Nicaragua’s Miguel Mendoza on his bittersweet deportation from his ‘kidnapped’ country
Miguel Ángel Mendoza Urbina, a veteran sports journalist with over 30 years of experience, made a life-changing decision on April 19, 2018, when anti-government protests erupted in Nicaragua. He realized he could not just focus on sports while his country was in turmoil. Mendoza used his Twitter and Facebook accounts, with a combined following of…
Journalist Evan Lambert arrested, charged while covering Ohio train derailment
New York, February 9, 2023 — Law enforcement in East Palestine, Ohio, should immediately drop all charges against NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert and thoroughly investigate why he was arrested, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8, Lambert was giving a live report for cable network NewsNation about a…
CPJ: Nicaragua political prisoner release brings ‘sense of relief’
Los Angeles, February 9, 2023 — In response to news reports that Nicaraguan authorities freed and deported 222 political prisoners to the United States on Thursday, including at least one journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The deportation of political prisoners from Nicaragua, including at least one journalist, brings a sense…
Legal aid resources in Brazil: A guide for journalists facing legal action
For a journalist facing criminal or civil lawsuits in retaliation for their reporting, having access to relevant legal advice and resources to finance their legal representation can mean the difference between a prison sentence and freedom, censorship and the free flow of information, being economically suffocated or having the ability to continue reporting. In recent…
Mexican journalist Alan García’s whereabouts unknown after December abduction
Mexico City, February 6, 2023 – Mexican authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the abduction of two journalists and a media worker in the southern state of Guerrero, and account for the whereabouts of missing journalist Alan García Aguilar, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. A criminal gang in the Guerrero…
Peruvian journalist Manuel Calloquispe harassed, threatened over protest coverage
Bogotá, February 3, 2022 – Peruvian authorities must investigate the recent harassment of journalist Manuel Calloquispe, ensure his safety, and take steps to protect members of the press covering political protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 27, a group of about 200 protesters surrounded Calloquispe’s home in the eastern town of…
CPJ and TrustLaw: Know your rights guide for journalists in Canada
CPJ Emergencies has been responding to the needs of journalists in Canada as they confront a range of challenges, from protests and demonstrations to police confrontations, and learn to navigate what has unfortunately been for many journalists an increasingly hostile environment. This guide covers legal rights journalists have, and risks they may face, when…
Venezuelan authorities question 2 El Nacional employees, summon 3 others
Bogotá, January 27, 2023 — Venezuelan authorities must drop their criminal investigation into two editors, three reporters, and an administrative employee of the El Nacional news website and allow them to continue their work free of intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, January 25, officers of Venezuela’s investigative police unit detained…
Chilean journalist Felipe Soto Cortés convicted of criminal defamation
Bogotá, January 27, 2023 – Chilean authorities should not contest journalist Felipe Soto Cortés’ appeal of a recent criminal defamation conviction and should stop using criminal defamation laws against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 11, a criminal court judge in the southern city of Concepción convicted Soto,…
More than a dozen journalists harassed, attacked during week of anti-government protests in Peru
Bogotá, January 24, 2023 – More than a dozen journalists have been harassed, attacked, or injured amid protests in the Peruvian capital of Lima since January 19, according to media reports, journalists who spoke with CPJ, and Adriana León, spokesperson for the Lima-based Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), who communicated with CPJ via messaging…