiento’s appeal of a recent criminal conviction for critical comments about a local politician, and the country should remove speech laws from its penal code, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 12, the Justice Court of Napo, in central Ecuador,…
CPJ awards celebrate free media and the power of the press
Journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, and Russia honored New York, November 19, 2020 — In a tumultuous year marked by a global pandemic, social upheaval, and tense political divides, the overarching message from CPJ’s 2020 International Press Freedom Awards tonight was simple: journalism matters more than ever and solidarity has never been more important. “Whether…
Jamii Forums founder Maxence Melo convicted on obstruction charge, released in Tanzania
Nairobi, November 19, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about the conviction of Maxence Melo, founder of the Tanzanian online discussion platform Jamii Forums, on charges of obstruction. On November 17, the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court acquitted Melo on charges of operating a website that was not registered in Tanzania, but…