Asia documents by Year:
American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson detained in Indonesia
January 22, 2020 11:20 AM ET
Bangkok, January 22, 2020 -- Indonesian authorities should immediately release journalist Philip Jacobson and drop any criminal charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Journalists beaten, detained while covering protests in cities across India
January 21, 2020 11:10 AM ET
Beginning in December 2019, hundreds of thousands of people across India protested against new laws that they allege discriminate against Muslims in the country, according to news reports. Demonstrators and police attacked journalists covering the protests, and authorities detained reporters covering them, according to news reports and journalists who...
Lawyer Mishi Choudhury on what India shutdowns ruling means for journalists
January 16, 2020 3:46 PM ET
On January 14, the Jammu and Kashmir administration partially restored mobile internet in a handful of districts, according to news reports. The administration, which is directly controlled by the Indian government, had imposed a complete communication ban in the restive region after withdrawing its special status under the Indian...
India should restore internet in Kashmir as court orders shutdown review
January 10, 2020 1:50 PM ET
New York, January 10, 2020--The Indian Supreme Court ordered a review of the legal process used to implement the ongoing shutdown in Indian-controlled Kashmir today. The ruling affirmed that freedom of speech “using the medium of internet is constitutionally protected."...
‘I feel like a weight has been lifted’ freelance journalist Santosh Yadav says as Chhattisgarh court ends four-year legal nightmare
January 8, 2020 11:54 AM ET
On January 2, freelance journalist Santosh Yadav got his life back when the National Investigation Agency court in Jagdalpur acquitted him of charges of helping Maoists militants. The ruling marked the end of a legal nightmare that lasted over four years for Yadav, who says that he was threatened...
Bangladesh blocks Sweden-based news website Netra News
January 3, 2020 3:11 PM ET
Beginning on December 28, 2019, Bangladeshi authorities have blocked domestic connections to Netra News, a recently launched news website based in Sweden, according to a report by Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera and Netra News editor-in-chief Tasneem Khalil, who wrote to CPJ via email....
Thai court sentences journalist Suchanee Cloitre to 2 years in jail for defamation
January 3, 2020 12:10 PM ET
Bangkok, January 3, 2020 -- Thai authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist Suchanee Cloitre, and should stop charging reporters with criminal defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Pakistani journalist sentenced to five years in prison under anti-terrorism laws
December 31, 2019 12:15 PM ET
Washington, D.C., December 31, 2019—Pakistani authorities should immediately release and drop all legal proceedings against journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Chaudhry was convicted under anti-terrorism laws and sentenced to five years in prison on December 21 over the alleged possession of banned literature, according...
Police in Pakistan’s Sindh province arrest Daily Jurat reporter Ajeeb Lakho
December 26, 2019 4:43 PM ET
Washington, D.C., December 26, 2019—Police in Sukkur, a city in Pakistan’s Sindh province, should immediately release Ajeeb Lakho and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Nepal’s hard-fought press freedom at risk amid restrictive bills, government pressure
December 26, 2019 11:22 AM ET
Last year, when Raju Basnet was covering landgrabs in the Nepali city of Lalitpur, he knew he was playing with fire. His reports in the weekly Khojtalas alleged that powerful people, including government officials, were involved in the scheme and Basnet had already received multiple warnings to back off...