Asia

New York, December 13, 2024—Two unidentified persons shot and killed Malik Zafar Iqbal Naich, a reporter for Daily Khabrain newspaper, on Thursday, December 12, while he distributed newspapers in Rahim Yar Khan district in central-eastern Punjab province.  “Pakistani authorities must bring the perpetrators of journalist Malik Zafar Iqbal Naich’s killing to justice and implement urgent…

Faisal Karimi and Wahab Siddiqi, respectively founder and editor-in-chief of the Afghanistan Women’s News Agency, were among the first journalists to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban retook control of the country in August 2021. After escaping the country undetected with nearly two dozen newsroom colleagues and family members a week after the fall of Kabul,…

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday joined 10 other press freedom and human rights organizations in calling on Indian authorities to withdraw an October police complaint filed against award-winning journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair in Ghaziabad city of northern Uttar Pradesh state. The complaint cites several provisions of India’s new penal code, the Bharatiya…

Bangkok, December 9, 2024—Cambodian authorities must launch a thorough investigation and deliver swift justice to the killer of environmental journalist Chhoeung Chheng, who was shot on December 4 and died from his injuries over the weekend, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. “The wanton killing of journalist Chhoeung Chheng shows the grave danger environmental reporters face…

New York, December 5, 2024—Dozens of Taliban agents from the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) raided the offices of private broadcaster Arezo TV on December 4 in the capital, Kabul, questioned staff members for four hours, and detained seven journalists and media workers. Woman journalists were expelled from the premises, and the network’s offices were…

New York, November 29, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a harsh seven-year jail sentence handed down to veteran Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu on Friday on espionage charges, and calls for his immediate release. Dong, 62, a columnist for the state-run newspaper Guangming Daily, was arrested in Beijing in February 2022 while having…

Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release senior journalist Matiullah Jan and stop harassing him for his journalistic work, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Thursday.  “CPJ is dismayed by the arrest of Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan following his coverage of protests in Islamabad,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “The Pakistani…

New York, November 27, 2024—Unidentified shooters opened fire on civilian vehicles, killing at least 42 people, including Janan Hussain, a journalist for the independent digital outlet 365 News and general secretary of the Parachinar Press Club, on November 20 in the Ochut area of Kurram district in northern Pakistan. “The tragic killing of Janan Hussain…

In his tireless global campaign to save 77-year-old media publisher Jimmy Lai from life imprisonment in Hong Kong, Sebastien Lai has not seen his father for more than four years. Sebastien, who leads the #FreeJimmyLai campaign, last saw his father in August 2020 — weeks after Beijing imposed a national security law that led to…

New York, November 18, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the Hong Kong government to drop its trumped-up charges against media publisher Jimmy Lai, who is set to take the stand for the first time on Wednesday in his trial on national security charges, which could see the 77-year-old jailed for life if convicted. “This…