2019

Taipei, July 29, 2019 — The Mianyang Intermediate People’s Court today sentenced Huang Qi, publisher of the human rights news website 64 Tianwang, to 12 years in prison on charges of “deliberately leaking state secrets,” and “illegally providing state secrets to foreign countries,” according to a statement published on the court’s website.

Taipei, July 22, 2019 — A group of masked individuals beat journalists, demonstrators, and passersby with sticks and metal rods at Hong Kong’s Yuen Long metro station after an anti-extradition bill protest concluded last night, according to news reports. At least 45 people were injured in the attacks, according to those reports.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association annual report, released on July 7, shows a deterioration of press freedom in the special administrative region as China toughens its “one country” policy.

Taipei, July 2, 2019 — Authorities in Hong Kong should swiftly investigate the vandalism of the Citizens’ Radio office and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Taipei, June 19, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ refusal to issue a journalist visa to Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, a reporter who has covered China’s influence abroad.

Taipei, June 14, 2019 — Hong Kong authorities should immediately and thoroughly investigate police use of tear gas on journalists and allegations that officers hit and pushed journalists with batons during protests on June 12, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Audrey Tang prefers precise language. During an interview, Taiwan’s minister without portfolio – Tang’s name card simply says “digital minister” – makes a swift correction when we mention the term “fake news.” The preferred term is “disinformation” because, Tang says, it has a legal definition in Taiwan: “That is to say, intentional, harmful untruth, and…

Hong Kong, May 13, 2019 — The Hong Kong government should withdraw a proposed bill amending its extradition law that potentially exposes journalists and others in Hong Kong to criminal trial in mainland Chinese courts, or modify the bill to include additional safeguards to prevent arbitrary rendition, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Taipei, March 21, 2019 — Chinese authorities should immediately release ILabour.net editor Wei Zhili and ensure that editors and reporters will not be arrested for reporting on workers’ rights.

Reporting on China’s harassment of journalists has never been easy. Lately it’s been getting much harder, which suggests that conditions for the press could be worsening. At least 47 journalists were jailed in China at the time of CPJ’s 2018 prison census and I am investigating at least a dozen other cases, but the details…