The Torch is a weekly newsletter from the Committee to Protect Journalists that brings you the latest press freedom and journalist safety news from around the world. Subscribe here.
In April, French journalist Olivier Dubois went missing in Mali. He was later seen in a video saying he had been kidnapped by a jihadist group and urged his family, friends, and French authorities to do everything in their power to ensure his release. Dubois’ partner, Deborah Al Hawi Al Marsi, told CPJ about waiting for him to return home. “The trials of life are very hard, but our family is strong,” Al Marsi said. “His love makes us still stand.” Read the full interview here.
As anti-vaccine demonstrations in Europe and the U.S. continue, protesters have harassed and assaulted press covering the protests. Reporters in Europe told CPJ they worry that some journalists without institutional support, like freelancers, may not be able to continue their coverage as threats escalate. “Never have I been confronted with such an immediate violence to the very simple questions I asked about who [demonstrators] are and why they are protesting,” said Italian journalist Antonella Alba.
- Indian journalist Raman Kashyap killed amid Uttar Pradesh clashes
- Mexican journalist Manuel González Reyes shot dead in Cuernavaca
- Bangladesh authorities detain sister of exiled journalist Kanak Sarwar
- CPJ calls for journalists’ profiles to be restored on LinkedIn’s China site
- Polish police search journalist’s home, seize equipment over alleged threats to legislator
- CPJ joins call for Canada to impose targeted sanctions on Eritrean officials
- Ukrainian state bank personnel seize journalists’ equipment, delete footage
- Russian authorities harass family of exiled journalist Roman Dobrokhotov
- Cambodia sentences journalist Youn Chhiv to 1 year in prison
- Maldives legislature considers bill that could force journalists to reveal sources
Journalists and news organizations in war-torn Yemen have been systematically targeted by all sides throughout the conflict, a new investigation by Yemeni Archive shows. The report, “Endangering the Media – Armed attacks against journalists and media infrastructure in Yemen,” was produced in collaboration with CPJ and reveals that information control has been a brutal and consistent tactic violating the rights of journalists and restricting the ability to obtain reliable information amidst one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. CPJ Senior Middle East and North Africa Researcher Justin Shilad participated in a panel discussion with regional experts to discuss report findings.
In a concerning development today, the United Nations Human Rights Council chose not to renew its Yemen human rights investigatory body, a move that CPJ says could close one of the few pathways to accountability for human rights violations.
- Despite detention and torture, Bangladeshi cartoonist Kishore continues to use his art to speak truth to power — Anthony Feinstein, The Globe and Mail
- How State Surveillance is Stifling Democratic Participation in Africa: State of Internet Freedom in Africa Study Findings — CIPESA
- The Backstory: How a Navy officer, a Ukrainian colonel and a USA TODAY reporter helped an Afghan journalist escape Kabul — Nicole Carroll, USA TODAY
- ‘This Isn’t the India I Dreamt Of’, Says Siddique Kappan’s Wife — Raihanath Kappan, The Quint
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