Conviction obtained in 2002 murder of Indian journalist Ram Chandler Chaterpatti
Washington, D.C., January 11, 2019 – India’s Central Bureau of Investigation obtained convictions today in the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chandler Chaterpatti, editor of the Hindi-language newspaper Poora Sach, according to news reports. The CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana state, convicted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the religious group Dera Sacha Sauda, and…
Radio broadcaster killed under suspicious circumstances in the Philippines
Bangkok, January 11, 2018–Philippine authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of Filipino news broadcaster John Michael Decano and bring the assailant to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Indian government expels two foreign journalists for visa violations
Two foreign journalists were barred from entering India for allegedly violating visa rules in late December 2018 and early January 2019, according to press reports. On December 28, 2018, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that Cathal McNaughton, the chief photographer with Reuters’ Delhi office, had been denied reentry into the country for allegedly traveling…
Journalist arrested, others beaten during Bangladesh elections
New York, January 2, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately release Hedait Hossain Molla, a reporter who was arrested in Khulna yesterday in relation to his election coverage, according to news reports.
More journalists killed on the job as reprisal murders nearly double
Journalists from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan to the U.S. were targeted for murder in 2018 in reprisal for their work, bringing the total of journalists killed on duty to its highest in three years. The number of journalists killed in conflict fell to its lowest level since 2011. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser
News fixer deported from Thailand to Cambodia on ‘false news’ accusation
Bangkok, December 13, 2018–A Cambodian news fixer who helped to produce a documentary on sex trafficking for Russian government-funded international news network Russia Today, or RT, was deported yesterday from Thailand to Cambodia on accusations of abetting the production of false news, according to news reports.
Hundreds of journalists jailed globally becomes the new normal
For the third year in a row, 251 or more journalists are jailed around the world, suggesting the authoritarian approach to critical news coverage is more than a temporary spike. China, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia imprisoned more journalists than last year, and Turkey remained the world’s worst jailer. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser
Philippines piles on legal threats against critical news site Rappler
Bangkok, November 29, 2018–Philippine prosecutors have in recent days filed five separate tax cases against critical news site Rappler, including criminal charges that may allow for the arrest of the site’s founder and editor Maria Ressa, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the escalated campaign of legal harassment and calls on…
China detains award-winning photographer in Xinjiang
Washington, D.C., November 28, 2018–Police in Xinjiang detained Lu Guang, an award-winning, New York-resident, freelance photographer whose work has focused on environmental and social issues in China, in early November, according to media reports. Lu’s family lost contact with him on November 3 and later confirmed his arrest with authorities in Xinjiang, according to a…