In 2022, journalist killings continue unabated in Mexico amid a climate of impunity
At least 13 journalists have been killed in Mexico in the first eight months of 2022, the highest number the Committee to Protect Journalists has ever documented in the country in a single year. In a country characterized by corruption and organized crime, it’s unclear how many were targeted directly because of their work. CPJ…
CPJ joins letters urging U.S. government to hold NSO Group accountable on spyware
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined human rights and press freedom organizations in separate actions in August urging the United States government to hold NSO Group accountable for providing Pegasus spyware to governments that have used the tool to secretly surveil journalists around the world. In a joint letter to Acting Solicitor General Brian Fletcher…
Press freedom groups call for Brazilian presidential candidates to ensure safety of journalists covering elections
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 10 other civil society groups and press freedom organizations this week in a letter to all Brazilian presidential candidates, urging them, their political parties, and parties’ coalitions to commit to ensuring that journalists can report safely and freely during upcoming elections in Brazil. In the letter, the organizations highlighted…
Mexican journalist Fredid Román shot and killed in Chilpancingo
Mexico City, August 24, 2022 – Mexican authorities must immediately investigate the killing of journalist Fredid Román Román, identify and apprehend those responsible, and determine whether the attack was related to his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, August 22, two unidentified attackers on a motorcycle shot and killed Román, founder…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the Amazon basin
The June 2022 disappearance and killing of British journalist Dom Philips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira highlighted the safety risks journalists face while reporting from the Amazon region. Phillips and Pereira went missing on the morning of June 5, 2022 while traveling by boat along the Itaquaí River, where Phillips was reporting on a book on the…
Key safety steps for covering the Amazon
Plan to update your risk assessment on a daily basis to adapt to any changes. Doing it once ahead of time and never revising is dangerous. Health check: Be aware of yellow fever and malaria in particular. Take a medical kit and make sure you know how to use it. Think about your means of…
Guatemalan police detain elPeriódico financial manager for alleged money laundering
Guatemala City, August 23, 2022–Guatemalan authorities must stop harassing employees of the elPeriódico newspaper, unconditionally release its financial manager Flora Silva, and allow its staff to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On August 19, Guatemalan police arrested Silva after a raid on her home, according to a statement by the public…
CPJ welcomes sentencing over killing of journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff
Washington, D.C., August 19, 2022 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed Friday’s sentencing of Islamic State member El Shafee Elsheikh as an important milestone in the justice process. Elsheikh was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the kidnapping and subsequent beheading of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, the killing of aid…
Body of missing Mexican journalist Juan Arjón López found in San Luis Río Colorado
Mexico City, August 18, 2022–Mexican authorities must undertake a swift, credible, and exhaustive investigation into the killing of journalist Juan Arjón López, determine whether his killing was connected to his work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Arjón, the founder and editor of Facebook-based news outlet A Qué…
Ecuadorian journalist Gerardo Delgado Olmedo shot and killed in Manta
Bogotá, August 17, 2022—Ecuadorian authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting death of journalist Gerardo Delgado Olmedo and determine whether the killing was related to his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On August 10, two gunmen shot and killed Delgado while he was in his car stopped at a traffic…