Middle East & North Africa documents by Year:
Journalist Adnan Rashidi tortured, robbed in Iraqi Kurdistan
March 26, 2020 3:00 PM ET
New York, March 26, 2020 -- Authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the torture and robbery of journalist Adnan Rashidi and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Iraqi security forces seize journalist’s belongings for allegedly violating COVID-19 curfew
March 26, 2020 1:10 PM ET
On March 24, 2020, Iraqi National Security Forces officers stopped Azad Shakur, a reporter for the Iraqi Kurdish broadcaster Gali Kurdistan, and seized his belongings for allegedly violating a lockdown imposed to restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to Shakur, who spoke to CPJ in a phone...
Jordan, Oman, Morocco, and Yemen suspend newspaper production, citing COVID-19 fears
March 25, 2020 1:30 PM ET
Beginning on March 17, 2020, authorities in Jordan, Oman, Morocco, and Yemen issued decrees suspending newspaper printing and distribution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to news reports and government statements....
Gaza police assault journalist Yasser Abu Athara while covering COVID-19 protest
March 20, 2020 1:05 PM ET
On March 15, 2020, Hamas-controlled security forces in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah assaulted Yasser Abu Athara, a camera operator for the Kan’an News Agency news website, while he was covering a protest against local authorities’ decision to turn two schools into quarantine centers for people infected...
Amid coronavirus pandemic, Iran covers up crucial information and threatens journalists
March 20, 2020 12:53 PM ET
In recent months, the stability of the Iranian government has been threatened by widespread protests in late 2019 and the shooting down of a Ukrainian civilian aircraft in January 2020 amid heightened tensions with the U.S. The latest threat is the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Iran harder than...
Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha charged with slander over 2012 interview
March 19, 2020 2:24 PM ET
On March 14, 2020, Amman Public Prosecutor Hassan al-Sarhan ordered the arrest of freelance Jordanian journalist Hiba Abu Taha on charges of slander and undermining the government, briefly held her in custody, and then released her on bail and told her to return the next day, according to a...
Unknown gunmen abduct Iraqi journalist Tawfiq al-Tamimi in Baghdad
March 17, 2020 2:24 PM ET
New York, March 17, 2020--The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the abduction of Iraqi journalist Tawfiq al-Tamimi and urged Iraqi authorities to ensure his safety and to immediately open a transparent investigation and hold those responsible to account....
CPJ demands Algeria release journalist and RSF correspondent Khaled Drareni
March 9, 2020 12:45 PM ET
Washington, D.C., March 9, 2020 -- Algerian authorities should immediately release journalist and press freedom advocate Khaled Drareni, a correspondent for global press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) who has been in custody since March 7, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....