2021
Gunmen forcibly enter office of Salam Watandar broadcaster in Afghanistan
Washington, D.C., September 30, 2021 — The Taliban must thoroughly and impartially investigate the recent harassment of the privately owned radio broadcaster Salam Watandar, and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and openly, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 26, two armed men forcibly entered Salam Watandar’s office in Kabul,…
Russia labels Mediazona, OVD-Info, and 2 journalists as ‘foreign agents’
Vilnius, Lithuania, September 30, 2021 – Russian authorities should allow the independent news outlets Mediazona and OVD-Info to work freely and without government harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Russian Justice Ministry expanded its lists of so-called “foreign agents,” adding the independent news website Mediazona, the human-rights news website OVD-Info, and…
São Paulo police arrest Brazilian sports blogger Paulo Cezar de Andrade Prado in defamation case
New York, September 29, 2021 — Brazilian authorities should release sports blogger Paulo Cezar de Andrade Prado and stop using defamation laws to harass and imprison journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday morning, São Paulo state civil police officers arrested Prado, who covers sports and politics on his blog Blog do Paulinho,…
CPJ joins call for European Parliament to strengthen Digital Services Act
The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 13 freedom of expression and digital rights organizations in a letter calling on members of the European Parliament to ensure that the proposed Digital Services Act protects freedom of expression. The draft legislation, which is currently being reviewed, will become binding legislation for all EU member states once…
Bangladesh authorities order banks to disclose information on 12 journalists’ accounts
Washington, D.C., September 28, 2021 — Bangladesh authorities must immediately drop their investigations into the bank accounts of 12 members of the press and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and independently, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 11, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, a government agency responsible for investigating…
French police question journalist Thomas Dietrich over complaint by Chad official
On September 9, 2021, judicial police in Puteaux, a Paris suburb, questioned Thomas Dietrich, a reporter for the news website Le Média, about his recent encounter with a government official from the central African country of Chad, according to a statement by the local journalists’ union SNJ-CGT, a report by Le Média, and Dietrich, who…
People’s Tribunal to indict governments, seeking justice for murdered journalists
The Hague, September 28, 2021 – In an unprecedented effort to achieve justice in the killing of journalists, three leading press freedom groups have established a People’s Tribunal to investigate their murders and hold governments accountable. The Tribunal, a form of grassroots justice, relies on investigations and high-quality legal analysis involving specific cases in three…
Colombian journalist Marcos Efraín Montalvo shot and killed
Bogotá, September 28, 2021 – Colombian authorities must thoroughly investigate the killing of journalist Marcos Efraín Montalvo, determine if he was targeted for his work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 19, in the western city of Tuluá, an unidentified man with a pistol entered a…
CPJ Insider: The crisis in Afghanistan continues
Nearly two months after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the human rights crisis continues to worsen. Afghan media and their families have become targets as the Taliban has detained some journalists, arrested and shot others, and forced female reporters off the air. CPJ continues to support Afghan journalists. To date, we have helped 46…