Asia

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined eight partner organizations in a joint advocacy statement calling on Vietnam’s government to release journalist Pham Doan Trang. Trang, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence for her critical reporting, received CPJ’s 2022 International Press Freedom Award for her courage in the face of persecution. The joint statement published on December 12 was timed…

New York, December 14, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Hong Kong court’s conviction of Jimmy Lai, founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in a landmark national security trial and calls on authorities to immediately free the 78-year-old British citizen. “This sham conviction is a disgraceful act of persecution,” said CPJ Asia-Pacific…

New York, December 12, 2025—Ahead of Monday’s expected verdict in the national security trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against the 78-year-old publisher and release him immediately and unconditionally. Lai, whose health has worsened after spending…

Update: The total number of journalists and media workers killed in 2025 is now 127, exceeding the 2024 record. New York, December 10, 2025一With more than three weeks still to go to the end of the year, the number of journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2025 already equals 2024’s record figures, data gathered…

December 8, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists has written to heads of government across Asia ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10, urging them to immediately free reporters imprisoned for their work. As of December 1, Asia holds at least 106 journalists behind bars, with China (50), Myanmar (27), and Vietnam (16) the…

New York, December 8, 2025—Chinese and Hong Kong authorities must immediately stop harassing journalists, release news commentator Wong Kwok-ngon, and allow the media to freely cover the city’s most deadly fire in decades, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. In a rare move, Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong, the Office for Safeguarding…

Bangkok, December 4, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the recent release of six journalists in Myanmar as part of a pre-election amnesty of more than 3,800 political prisoners, but urges junta authorities to free all remaining jailed members of the press. Those freed are Zaw Linn Htut (Phoe Thar), Htet Htet Khine, Nay Naw, Nyein Chan Wai, Aung San Lin, and Sithu…

New York, December 3, 2025—Chinese authorities must immediately release journalist Du Bin, drop all charges related to his work, and end the campaign of harassment against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Du, 53, was detained at his home in Beijing on October 15, a day before he was scheduled to fly to…

New York, December 2, 2025—Pakistani authorities must immediately release journalist Sohrab Barkat, drop all pending charges against him, and cease intimidating members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. Barkat, an Islamabad-based correspondent for Pakistani news outlet Siasat and the host of his own YouTube channel, was detained at Islamabad International…

Bangkok, November 27, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Vietnamese authorities to immediately account for and release journalist Do Van Nga, drop all pending charges against him, and stop harassing journalists with baseless anti-state charges. Nga, a contributor to the Germany-based Thoibao.de, went missing on November 8, soon after landing at Ho Chi Minh City’s…