Taliban detains Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati in Afghanistan
New York, August 22, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati and cease harassing members of the press in Afghanistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On August 19, Taliban authorities detained Velayati, a photographer for Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, at Kabul International Airport before he…
India blocks The Kashmir Walla website and social media accounts
New Delhi, August 21, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the website and social media accounts of the independent Kashmiri news outlet The Kashmir Walla, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Saturday, August 19, The Kashmir Walla became inaccessible in India following an order by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to…
Two Bangladeshi journalists investigated under Digital Security Act
On July 29, 2023, the Savar Model Police Station in Bangladesh’s central Dhaka district opened an investigation into Nazmus Sakib, editor of the Dainik Fulki newspaper and president of the Savar Press Club, and Md Emdadul Haque, a reporter for the Amader Notun Somoy newspaper, after registering a July 28 complaint against them under four…
Taliban authorities detain 2 journalists, ban women’s voices from broadcasts in Helmand
New York, August 15, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Ataullah Omar, stop harassing members of the press, and drop all restrictions on women’s ability to work in the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, August 13, Taliban intelligence agents summoned Omar, a journalist at the independent…
Two years into Taliban rule, media repression worsens in Afghanistan
When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, they promised to protect press freedom and women’s rights – a key facet of their efforts to paint a picture of moderation compared to their oppressive rule in the late 1990s. “We are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks. Private media can continue to…
Taliban must end media crackdown in Afghanistan after two years’ rule
Kuala Lumpur, August 14, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Taliban to stop its relentless campaign of media intimidation and abide by its promise to protect journalists in Afghanistan. “Two years after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan’s once vibrant free press is a ghost of its former self,” Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program…
Taliban intelligence agents detain three journalists on claims they reported for exiled media
New York, August 11, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Faqir Mohammad Faqirzai, Jan Agha Saleh, and Hasib Hassas, and cease detaining members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, August 10, officials from the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban’s intelligence agency,…
Bangladeshi student journalist suspended from university over graft report
On August 2, 2023, Bangladeshi student journalist Mohammad Iqbal Monowar was suspendedfrom the state-run Comilla University for reporting on a speech by the university’s vice-chancellor about corruption, according to news reports and Monowar, who spoke with CPJ by phone. Monowar, 24, was studying for a Master’s in English at Comilla University in eastern Bangladesh while…
Bangladesh to replace draconian Digital Security Act with new law
Kuala Lumpur, August 7, 2023 – In response to news reports that the Bangladesh government on Monday announced its decision to replace the draconian Digital Security Act, which has been routinely used to criminalize journalists, with a new law, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “This is a step in the right…
CPJ urges Pakistan lawmakers to reconsider bills that could undermine press freedom
New York, August 4, 2023—Pakistan lawmakers should reject or revise four draft bills likely to undermine press freedom and consult with journalists and other stakeholders in a transparent review process before putting the bills to a vote, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On July 20, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb introduced in the lower…