2024
CPJ partners with Forbidden Stories to strengthen journalist safety
New York, February 8, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists and Forbidden Stories announced on Thursday a new partnership to strengthen their ability to assist journalists worldwide. The partnership will see the two nonprofits share journalists’ requests for financial and non-financial support, including security assistance, with each other, as well as information about journalists who have…
Ghanaian journalist Mohammed Aminu Alabira says NPP parliamentarian, party supporters punched and kicked him
Abuja, February 7, 2024—Authorities in Ghana must ensure an efficient and comprehensive investigation into the attack on journalist Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira and hold accountable those responsible, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Alabira, a correspondent for privately owned broadcaster Citi FM, told CPJ he was covering the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary…
Moscow police detain around 20 journalists during protest by soldiers’ wives
New York, February 7, 2024—Russian authorities must refrain from detaining journalists in the course of their work and allow the media to report freely on protests criticizing the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Around 20 journalists were arrested and briefly detained in the Russian capital of Moscow on February 3…
Kyrgyzstan upholds detention of 11 journalists; CPJ calls for release
Stockholm, February 6, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday condemned a Kyrgyzstan court’s decision to uphold the two-month pretrial detention of 11 journalists, who are current and former employees of the anti-corruption investigative outlet Temirov Live. “By confirming the arrests of 11 journalists—an unprecedented assault on press freedom in modern Kyrgyz history—authorities in Kyrgyzstan…
Iranian reporter Mehdi Afshar-Nik held incommunicado since January 31
Washington, D.C., February 6, 2024—Iranian authorities should immediately release investigative journalist Mehdi Afshar-Nik, whose whereabouts remain unknown since his arrest, and drop any charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Around midnight on January 31, two plain-clothed agents of the Iranian security forces raided Afshar-Nik’s home, ransacked his apartment, confiscated his personal…
Turkish journalist Azim Deniz shot, wounded in Kayseri
Istanbul, February 6, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate Monday’s shooting and wounding of journalist Azim Deniz and determine whether he was targeted for his work. “We are very glad journalist Azim Deniz survived a despicable attack, and it is a positive development that the alleged shooter was quickly…
Exiled Russian journalist Denis Kamalyagin charged with violating foreign agent law
New York, February 6, 2024—Russian authorities must immediately drop all charges against journalist Denis Kamalyagin and stop harassing exiled members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Kamalyagin, editor-in-chief of the exiled Russian newspaper Pskovskaya Guberniya, was charged in December with failing to comply with the country’s foreign agent law, according to…
CPJ, partners call on European Commission to act on press freedom in Greece
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday joined 16 partner organizations in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, to ask her to hold the Greek authorities to account for press freedom concerns. CPJ and other organizations recently reported that Greece is the only EU country to currently have two…
Iranian journalist Nasrin Hassani begins 7-month prison sentence
Washington, D.C., February 6, 2024—Iranian authorities must release journalist Nasrin Hassani from prison immediately and cease jailing members of the press for doing their jobs by reporting on events of public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, Hassani, a reporter for the state-run local newspaper Etefaghyeh, and editor-in-chief of the social…
Pakistan restricts internet in Balochistan ahead of polls, blocks news website
New York, February 6, 2024—Pakistani authorities must allow journalists to work freely and safely in the run-up to elections on February 8, allow nationwide access to the internet, and unblock the investigative news website FactFocus, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Internet services will be temporarily restricted in “sensitive” polling booths across Pakistan’s southwestern…