2024
CPJ Board: The free press must be protected
New York, November 6, 2024 – The United States was founded with press freedom as a cornerstone of its democracy. As the country prepares for a transition of power, following the election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States, the board of directors at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)…
Azerbaijan to try RFE/RL’s Farid Mehralizada, 14 other journalists as it prepares to host COP29
New York, November 6, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release Farid Mehralizada, an economist and journalist with U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani service, known locally as Radio Azadliq, who has been detained on currency smuggling charges since May. On October 30, RFE/RL issued a statement calling for…
CPJ, 14 organizations urge UK to pause economic cooperation with Egypt until Alaa Abd el-Fattah is freed
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 14 human rights organizations in a November 1 letter urging U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy to suspend all economic and financial partnerships with Egypt until the country frees British writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who was due for release on September 29 after completing a five-year prison sentence. Egyptian authorities have refused…
Greek riot police assault, detain reporter Giorgos Androutsos at protest
Berlin, November 5, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the actions of riot police who threw reporter Giorgos Androutsos to the ground, beat, and dragged him, as he was covering a protest by firefighters in the capital Athens. “Greek authorities must conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances of riot police’s attack and…
Gambian president withdraws defamation lawsuit against The Voice, editor
Durban, November 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Gambian President Adama Barrow’s decision to withdraw a civil defamation lawsuit against The Voice newspaper and its editor-in-chief and urges Attorney General Dawda A. Jallow to drop related false news charges against the editor and a colleague. “We are relieved that President Barrow responded to appeals…
Bulgarian journalists beaten, threatened on election day
New York, November 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Bulgarian authorities to swiftly investigate and prosecute those who attacked or threatened at least four journalists while they were reporting on Sunday’s parliamentary elections. “Harassment and threats against journalists covering Bulgaria’s elections are deeply concerning,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Bulgarian authorities must…
North Macedonia journalist Blagoj Sersemov’s car damaged in arson attack
New York, November 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by a October 23 arson attack on journalist Blagoj Sersemov’s vehicle, which was parked at his home in Štip, around 50 miles east of the Macedonian capital Skopje, and calls on authorities to investigate and hold those responsible to account. “The deliberate destruction of North Macedonian journalist Blagoj…
CPJ, 27 partners call on Sandvine to strengthen commitment to human rights and remediate harms
On October 31, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), alongside 27 other human rights organizations and experts, called on technology company Sandvine to publicly commit to upholding the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and to provide stronger oversight and transparency of its newly announced human rights processes and policies. The letter…
Slovak journalist Kristína Kövešová physically attacked, injured on assignment
New York, November 1, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Slovak authorities to swiftly complete their investigation into Wednesday’s physical attack by unknown individuals that injured Kristína Kövešová, a broadcast journalist with private station TV Markíza, while she was on assignment in Trnava, western Slovakia. “It is a welcome development that Slovak authorities responded…
Mexican journalist Paty Bunbury shot dead in Colima, 2nd killed in less than 24 hours
Mexico City, October 31, 2024—Mexican authorities must immediately and transparently investigate Wednesday’s killing of journalist Patricia Ramírez González, also known as Paty Bunbury, in the city of Colima, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Ramírez, an entertainment reporter for the privately owned Hechos newspaper, was the second Mexican journalist killed in less than 24…