Bangladesh charges 3 journalists under Digital Security Act
New York, February 8, 2021 – In response to Bangladesh authorities’ recent filing of charges under the Digital Security Act against photographer Shafiqul Islam Kajol, writer Mushtaq Ahmed, and cartoonist Kabir Kishore, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are extremely alarmed by Bangladeshi authorities’ continuous and blatant abuse of the Digital…
Hong Kong police arrest internet radio host Wan Yiu-sing on sedition charges
Taipei, February 8, 2021 — Hong Kong authorities should release journalist Wan Yiu-sing immediately, drop all charges against him, and allow members of the press to work freely and without fear of retaliatory legal actions, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, national security officers of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested Wan on…
Myanmar’s military should lift Facebook, WhatsApp censorship, enable news broadcasts following coup
Bangkok, February 4, 2021 – Myanmar’s military should rescind an order to block social media platforms being used to share information about this week’s coup and lift ongoing restrictions on broadcasters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The military obstructed news stations and temporarily shuttered phone and internet access when it seized power from…
Indian police arrest, investigate journalists covering farmers’ protests
New Delhi, February 1, 2021 – Indian authorities must immediately release journalist Mandeep Punia and refrain from detaining and investigating members of the press covering protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the evening of January 30, Delhi police detained Mandeep Punia, a contributor to The Caravan magazine and Junputh news website, and…
How Vietnam-based hacking operation OceanLotus targets journalists
In early 2020, Vietnamese writer Bui Thanh Hieu told Marina Mai, a freelancer based in Berlin, that he was closing his blog to protect his family. In 2009, Hieu was detained for a week for his critical writing on Vietnam’s territorial disputes with China, as CPJ documented. In 2013, he fled to Germany, but continued writing…
Pakistani journalists charged with criminal defamation over tweets in sexual harassment case
On September 28, 2020, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency filed criminal defamation charges against Maham Javaid, a freelance journalist, and Haseem uz Zaman Khan, an editor and writer for the English-language news website of local broadcaster GEO News, along with seven others, for their involvement in an alleged “smear campaign” against the singer and actor Ali…
CPJ calls for press freedom to be upheld as Myanmar military takes power, imposes emergency rule
Bangkok, February 1, 2021 – Myanmar’s military must fully restore all blocked TV stations, phone lines, and internet services and refrain from imposing any orders that restrict the media’s ability to freely report the news amid emergency rule, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The military seized power from Myanmar’s elected government today, detaining…
Times of India parent company sues media watchdog Newslaundry for $13.7 million
New Delhi, January 29, 2021 – The Indian media conglomerate Bennett, Coleman, and Company Limited (BCCL) is undermining its own integrity with a defamation suit against the news website and media watchdog Newslaundry, and should withdraw the suit immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 19, BCCL filed a civil defamation suit…
Pakistan Supreme Court orders release, issues acquittals in Daniel Pearl murder case
Washington, D.C., January 28, 2021–The Supreme Court of Pakistan today ordered the release of Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was previously convicted in the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, and acquitted him and three others of the murder charges, according to news reports. “We are deeply disappointed that Pakistan’s Supreme Court…
Indian journalist Neha Dixit receives threatening calls, break-in attempt
New Delhi, January 27, 2021 – Indian authorities should thoroughly investigate threats made to journalist Neha Dixit and ensure her safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 9 p.m. on January 25, an unidentified person attempted to break into Dixit’s home in Delhi, and fled when she went to investigate, she told…