Radio journalist Percival Mabasa shot and killed in the Philippines
Frankfurt, Germany, October 4, 2022–Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Mabasa–better known as Percy Lapid–was gunned down inside his vehicle by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Las Piñas City on the night…
Myanmar sentences journalist Htet Htet Khine to second 3-year prison term
Bangkok, September 27, 2022 – Myanmar authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Htet Htet Khine and stop jailing journalists for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 27, Htet Htet Khine, a freelance BBC Media Action reporter, was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor, according to a statement…
Bangladesh authorities arrest siblings of UK-based journalists
New York, September 20, 2022 – Bangladesh authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Nur Alam Chowdhury Pervez and Abdul Muktadir Manu and cease harassing family members of journalists who report from abroad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 13, officers with the detective branch of the Bangladesh police, in the Noakhali town…
‘An open-air prison’: Kashmiri journalists on how travel bans undermine press freedom
When Indian immigration officials stopped freelance Kashmiri journalist Aakash Hassan at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi international airport on July 26, they held him for several hours and questioned him about his family, his professional background and his reason for traveling – and refused to allow him to board his Sri Lanka flight because, they said, he was listed…
Myanmar sentences former BBC Media Action reporter to 3 years in prison
Bangkok, September 16, 2022 – Myanmar authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Htet Htet Khine and stop jailing members of the press for their journalistic activities, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, September 15, an Insein Prison court in Yangon sentenced Htet Htet Khine to three years in prison with hard…
Vietnam sentences blogger Le Anh Hung to 5 years in prison
Bangkok, September 16, 2022 – Vietnamese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned blogger Le Anh Hung and stop harassing journalists on spurious anti-state charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On August 30, the Hanoi People’s Court convicted and sentenced Hung to five years in prison under Article 331 of the penal code, an anti-state…
Indian tax authorities ‘survey’ media funding organization IPSMF
On the afternoon of September 7, 2022, officials with India’s Income Tax Department conducted a “survey” of the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides financial support to independent digital news outlets in the country, at the foundation’s office in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern state of Karnataka, according to multiple…
Hong Kong authorities arrest journalists’ association head Ronson Chan
Taipei, September 7, 2022–Hong Kong authorities should immediately release Ronson Chan, cease harassing members of the press, and ensure that journalists’ trade groups can work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On the morning of Wednesday, September 7, Hong Kong police arrested Chan, a reporter for the independent online news outlet Channel C…
Hong Kong judge upholds police request to search Jimmy Lai’s phones
Taipei, September 1, 2022–Hong Kong authorities should drop their efforts to search the cellphones of media owner Jimmy Lai, which would violate basic tenets of press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, August 30, a High Court judge ruled that police could search two phones with journalistic information owned by Lai,…
Punjab authorities open blasphemy and defamation investigation into Pakistani journalist Waqar Satti
New York, August 30, 2022– Authorities in Pakistan’s northeast Punjab province must immediately drop their investigation into journalist Waqar Satti, allow him to report freely, and investigate threats he received in retaliation for his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, August 27, police in the Punjab city of Rawalpindi filed a…