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…
Why the UN’s push for a cybercrime treaty could imperil journalists simply for using the internet
Cybercrime is on the global agenda as a United Nations committee appointed to develop a treaty on the topic plans for its first meeting amid pandemic-related delays. The process is slated to take at least two years, but experts warn that such a treaty – initially proposed by Russia – could hand new tools to…
Nigerian intelligence agency demands sources from Peoples Gazette news site
Abuja, January 14, 2022 — Nigerian authorities should immediately halt attempts to obtain confidential sources from the privately owned Peoples Gazette news website and allow its journalists to work without intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around 1 p.m. on January 10, four officers of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) entered the…
Niger journalists Moussa Aksar and Samira Sabou convicted, fined under cybercrime act
New York, January 13, 2022 — Nigerien authorities should not contest the appeals of journalists Moussa Aksar and Samira Sabou, and should reform the country’s cybercrime law to ensure it is not used to prosecute the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 3, the High Court in Niamey, Niger’s capital, convicted…
Men raid office of Nigerian outlet Thunder Blowers, steal equipment and beat editor
Abuja, January 10, 2022 – Nigerian authorities should investigate the recent attack on the offices of the Thunder Blowers news website, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around 8:15 p.m. on January 3, eight men entered the outlet’s office in Gusau, the capital of Nigeria’s northern Zamfara…
Ruling party supporters raid Zambia’s Mpika FM Radio, halt show featuring opposition
At around 8 p.m. on December 1, 2021, approximately 20 people who identified themselves as supporters of Zambia’s ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) forcibly entered Mpika FM, a community radio station in the northeastern town of Mpika, and ordered the presenter on air, Peter Nkandu, to immediately stop broadcasting a weekly phone-in-program, “The…
Somaliland authorities arrest three journalists for critical reporting
Nairobi, December 31, 2021—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland to unconditionally release three journalists detained for reporting critically on the administration of the Sool region, and to guarantee that the media can cover politics without retaliation. On December 26, police in Las Anod, the capital of…
Ethiopia Insight reporter Ermias Tasfaye detained since November
Nairobi, December 23, 2021— Ethiopian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Ermias Tasfaye and all other members of the press detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ermias’ November arrest was made public in a statement by his employer on December 14 and follows the Ethiopian government’s crackdown on journalists…
Central African Republic authorities hold journalist Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé for more than 2 months
New York, December 17, 2021 — Central African Republic authorities should release journalist Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé and ensure he can work free of harassment and fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around noon on October 4, members of the Central African Republic police and military arrested Nguéma Ngokpélé, the…