Gambia orders three radio stations to cease broadcasting
Lagos, Nigeria, January 5, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Gambian authorities to allow three independent radio stations to resume full broadcasting. Taranga FM, Hilltop Radio, and Afri Radio stopped broadcasting on January 1 on the orders of national security agents, who did not give any explanation for the measure, according to news…
Two Radio Bilal journalists sentenced in Ethiopia on terror charges
New York, January 4, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the prison sentences handed down to two journalists from the Ethiopian faith-based station Radio Bilal. Khalid Mohamed and Darsema Sori were sentenced yesterday to prison terms of five years and six months and four years and five months respectively, the independent news website Addis…
In Angola, two journalists charged over report on corruption
New York, December 29, 2016–Angolan authorities should immediately drop charges against two journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Rafael Marques de Morais, who runs the anti-corruption website Maka Angola, and Mariano Bras, of the weekly, O Crime, were charged with “crimen injuria,” which is similar to insult laws, the journalists told CPJ.
Two Ethiopian radio journalists convicted on terror charges
Nairobi, December 21, 2016–Ethiopian radio journalists Khalid Mohammed and Darsema Sori, who have been imprisoned since February 2015, were today convicted on terrorism charges by the High Court’s 19th Criminal Bench, according to the independent Addis Standard newspaper.
Chad police close radio station, detain manager
Police in Kelo, some 400 kilometres (249 miles) south of the capital N’Djamena, on November 14, 2016, arrested Edmond Oueidigue Kandi, the manager of the community radio station Radio Bargadje, and ordered the station closed, Kandi told the Committee to Protect Journalists. According to Kandi and media reports, local administrative authorities ordered the station closed…
Congolese television journalist detained for four days
Police in Bunia, near the Democratic Republic of Congo’s border with Uganda, on December 1, 2016, detained Adèle Uvon, a television journalist for the privately owned broadcaster Radio-TV Lobiko (RTVL), at an opposition movement press conference launching a campaign to encourage Congolese President Joseph Kabila to stand down at the end of his term on…
Tanzania police raid popular website’s office in effort to learn users’ identities
Nairobi, December 14, 2016–Tanzanian security forces should immediately and unconditionally release Maxence Melo, the co-founder of popular online discussion portal Jamii Forum, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police raided the website’s office in the capital Dar es Salaam today, after detaining Melo yesterday.
Turkey’s crackdown propels number of journalists in jail worldwide to record high
At least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, all of them facing anti-state charges, in the wake of an unprecedented crackdown that has included the shuttering of more than 100 news outlets. The 259 journalists in jail worldwide is the highest number recorded since 1990. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser