Asia

New York, August 5, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the latest attacks on dozens of journalists covering anti-government protests in Bangladesh and calls on the country’s interim government to urgently ensure the safety of the media following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on Monday. “All sides in Bangladesh must ensure that journalists can report…

When exiled Russian news website Meduza was hit with a flood of internet traffic in mid-April, it set off alarm bells among the staff as the deluge blocked publishing for more than four hours and briefly rendered the site inaccessible for some readers. It was the largest distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) attack in…

New York, July 29, 2024—Taliban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj, who was detained leaving his office on July 27 by agents of the Taliban’s provincial Directorate of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Mohtaj, a broadcast manager and presenter with the independent…

Update: Since publication of this report, CPJ has learned that Md. Shakil Hossen was killed while attending a Dhaka student rally in his personal capacity, not reporting on a Gazipur protest as initial reports indicated. New York, July 26, 2024– The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Bangladesh authorities to investigate the killings of…

New York, July 22, 2024—Afghan authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Sayed Rahim Saeedi, who was detained by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence agents in the capital Kabul on July 14, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Saeedi, an editor and producer with ANAR Media YouTube channel, was detained along with Sayed…

Update: Following the publication of this alert, the local press freedom group Pakistan Press Foundation and the Pakistani newspaper The News International reported that Zaib was targeted over a personal dispute. New York, July 16, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a surge in the killing of journalists in Pakistan, as the July…

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed an order requiring journalist Rahul Pandita to pay INR7.5 million (US$89,800) in defamation compensation to senior paramilitary officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu, according to news reports. This stay will remain in effect until the next hearing, scheduled for October 21. On March 5, an appellate court ordered Pandita,…

New Delhi, July 10, 2024 –The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called on police in Uttar Pradesh state to drop their investigation into a claim that independent journalists Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi incited religious enmity through “malicious” posts on social media platform X alleging that a Muslim resident of Shamli district…

New York, July 9, 2024—The Taliban must cease their relentless crackdown on independent media in Afghanistan and allow the privately owned radio station Kawoon Ghag to resume operations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On June 13, Taliban intelligence officers in the eastern province of Laghman, along with officials from the provincial governor’s office…

Kampala, July 8, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes a Kenyan court’s Monday ruling that Kenyan authorities violated Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif’s right to life and that his death was arbitrary and unconstitutional. “CPJ welcomes the Kenyan High Court’s ruling that the 2022 killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was unlawful,” said Angela Quintal, head…