Case will test Bangladesh and its commitment to justice for bloggers
Murder charges filed this week against five suspected Islamist militants in the killing of a Bangladesh blogger give the government a chance to prove it’s serious about protecting the nation’s bloggers. The formal charges, filed in connection with the March killing of Washiqur Rahman Babu, mark the first time charges have been brought in any…
CPJ welcomes acquittal of journalists charged with defamation in Thailand
Bangkok, September 1, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s court decision in Thailand to acquit two journalists of criminal defamation and cybercrime charges. Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison, an Australian national, and Chutima Sidasathian, a Thai citizen, had each faced up to seven years in prison.
Chinese state TV airs footage of journalist saying he regrets writing stock market story
New York, August 31, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of a Chinese journalist who has been held since Tuesday and accused of spreading false information. The Chinese state broadcaster on Monday aired footage of Wang Xiaolu appearing to say that he regrets writing a story about the stock market.
In the Philippines, three journalists killed in two weeks
Bangkok, August 31, 2015–A radio anchor was shot dead on Thursday in the Philippines, the third journalist to be killed in the country in unclear circumstances in two weeks. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Philippine authorities to thoroughly investigate the killings, identify the motives, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Amid claims of police beatings during Gujarat clashes, India should step up press protection
Images of police forcibly suppressing protesters, such as the one above, are seen in many places around the world. Too frequently, journalists trying to cover these events find themselves caught in the crosshairs, with news crews beaten by police batons, exposed to teargas or hit by water cannon. From race riots in Ferguson in the…
In China, journalist reporting on stock market held by police
New York, August 26, 2015–Chinese authorities should immediately release a journalist who has been held since Tuesday and accused of spreading false information, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Wang Xiaolu is a reporter for the Beijing-based business magazine Caijing.
In Hong Kong, Kevin Lau’s resiliency reflected in new independent media
A Hong Kong court on Friday sentenced two men to 19 years in prison for the attack on journalist Kevin Lau Chun-to. The brutal knifing, of which the mastermind has still not been identified, came at a time when Beijing is increasingly bearing down on the island, and was seen by many as an attack…
CPJ welcomes arrests in 2010 disappearance of Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknelygoda
New York, August 24, 2015–At least four Sri Lankan army officers were arrested on Monday and accused of involvement in the January 2010 disappearance of Prageeth Eknelygoda, a political cartoonist and columnist, according to news reports. Another army officer and two civilians were arrested earlier this month, reports said. The arrests come following a pledge…
India threatens to suspend TV news channels
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on August 7, 2015, issued legal notices to three privately owned TV news channels, accusing them of violating broadcast regulations in coverage that was “disrespectful” to the country’s president and “tended to denigrate” the judiciary, according to news reports.
Hong Kong journalist faces charges in Thailand
Bangkok, August 23, 2015–A Hong Kong journalist faces up to five years in prison in Thailand for carrying protective body armor without a license, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the legal harassment of Hok Chun Kwan and calls on Thai authorities to drop the allegations immediately.