2021
Afghan TV anchor Mina Khairi killed in car bomb attack
Washington, D.C., June 7, 2021 — Afghan authorities should launch a thorough and credible investigation into the killing of journalist Mina Khairi, determine if she was targeted for her work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the evening of June 3, in Kabul, the capital, unidentified attackers…
CPJ to brief media on press freedom in Belarus
New York, June 7, 2021–The crackdown on press freedom in Belarus has dominated headlines in recent weeks following the shocking detention of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich. But stepped-up repression and censorship of local media intended to eliminate critical and independent reporting—including arrests, legal restrictions, and internet disruptions—has been ongoing for nearly a year. Ahead of…
Angolan editors questioned in separate criminal defamation investigations
New York, June 4, 2021 — Angolan authorities must drop criminal defamation investigations into journalists and reform sections of the country’s penal code that criminalize reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Between May 18 and May 24, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) in Luanda, the capital, questioned Lucas Pedro, editor of privately-owned news…
Ugandan police summon Daily Monitor employees in libel and false news investigation
Nairobi, June 4, 2021 — Ugandan police should immediately drop their criminal investigation into the Daily Monitor newspaper and guarantee that the media can cover security forces’ alleged misconduct without retaliation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 31, the police Criminal Investigations Department summoned Tony Glencross, the managing director of the Daily…
Guatemalan ex-official’s family members sue 2 journalists under violence against women law
Guatemala City, June 4, 2021 — Guatemala authorities should drop the criminal charges against journalists Sonny Figueroa and Marvin del Cid, and ensure that former public officials do not abuse the country’s laws to harass members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In May 21, two relatives of Miguel Martínez, the…
Landmine kills 2 Azerbaijani journalists near Nagorno-Karabakh
New York, June 4, 2021 — In response to news reports that Azerbaijani journalists Maharram Ibrahimov and Siraj Abishev were killed by a landmine in Azerbaijan today, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The killing of journalists Maharram Ibrahimov and Siraj Abishev in the Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan today was a needless…
Bosnia and Herzegovina columnist Dragan Bursać and Montenegro journalist Darko Šuković receive death threats
Berlin, June 4, 2021 — Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro should swiftly and thoroughly investigate threats made to journalists Dragan Bursać and Darko Šuković and ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 26, a Facebook user named “Marko Aprcovic” sent death threats to Bursać, a Bosnia-based columnist for…
Unknown assailants shoot at the house and car of Arab Israeli journalist Hassan Shelan
New York, June 3, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the shooting attack on the home and car of Arab Israeli journalist Hassan Shelan and called on Israeli authorities to hold the perpetrators to account. At 2 a.m. today, two masked gunmen fired dozens of bullets at the house and car of…
Ecuadorian journalist Calixto Zambrano survives shooting
Bogotá, June 3, 2021 – Ecuadorian authorities should thoroughly investigate the shooting of journalist Calixto Zambrano and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 7:30 p.m. on May 28, two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached Zambrano as he was returning to his home in the western town of…
Romanian prosecutors question Newsweek and Libertatea employees over corruption reporting
Berlin, June 3, 2021 — Romanian authorities should stop summoning journalists for questioning over their work, and local officials should not pursue criminal cases against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since May 20, prosecutors at the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, a judiciary agency tasked with investigating…