Middle East & North Africa Archives - Page 2 of 26 - Committee to Protect Journalists

2011

Middle East & North Africa documents by Year:

Egypt must investigate attacks on the press

December 12, 2011 9:28 AM EST

Your Excellency Prime Minister El Ganzory: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to bring to your attention the mounting press freedom violations in Egypt. Between November 19 and 24, we documented at least 35 cases of journalists who were attacked in Cairo and Alexandria when protesters clashed with the military and police. We are attaching the list here and ask specifically for you to note the deteriorating state of press freedom in your country.

Several tallies, one conclusion on Turkish press freedom

December 8, 2011 4:13 PM EST

Press freedom in Turkey is under assault. Thousands of criminal cases have been filed against reporters, the Criminal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act are used routinely to silence critical news coverage, and Kurdish journalists face constant persecution. Today CPJ released its annual prison census, which tracks cases of journalists jailed for their work globally. (The list…

Imprisonments jump worldwide, and Iran is worst

December 8, 2011 12:01 AM EST

Stark regional differences are seen as jailings grow significantly in the Middle East and North Africa. Dozens of journalists are held without charge, many in secret prisons. A CPJ special report

In Iraqi Kurdistan, riots lead to press freedom abuses

December 6, 2011 5:41 PM EST

New York, December 6, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the targeting of media by supporters of various political factions in Kurdistan. Journalists have been attacked and arrested in Iraqi Kurdistan and six media offices have been attacked in the past four days, according to news reports.

Syrian journalist Razan Ghazzawi speaks at a youth conference on journalism earlier this year. The blogger was detained by police late Sunday. (Reuters)

Syria detains blogger, press freedom advocate

December 5, 2011 12:43 PM EST

New York, December 5, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of journalist and press freedom campaigner Razan Ghazzawi and calls on Syrian authorities to immediately release her. CPJ also urges the government to end the routine harassment and detention of journalists and to make public the names of all detained journalists and any…

Egypt detains journalist, assaults another

November 24, 2011 2:11 PM EST

New York, November 24, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Egyptian authorities to release U.S.-Egyptian documentary filmmaker Jehan Nujaim detained in Cairo on Wednesday, and investigate the arrest and beating of columnist Mona Eltahawy.

CPJ's annual International Press Freedom Awards dinner took place at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. (Michael Nagle/Getty Images for CPJ)

Awardees to their colleagues: Buck the system

November 23, 2011 11:49 AM EST

The Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria might seem like an odd venue to stage a call for resistance. Nine hundred people in tuxedos and gowns. Champagne and cocktails. Bill Cunningham snapping photos. This combination is generally more likely to coax a boozy nostalgia than foment a revolution. But the journalists honored last night at…

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, far left, director of the official Iranian News Agency, is among those recently charged. In this file photo, he attends a June presidential press conference. (Reuters/Caren Firouz)

Iran unleashes another wave of arrests and repression

November 22, 2011 3:21 PM EST

New York, November 22, 2011–Iranian authorities have engaged in a series of attacks against the press in the past two weeks, including raiding a news office, banning an independent newspaper, and arresting at least five journalists.

Protesters carry a man wounded during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. (AP)

At least 17 journalists assaulted during Egypt clashes

November 21, 2011 4:32 PM EST

New York, November 21, 2011 – Clashes between security forces and protesters in Cairo and other Egyptian cities have led to at least 17 assaults on the press over the past couple of days, including a shooting, detentions, and a beating by unidentified security personnel while in custody. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the…

Syrian cameraman killed; last seen being arrested

November 21, 2011 2:11 PM EST

New York, November 21, 2011–A Syrian cameraman was found dead Sunday with his eyes gouged out in the town of al-Qasir, according to several news reports. Ferzat Jarban, who was last seen being arrested, is the first journalist to be killed in Syria since CPJ started documenting journalist fatalities in 1992.