2021
Jordan issues ban on media coverage of royal family dispute
New York, April 6, 2021 – Jordanian authorities should allow journalists and media outlets to report freely on all issues, and should rescind a ban on coverage of a dispute within the royal family, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “Whenever there is a hint of a sensitive story, Jordanian authorities’ first instinct is…
At least 3 journalists briefly detained while covering imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny
New York, April 6, 2021 — In response to today’s detention of journalists near the penal colony where Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny is being held, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Detaining journalists who try to cover Alexei Navalny’s imprisonment is a blunt effort to censor coverage of Putin’s leading critic,”…
Uzbek Interior Ministry statement threatens journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka with prosecution over LGBTQ reporting
Stockholm, April 6, 2021 – Uzbek authorities should ensure that journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka can work safely, and should refrain from making legal threats against her, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 28, Pikulicka, a freelance correspondent for Al-Jazeera and The Guardian based in Tashkent, the capital, visited LGBTQ activist Miraziz Bazarov, who…
Bolivian radio journalist Franklin Guzmán Zambrana assaulted, robbed while covering protest
Bogotá, April 5, 2021 – Bolivian authorities must thoroughly investigate the attack on journalist Franklin Guzmán Zambrana and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 30, near the village of Santa Bárbara, about five miles northeast of the capital, La Paz, a group of truck drivers abducted, assaulted,…
CPJ Insider: April edition
CPJ turns 40! On April 3, 1981, three journalists in New York—Michael Massing, Victor Navasky, and Laurie Nadel—filed the certificate of incorporation for a new organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists, which was dedicated to the defense and promotion of the “human and professional rights of journalists around the world.” Forty years later, we remain…
Indian journalist Sandhya Ravishankar describes ‘conflict zone for female journalists’ ahead of Tamil Nadu elections
Political campaigning in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has hit a fever pitch as the state prepares for elections on April 6. The contest is between political alliances led by the incumbent All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the main opposition party. The campaigns pose heightened…
Venezuelan authorities detain NTN24 reporting team covering conflict near Colombia border
Miami, April 1, 2021 — Venezuelan authorities should immediately release NTN24 staffers Luis Gonzalo Pérez and Rafael Hernández and ensure that members of the media can work without fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 12:30 p.m. yesterday, Venezuelan National Guard officers detained Pérez, a reporter, and Hernández, a camera…
Mission Journal: ‘Trench warfare’ in Polish press as government eyes next election cycle
“Media without choice.” On February 10, this sentence ran on the otherwise empty front page of Gazeta Wyborcza, the largest critical newspaper in Poland. On the same day, Radio ZET, a commercial radio station, ran this message on repeat, evoking the country’s communist past: “You will not hear any of our normal broadcasts today…We are…
Serbian outlet KRIK faces smear campaign after journalist questions president
Berlin, April 1, 2021 — Serbian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the ongoing smear campaign against investigative journalism outlet KRIK and ensure the safety of the outlet’s staffers, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 7, during a press conference, a KRIK reporter asked Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić about…