Middle East & North Africa
2019
US court: Syria ‘planned, executed extrajudicial killing’ of Marie Colvin
New York, January 31, 2019–A U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C., late yesterday found the Syrian government culpable in the 2012 killing of Marie Colvin, a correspondent for the U.K. newspaper Sunday Times, and ordered the government to pay US$302.5 million to her family, AFP reported today. According to the opinion, the court found that…
CPJ concerned by report that UAE ‘Project Raven’ surveilled journalists
New York, January 30, 2019–At least four journalists were surveilled under Project Raven, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) cybersurveillance and hacking operation, Reuters reported today. The UAE hired former U.S. National Security Agency employees to assist in deploying a surveillance tool called Karma that exploited a vulnerability in the iPhone’s messaging application, according to a…
Sudan arrests six critical journalists as protests continue
Washington, D.C., January 28, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Sudanese authorities to release at least six journalists who have been detained in recent days after covering widespread antigovernment protests calling on President Omar al-Bashir to resign.
Security forces detain TV crews and shut down broadcaster’s office in Iraqi Kurdistan
Beirut, January 28, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the closure by Kurdish security forces of the Iraqi independent broadcaster NRT’s office in Dohuk, Iraqi Kurdistan, and urged the Kurdish regional government to immediately allow NRT to resume its work.
Iran sentences journalist to five years over corruption report
Washington D.C., January 25, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the five-year jail sentence imposed on January 23 by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on journalist Yashar Soltani, who reported on corruption in Tehran land deals, and called on Iran to stop persecuting journalists for doing their job.
Four Iraqi journalists detained in Mosul and Erbil
Between January 16 and 22, 2019, at least four Iraqi journalists were detained in connection with their work in Mosul and Irbil, according to news reports, the journalists’ employers, and the local press freedom groups Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq and the Iraqi Center for Supporting Freedom of Speech.
Palestinian security forces arrest journalist Yousef al-Faqeeh
Beirut, January 23, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the arrest of Palestinian journalist Yousef al-Faqeeh, a reporter for the London-based Quds Press News Agency, and called on the Palestinian Authority to release him immediately.
Libyan photojournalist killed by shelling during Tripoli clashes
New York, January 23, 2019–The killing of freelancer Mohamed Ben Khalifa in Libya underscores the dangers for photojournalists working in conflict zones, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ben Khalifa, a photographer who contributed to outlets including The Associated Press, was killed during clashes south of Tripoli on January 19, according to news reports,…
As anti-Bashir protests continue, Sudan revokes credentials of foreign press
Washington, D.C. January 22, 2019–Sudanese authorities yesterday revoked the credentials of at least six journalists working for international news outlets, including Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera, according to news reports. The outlets have been covering demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir. Bashir is due to travel to Qatar today for his first international trip since the protests began…