Nicaragua convicts two men in journalist’s killing in trial criticized as unfair
Bogotá, Colombia, August 29, 2018–A Nicaraguan court on August 27 found two men guilty in the shooting death of journalist Ángel Eduardo Gahona in a trial that the journalist’s widow, defense lawyers, and human rights groups characterized as flawed. CPJ today called on authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and trial to ensure that Gahona’s…
Nicaraguan government launches campaign of harassment against Channel 10
Bogotá, Colombia, August 24, 2018–The Nicaraguan government has launched a campaign of harassment against the independent TV station Channel 10, which has criticized President Daniel Ortega for ordering deadly attacks on anti-government protesters over the past four months, according to news reports.
Google complicity in Chinese censorship could endanger press freedom elsewhere
In 2010, after four years of offering Chinese users a heavily censored version of its search engine, Google decided it would no longer block search results at the request of the Chinese state. “Our objection is to those forces of totalitarianism,” Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, told The New York Times at the time, adding that…
Reporter threatened, home attacked in southern Brazil
São Paulo, August 18, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned an attack on Brazilian reporter Adenilson Miguel and called on police in the country’s Minas Gerais state to ensure Miguel’s safety and identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Mastermind convicted in 1999 murder of Colombian journalist Jaime Garzón
Bogotá, Colombia, August 15, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the conviction and sentencing of the organizer of the 1999 murder of Colombian journalist, comedian, and peace activist Jaime Garzón, and expressed disappointment that the court did not consider Garzon’s work as a journalist in its decision.
CPJ’s backgrounder on US press freedom
In recent weeks CPJ has noticed an uptick in interest from editorial boards of U.S. publications on issues related to press freedom in the United States. In light of this, the following data and reporting may be helpful. CPJ systematically tracks the killing and imprisonment of journalists around the world, and reports on threats and…
Mexican federal authorities interview reporter as potential trial witness
The office of Mexico’s Federal Attorney General (PGR) on July 11, 2018, sent an email to the news website Quadratin summoning one of its reporters, Jorge Octavio Vargas Sandoval, for an interview at its regional office in Chilpancingo on July 16 in regards to an article he wrote, according to the reporter and the publication’s…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering Unite the Right rally and counter-protests in Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of protesters are expected to join a “white civil rights rally” in Washington, D.C., on August 11 and 12 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which became violent and resulted in the death of one woman. A coalition of local organizations is planning counter-protests in Washington…
Chilean reporter could face jail time on criminal defamation charges
New York, July 27, 2018–Chilean authorities should immediately drop all criminal proceedings against a journalist charged with defamation, and lawmakers should act swiftly to repeal all criminal defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The journalist, Javier Ignacio Rebolledo Escobar, could face up to three years in prison if convicted next month.