Ethiopian journalist Muhiyadin Mohamed Abdullahi faces up to 5 years in prison on false news charges
Nairobi, March 12, 2024—Authorities in Ethiopia should unconditionally release journalist Muhiyadin Mohamed Abdullahi, who was arrested almost a month ago on February 13, and desist from arbitrarily detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Muhiyadin, who publishes reporting and commentary on his Muxiyediin show Facebook page, was arrested by security…
Malawi police seize equipment from journalists amid ‘fake’ Facebook page investigation
On February 13, officers from Malawi’s Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Investigations department seized cell phones and laptops from 14 Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) journalists, according to news reports, the Malawi chapter of regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa, South Africa-based rights group Campaign for Free Expression, and four of the affected journalists, who spoke to CPJ. The…
Court documents allege Cameroon counterintelligence spied on murdered journalist Martinez Zogo
Dakar, March 8, 2024—Cameroonian authorities must disclose which journalists, in addition to murdered journalist Martinez Zogo, have been targeted for surveillance by the country’s counterintelligence service and ensure that spying on members of the media is immediately discontinued, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. The existence of a surveillance operation that allegedly spied on…
Mozambican authorities accuse journalists of colluding with ‘terrorists’
New York, March 7, 2024—Senior officials in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province must withdraw comments accusing journalists of colluding with terrorists and publishing false news and the authorities must allow the media to report on the conflict without intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday. In a public address on February 17 in the…
Nigerian police detain, assault journalist Kasarahchi Aniagolu
Abuja, March 7, 2024—Nigerian authorities must investigate and hold accountable the police officers who detained and assaulted journalist Kasarahchi Aniagolu, and ensure journalists can work without fear that they will be attacked or harassed while reporting the news. Police officers detained, slapped, bodily assaulted, and hit Aniagolu with a gun. A reporter with the privately…
Zimbabwean minister bans 2 journalists from covering government events
Lusaka, March 5, 2024—The minister of state for Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province must immediately rescind an order barring journalists Sydney Mubaiwa and Stephen Chadenga from covering government events, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Officials from the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, a statutory body concerned with gender equality, invited a group of local journalists to cover…
Safety resources for covering protests in Senegal
You can download these safety cards as images or PDFs in English and français. As Senegalese security forces sought to quell protests in February after the postponement of the presidential election, CPJ documented how at least 25 journalists reporting in the capital, Dakar, were physically attacked, briefly detained, targeted with tear gas, or harassed by police. In response, CPJ has…
Record number of journalists in Senegal’s jails amid political turmoil
Senegalese reporter Ndèye Maty Niang, also known as Maty Sarr Niang, would have likely jumped at the chance to report on the political crisis gripping her country since the president postponed elections in early February. But Niang can’t cover the news – she’s in a women’s prison awaiting trial. She’s not alone: Niang is one…
CPJ welcomes acquittal of Nigerian journalists Gidado Yushau and Alfred Olufemi and calls for legal reform
Abuja, March 1, 2024–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the February 14 decision by an appeal court in Nigeria’s western Kwara State acquitting journalists Gidado Yushau and Alfred Olufemi of criminal conspiracy and defamation, charges for which they were convicted last year, and reiterates the call for Nigerian authorities to reform their country’s laws to…
French journalist Antoine Galindo leaves Ethiopia after release
Nairobi, February 29, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the Thursday release of French journalist Antoine Galindo, who was arrested in Ethiopia on February 22, and urged Ethiopian authorities to unconditionally release all other members of the press detained for their work. “It is great news that Antoine Galindo has been released, as his unjust…