Indian authorities arrest journalists Kishor Ram and Fahad Shah
New Delhi, March 1, 2022 – Authorities in Uttarakhand and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir must release journalists Kishor Ram and Fahad Shah immediately and cease arresting members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On February 23, police in the northern state of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district arrested Ram, a reporter with the…
‘Completely unclear’: Mushtaq Ahmed’s lawyer seeks answers on how the Bangladeshi writer died in jail
One year after renowned Bangladeshi writer Mushtaq Ahmed died in jail, the circumstances of his death remain murky. While an investigative committee formed by the Home Ministry claimed he died of “natural causes,” his former lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua believes that Ahmed may have died of health issues that arose after alleged torture. In May 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion,…
Despite long legal battle, alleged mastermind behind murder of courageous Filipino journalist still at large
Amsterdam, February 28, 2022 – Substantial flaws were found in the legal procedures in the case of murdered Filipino journalist Gerry Ortega, A Safer World For The Truth finds in its latest investigation. The report also finds that the alleged mastermind of Ortega’s murder, former governor of Palawan province Joel T. Reyes, still exerts considerable…
Pakistan expands prison terms for online defamation to 5 years
New York, February 22, 2022 – Pakistan authorities must immediately revoke a recently enacted ordinance that further criminalizes freedom of expression in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, February 20, President Arif Alvi enacted amendments to the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, increasing the prison term for online defamation…
ARY News crew beaten, electrocuted, forced to strip while covering alleged corruption at Pakistan intelligence agency
Washington, D.C., February 15, 2022 — Pakistan authorities must investigate the recent abuse of an ARY News crew by intelligence officials and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Tuesday, at the Karachi office of the Intelligence Bureau, the country’s civilian domestic intelligence body, IB officers held…
Unidentified men attack residence of Sri Lankan journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama
New York, February 14, 2022 – Sri Lankan authorities must conduct an immediate and impartial investigation into the attack on the residence of journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama, release the findings to the public, and hold the perpetrators accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Around 2 a.m. Monday morning, at least three unidentified armed men…
Taliban arrests 2 journalists on assignment with United Nations
New York, February 11, 2022 — The Taliban must immediately release Andrew North and all other journalists held for their work, and cease harassing and detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Taliban forces in Kabul arrested North, a former BBC journalist on assignment for the UN High Commissioner for…
A jar of soil, a laptop, a handmade black coat: What Afghan journalists took into exile
In the frantic minutes before Naweeda Qayoumi fled her home in Afghanistan last September, she grabbed an empty plastic Vaseline jar and stepped into the garden to scoop a bit of soil from her homeland. She jammed the jar into the backpack she was taking into her unknown future with her husband, journalist Ghazanfar Hassanzada….
Indian journalist Rohit Biswal killed in bombing while covering Maoist rebels
New Delhi, February 8, 2022 – Authorities in the Indian state of Odisha must thoroughly investigate the death of journalist Rohit Biswal, hold those responsible to account, and ensure that members of the press can cover security issues safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, February 5, Biswal was reporting from Odisha’s…