2021
Ukrainian investigative journalist Pavlo Biletskiy’s cars destroyed in alleged arson attack
Vilnius, Lithuania, December 9, 2021 — Ukrainian authorities should thoroughly investigate the alleged arson attack on investigative journalist Pavlo Biletskiy and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the early morning hours of December 5, unknown individuals burned two cars that belonged to Biletskiy, chief editor of independent news agency…
Colombian legislature passes anti-corruption bill that threatens press freedom
Miami, December 10, 2021 – Colombian President Iván Duque should veto a portion of the anti-corruption bill recently passed by the country’s legislature that threatens press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 6, the Colombian Chamber of Representatives passed Bill 369, the “Anti-Corruption Bill,” which includes an article that could be…
UK ruling on extraditing Wikileaks’ Assange ‘seriously damages journalism’
New York, December 10, 2021–The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed deep disappointment at a British court’s decision to uphold the United States Justice Department’s appeal to extradite Julian Assange, which allows the U.S. to continue pursuing the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder, according to news reports. “On the same day the Nobel Peace Prize…
Turkish President Erdoğan sues Greek and French outlets for alleged insults
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed lawsuits in Turkish courts against employees of the conservative Greek daily Dimokratia and the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Law, which criminalizes “insulting the president.” None of the defendants have appeared in Turkish courts, according to news reports. Erdoğan is suing…
News crews harassed, reporter arrested during South Africa’s municipal elections
On October 21, 2021, in the lead up to South Africa’s municipal elections on November 1, supporters of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) held a news team from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) against their will for two hours demanding coverage from the public broadcaster. On election day, SABC reported another crew was…
Jesus Malabanan, reporter who covered Duterte drug war, killed in the Philippines
Bangkok, December 9, 2021 – Philippine authorities should conduct a rapid and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Jesus “Jess” Malabanan and swiftly bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 6 p.m. yesterday, unidentified assailants on a motorcycle shot Malabanan in the head while he was watching…
Number of journalists imprisoned around the world sets new record
China remains the world’s worst jailer of journalists; India and Mexico rank among the deadliest New York December 9, 2021–The number of journalists behind bars reached a record high in 2021, with 293 behind bars as political upheaval and media crackdowns reflect increasing intolerance for independent reporting around the world. At the same time, targeted…
In Benin, growing fears over law that can jail journalists for posting news online
Posting on Facebook from Benin’s Central Office for Repression of Cybercrime on November 18, journalist Patrice Gbaguidi wrote that authorities had summoned him for a second time in two weeks over a defamation complaint about one of his articles. That day, he and Hervé Alladé, the owner of Le Soleil Bénin Infos newspaper where Gbaguidi…
For families of Al-Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt, an agonizing choice
When Al-Jazeera journalists Mohamed Said Fahmy, Hisham Abdelaziz, and Bahaa Eldin Ibrahim Neamatalla were arrested on terrorism charges in Egypt between 2018 and 2020, their families decided to keep quiet about their detention. They feared that public attention would backfire, leading Egyptian authorities to prolong their relatives’ time in custody or worsen their prison conditions. …