2021
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…
Kazakh journalist Aigul Utepova tried over political coverage
New York, March 31, 2021 – Kazakh authorities should immediately release journalist Aigul Utepova from house arrest, drop all charges against her, and allow her to work safely and freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 15, the Saryarkinsky District Court in Nur-Sultan, the capital, commenced Utepova’s trial on charges of participating…
Montenegro court rejects journalist Jovo Martinović’s appeal
New York, March 31, 2021 – Montenegro authorities should not contest journalist Jovo Martinović’s request to have his case reviewed by the Supreme Court and prosecutor general, and should allow him to work freely and without legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 28, the Court of Appeals in the capital,…
Belarus police detain and fine at least 16 journalists over protest coverage, ties to foreign news outlets
New York, March 30, 2021 –Belarusian authorities should immediately release journalist Andrzej Poczobut, and stop detaining and fining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Between March 18 and 27, Belarusian authorities detained at least 16 journalists and fined at least three members of the press, according to news reports, and…