Police investigate journalist Petty Chanda over leaked audio of government officials
Lusaka, February 3, 2022 – Zambian authorities must immediately drop the criminal investigation into television station manager Petty Chanda and stop harassing journalists whose reporting may embarrass top officials, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 18, privately owned Kenmark Broadcasting Network (KBN TV) aired a leaked audio conversation allegedly between Levy Ngoma, political advisor…
CPJ joins letter calling for release of journalists, others arbitrarily detained in Cameroon
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday, February 3, joined 26 other civil society organizations in calling on President Paul Biya to release all those arbitrarily detained in Cameroon for acts of free expression, including at least four journalists. The open letter, published during the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, notes that the continent’s…
CPJ calls on authorities in Botswana to reject bill on warrantless surveillance
New York, January 31, 2022–Botswana authorities should retract or reform a bill that could help police and other investigators intercept journalists’ communications without oversight, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence (Controlled Investigation) Bill was published in the government gazette on January 12, according to a press release by local…
Armed men attack Ghana broadcaster Radio Ada FM over coverage of mining deal
Abuja, January 31, 2022 — Ghanaian authorities should swiftly identify and hold to account the people behind the recent attack on the Radio Ada FM broadcaster, and ensure that journalists can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. At about 11:30 a.m. on January 13, ten masked men forced open a studio door…
Seven Somali journalists detained, radio station raided after interview with opposition group
Lusaka, January 28, 2022 – Authorities in Somalia’s south-central Hirshabelle state must stop intimidating and censoring the press through arbitrary arrests and station closures because they disagree with reported content, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Friday afternoon, January 21, 2022, heavily armed police in Beledweyne, a city in Somalia’s Hirshabelle state, raided…
Amid pervasive culture of impunity, the quest for justice for Central African Republic journalist Elisabeth Blanche Olofio persists
Amsterdam, January 27, 2022 – A new investigation by A Safer World For The Truth into the attack on Central African Republic journalist Elisabeth Blanche Olofio reveals how local journalists reporting in conflict zones are vulnerable to brutal and sometimes lethal violence, and shows how such attacks are rarely investigated, leaving justice unserved. “Telling The…
Soldiers briefly hold 2 journalists reporting on run-up to Burkina Faso coup
New York, January 25, 2022 – Authorities in Burkina Faso should ensure that journalists can report freely, safely, and without fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, soldiers at the Sangoule Lamizana military camp in Ouagadougou, the capital, briefly held freelance reporter Henry Wilkins and Associated Press reporter Sam Mednick,…
Cape Verde journalist Hermínio Silves summoned over reporting on alleged police abuses
New York, January 21, 2022 — Cape Verdean authorities must drop their investigation into journalist Hermínio Silves and should not compel journalists to disclose confidential information about their sources or criminalize the disclosure of information in the public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since early January, the attorney general’s office in Praia,…
Attacks on the press: The deadliest countries in 2021
By Jennifer Dunham/CPJ Deputy Editorial Director Published January 19, 2022 At least 28 journalists were killed due to their work in 2021, with India and Mexico topping the list of countries with the most media worker deaths, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ final data for the year. Of the total – which has…
Angolan public media journalists assaulted, branded ‘sellouts’ while covering nationwide strike
New York, January 18, 2022 – Angolan authorities should ensure the safety of journalists covering protests and investigate recent incidents of assault, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 10, six reporters working for news outlets TV Zimbo and TV Palanca were assaulted by unidentified people and forced to flee to safety while…