2021
CPJ announces leadership transition
Executive Director Joel Simon will step down by the end of 2021 after 15 years in the role New York, June 9, 2021–The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today announced that Executive Director Joel Simon has informed the board of directors that he will step down by the end of the year after almost a…
Israeli forces detain and assault Al-Jazeera journalist, other reporters in Jerusalem
On June 5, 2021, Israeli forces detained Al-Jazeera reporter Givara Budeiri in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah while she was covering a protest marking the 54th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and Israeli authorities’ ongoing attempts to force Palestinian residents out of the neighborhood, according to her employer and The Associated Press. A video report uploaded…
Southern Transitional Council forces raid Yemeni government-affiliated media outlets
New York, June 9, 2021 – Yemen’s breakaway Southern Transitional Council must end its raids of Yemeni government-aligned media outlets in the southern city of Aden and allow all journalists to operate freely in territories under its control, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 2, forces aligned with the Southern Transitional Council…
Turkish presidency reintroduces press card controls that court found restrictive
On April 1 this year, press freedom groups in Turkey chalked up a small win when the nation’s top administrative court, the Council of State, suspended 2018 rules that made it easier for the authorities to cancel or refuse press cards. The changes had transferred authority over press cards to the presidency and barred them…
Ugandan authorities detain 2 journalists on criminal libel charges
Nairobi, June 9, 2021— Ugandan authorities should drop the criminal libel charges against journalists Pidson Kareire and Darious Magara, and reform the country’s laws to decriminalize speech, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 27, the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Court in Kampala, the capital, charged Kareire and Magara with criminal defamation and…
Indian journalist Ganji Raghu arrested for alleged rioting
New Delhi, June 9, 2021 — Authorities in the Indian state of Telangana should immediately release journalist Ganji Raghu and drop any criminal investigation into his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 3, masked men in plain clothes grabbed Raghu, a reporter with the news website Tolivelugu, outside his home in…
Nigerian broadcast regulator orders outlets to stop using Twitter amid nationwide block
Abuja, June 8, 2021 – Nigerian authorities should end their suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria, not threaten to punish news outlets for using the platform, and allow the press to use social media networks freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the National Broadcasting Commission, the country’s broadcast regulator, issued a press…
New Middle East and North Africa Coalition to Combat Digital Surveillance
New York, June 8, 2021– From Morocco to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are using digital surveillance tools to identify, surveil, and silence dissidents, journalists, and human rights defenders. Launched on June 7, 2021, the new MENA Coalition to Combat Digital Surveillance has come together to end the sales of digital surveillance tools to repressive…
Chinese journalist Lü Gengsong’s health deteriorating in prison
Taipei, June 8, 2021 – Chinese authorities must release imprisoned journalist Lü Gengsong immediately, and ensure that he receives necessary medical care, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Lü’s health has deteriorated while in prison, according to a report by the Chinese human rights news website Minsheng Guancha (Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch) and…
Greek police detain and question Dutch TV crew covering refugees
Berlin, June 8, 2021 — Greek authorities should allow journalists to cover refugee movements and other events of public interest without police interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 29, police in Dikaia, a Greek town near the borders of Bulgaria and Turkey, stopped a reporting team from the Dutch public broadcaster…