Africa

  

CPJ calls on Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to safeguard journalists

CPJ writes to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to seek ways to work with his new administration to improve the climate for the media in Somalia, and in particular to ensure that those who murder journalists are brought to swift and fair justice.

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Lawyers confer on the floor of Kenya's High Court in Nairobi, next to a copy of the country's constitution, March 8, 2013. (Reuters/Steve Crisp)

Kenyan court finds criminal libel laws unconstitutional

New York, February 6, 2017–Today’s ruling by Kenya’s High Court that the country’s criminal defamation law is unconstitutional is a welcome step toward safeguarding press freedom and free speech, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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CPJ seeks meeting with Gambian President Adama Barrow

CPJ seeks a meeting with Gambian President Adama Barrow to discuss ways in which he can improve the climate for media freedom in Gambia after 22 years of Yahya Jammeh’s policies.

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CPJ urges Cameroonian President Paul Biya to free radio journalist Ahmed Abba

CPJ urges Cameroonian President Paul Biya to instruct military prosecutors to drop charges against Ahmed Abba–a correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s Hausa-language service who has been jailed for 18 months–so that he can be released without further delay. The journalist’s trial before a military tribunal is scheduled to resume on February 2.

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Somalis gather at the site of a Mogadishu hotel badly damaged in a lethal attack on January 25, 2017. (AP/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Journalists among wounded in Mogadishu hotel attack

Nairobi, January 25, 2017–At least four journalists were wounded in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu today, according to media reports and Somali journalists.

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Somaliland attorney general pursues journalists acquitted of publishing false news

New York, January 20, 2017–Somaliland Attorney General Hasan Ahmed Hasan should immediately drop his appeal of a court’s acquittal of two journalists charged with publishing false news and operating an unlicensed newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Nigerian police raid investigative news website’s office

Lagos, Nigeria, January 19, 2017–Nigerian authorities should drop all charges against Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of the news website Premium Times, and Evelyn Okakwu, who covers the judiciary for the website, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Plainclothes police officers raided the website’s office in the capital Abuja and arrested the two today, holding them…

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People board a ferry leaving Banjul in Gambia on January 18, amid the threat of military intervention after President Yahya Jammeh refused to concede defeat in elections. Gambia has denied entry to several journalists planning to cover the January 19 inauguration of Adama Barrow. (AP)

Seven journalists denied entry to Gambia ahead of contested inauguration

Lagos, Nigeria, January 18, 2017–Seven international journalists planning to report on the inauguration of Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow tomorrow were denied entry to the country on January 16, according to reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounced the obstruction as a deliberate attempt to silence the press during a period of political unrest.

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CPJ calls for release of kidnapped South African journalist Shiraaz Mohamed

New York, January 17, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called for the immediate release of Shiraaz Mohamed, a South African freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria last week while documenting the humanitarian relief effort in northern Syria.

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CPJ calls on Congolese authorities to release Talassa editor

New York, January 13, 2017–Congolese authorities should immediately release Ghys Fortuné Dombé Bemba, editor of the privately owned newspaper Talassa, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Republic of Congo’s security services arrested Bemba in Brazzaville on January 11, Radio France Internationale reported.

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