CPJ urges Qatar to reconsider cybercrime bill
May 30, 2013 6:14 PM ET
Dear Prime Minister Hamad: We are writing to express our concern about the cybercrime bill approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, which would restrict online expression on news websites and social media. We ask you to postpone its submission to the Shura Council and consult with media, legal, and human rights representatives to ensure that its provisions do not infringe on freedom of expression.
Blogger sentenced to jail for insulting prophet
May 24, 2013 11:10 AM ET
Istanbul, May 24, 2013--Turkish authorities should reverse on appeal the jail term handed down this week to a Turkish Armenian author and blogger who was convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Bahrain's "Blogfather" emerges from hiding
May 16, 2013 5:33 PM ET
For two years, Bahrainis have been asking "Where is Ali Abdel Imam?" And now finally, they have an answer. The prominent opposition blogger suddenly emerged from hiding last week, announcing he had been granted asylum in the United Kingdom,...
Slideshow: Is Bangladesh spiraling out of control?
April 19, 2013 12:37 PM ET
As political turmoil continues between Islamists and secularists in Bangladesh, the climate for press freedom is rapidly deteriorating. The tensions stem from an ongoing war crimes tribunal tasked with prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, and other crimes dating back to the...
CPJ urges Iranian authorities to release journalists
April 18, 2013 4:17 PM ET
New York, April 18, 2013--The cases of an Iranian blogger imprisoned for seven months without trial and a prominent freelance journalist whose health has deteriorated in prison illustrate the ongoing abuses being perpetrated by Iranian authorities, the Committee to Protect...
European Parliament has chance to take on Vietnam
April 15, 2013 12:28 PM ET
On Thursday, April 18, the European Parliament will discuss Vietnam's human rights in a plenary session. At the top of the agenda will be freedom of expression. Over the weekend, CPJ's Brussels-based Senior Adviser Jean-Paul Marthoz blogged about the issues the parliament...
Editor of pro-opposition daily arrested in Bangladesh
April 12, 2013 5:14 PM ET
New York, April 12, 2013--Amid growing political conflict that threatens even more violence in Bangladesh, an editor of a pro-opposition newspaper in Dhaka has been arrested on accusations of inciting religious tension, according to news reports. The editor faces earlier...
Authorities backslide on free expression in Kuwait
April 9, 2013 5:53 PM ET
New York, April 9, 2013--Kuwaiti authorities are undermining freedom of expression with a series of arrests and prosecutions intended to stifle dissent, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At least six Kuwaiti journalists are facing legal action in reprisal...