Houthis detain journalist Youness Abdelsalam in Yemen since August
New York, October 13, 2021 – The Ansar Allah group, known as the Houthis, must release journalist Youness Abdelsalam immediately and stop abducting and threatening members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Houthi forces detained Abdelsalam in the capital Sanaa in central Yemen on August 4 and have been holding him…
Supporters of Lebanese president storm Al-Sharq office in Beirut
New York, October 13, 2021 — Lebanese authorities must identify the people who stormed the Beirut office of daily newspaper and news website Al-Sharq and hold them to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, at least a dozen supporters of Lebanese President Michel Aoun stormed inside the Al-Sharq office and hung pictures…
Tunisian authorities arrest Zaytouna TV host Amer Ayad, confiscate channel’s equipment
New York, October 7, 2021 – Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Amer Ayad, drop all charges against him, and allow ZaytounaTV to resume its work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 3, Tunisian police arrested Ayad, a talk show host for privately owned channel Zaytouna TV, at his home…
CPJ calls on UN to renew Yemen human rights investigatory body
New York, October 6, 2021 – The United Nations Human Rights Council should renew the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen and support the group’s work investigating human rights abuses in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “The U.N.’s Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen has played a critical…
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan must advocate for press freedom in meetings with Saudi Arabia and UAE
New York, September 27, 2021 – U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan should advocate for an end to press freedom violations in Yemen and throughout the Persian Gulf region as he meets with leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Sullivan is traveling to the region…
Syrian journalists fear for their lives despite the end of the siege of Daraa al-Balad
On September 9, the Syrian Army and its allies lifted their two-and-a half-month siege of the district of Daraa al-Balad in southern Syria under a Russian-brokered ceasefire with local rebels. The deal is the latest chapter in the long saga of the district, a cradle of the 2011 revolution that was recaptured by Syrian Army…
Iraqi Kurdish court extends journalist Omed Baroshky’s prison sentence by 1 year
New York, September 23, 2021 — In response to an Erbil court’s ruling today to extend the imprisonment of Iraqi Kurdish journalist Omed Baroshky by one year, the Committee to Protect Journalists has called on authorities drop the charges against him and end harassment of reporters. “Today’s sentencing of freelance journalist Omed Baroshky to an…
Algerian journalist Mohamed Mouloudj detained on charges of terrorism and spreading false news
New York, September 15, 2021 – Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release reporter Mohamed Mouloudj and ensure that members of the press can work in the country without fear of imprisonment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 12, police officers in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou arrested Mouloudj, a reporter…
CPJ condemns Biden administration bypassing human rights conditions in military aid to Egypt
In a joint statement today, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined 18 other civil society groups in condemning the reported decision by U.S. President Joseph Biden’s administration to send military aid to Egypt and bypass human rights conditions set by Congress. The statement noted that the administration’s move to send $170 million in military aid,…