Asia

On January 22, 2021, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the country’s broadcast regulator, ordered BOL News, a privately owned news channel, to be suspended for 30 days and fined the outlet 1 million rupees (US$6,225), according to news reports and a statement by the regulator. On January 25, when courts reopened after the weekend,…

New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat should drop their arrest warrant for journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and the Adani Group conglomerate should stop trying to intimidate journalists with legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Adani Group initiated criminal and civil defamation suits in 2017…

New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Manipur should drop their investigations into The Frontier Manipur and its editors, Sadokpam Dhiren and Paojel Chaoba, and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 17, police in Imphal, the Manipur state capital, summoned and detained…

Taipei, January 6, 2021 — Hong Kong authorities should cease ordering media outlets to turn over information relating to the region’s pro-democracy movement, and stop all harassment of independent outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today, the Hong Kong Police Force served four court orders to local news organizations, requiring them to surrender…

New York, January 5, 2021 – Bangladeshi authorities should immediately release photographer Abul Kalam and allow the press to freely cover refugee issues in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 28, authorities at the Kutupalong Registered Camp, a refugee camp in the southeastern city of Cox’s Bazar, detained Kalam after…

Bangkok, January 5, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today strongly condemned the convictions and harsh prison sentences handed down to Vietnamese journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan, and called for their immediate and unconditional releases. Today, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court convicted the three journalists…

New York, January 4, 2021 – Afghan authorities must conduct a swift and through investigation into the killing of journalist Bismillah Adel Aimaq and take all possible steps to protect members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 1, unidentified attackers shot and killed Aimaq, the head of local broadcaster…

In this unforgettably tumultuous year, journalists across the world covered the ongoing pandemic, dangerous protests, natural disasters, active conflicts, elections, and other life-changing events. The reporters, anchors, photographers, camera operators, producers, and technicians who brought 2020’s biggest stories to the public often risked their own physical safety and psychological well-being and found themselves the subjects…

At least five Sri Lankan journalists were assaulted and hospitalized during the course of their reporting in October 2020, according to news reports and journalists who spoke to CPJ. On October 3, a group of people in Moneragala district, in southeast Sri Lanka, assaulted Indunil Wijenayake, a reporter for Derana TV, while he was covering…

Bangkok, December 22, 2020 – Cambodian authorities should not contest journalist Sok Oudom’s appeal and should ensure that journalists do not face prison time for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today, the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Court convicted Sok Oudom of broadcasting false news with intent to cause incitement, and ordered him to…