2009

New York, June 1, 2009–The general secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Poddala Jayantha, was abducted in Sri Lanka today, beaten, and dropped by the side of a road in a Colombo suburb, according to a release by the association and two colleagues who spoke to him. 

Dear Mr. President: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing ahead of your scheduled speech in Cairo on June 4 to bring to your attention important matters that are crucial to the long-term success of your stated goal of engaging the people–and not just the regimes–of the Arab and Muslim worlds.

New York, June 1, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on all parties to pursue diplomatic efforts to gain the release of detained U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who are facing trial in North Korea this week. The families of the two journalists spoke out this morning on U.S. television to urge diplomatic…

We released a statement today after the families of two U.S. journalists being held in North Korea spoke publicly for the first time. The families of Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee appeared on NBC’s “Today” show this morning. Our statement follows:

With a June 4 criminal trial date looming for what North Korea calls “hostile acts,” the families of Euna Lee and Laura Ling have decided to speak out about the two journalists’ detention in Pyongyang. The two women have been held since March 17. In a Facebook announcement, the families told supporters: “Our families have…

New York, May 26, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists is very concerned about the well-being of two captive journalists, a Canadian and an Australian, who urged their respective governments to work harder for their release in a phone call with a reporter on Sunday. Both journalists said they were sick and being held in harsh…

New York, May 22, 2009–The Philippine government must address a series of shootings that have targeted journalists on the southern island of Mindanao, the latest coming on Wednesday when gunmen critically wounded a local radio broadcaster, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

Gunshots were fired into the home of Abra province journalist Marjorie Bandayrel-Trinidad on May 14, 2009, according to a local press freedom group and news reports. Bandayrel-Trinidad and her husband and child were unhurt, the reports said. Abra is in the north of the Philippines. 

New York, May 20, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Philippines government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to clarify an accusation made by freelance journalist Carlos Conde that his name appeared on a 2007 official Armed Forces “order of battle” document.