Bahrain

2013

  
This photo of an anti-government protester by Ahmed Al-Fardan won first place in Freedom House's annual photo contest in April 2013. (Ahmed Al-Fardan)

Bahrain arrests photographer Ahmed Al-Fardan

New York, December 27, 2013–Ahmed Al-Fardan, photographer for the NurPhoto agency, was arrested Thursday at his home in Bahrain, according to his agency, news reports, and human rights groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest.

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Masked protesters carry portraits of Ahmed Ismail Hassan at a demonstration in Salmabad village, south of Manama, Bahrain, April 10, 2013. (Reuters)

Who Shot Ahmed?

On the night he was shot, Ahmed Ismail Hassan al Samadi was working. Protestors had gathered along a highway near his home in a small Bahraini village. With his handheld camcorder, Ahmed filmed as they marched. He filmed as security forces arrived in marked and unmarked cars. The citizen journalist had tens of hours of…

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Journalist arrested, another believed to be held in Bahrain

New York, August 1, 2013–A Bahraini blogger has been detained and a photographer is missing amid signs that Bahraini authorities are trying to crack down on critical voices ahead of protests planned for August 14, according to news reports.

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Ali Abdel Imam (AP/Hasan Jamali)

Bahrain’s “Blogfather” emerges from hiding

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, news sources reported.  He had not been heard from since March 17, 2011, when he cryptically…

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Three international journalists asked to leave Bahrain

New York, April 19, 2013–The Bahraini government ordered three journalists from the British television network ITV to leave the country today, according to news reports citing an ITV spokesman. The journalists, who were also briefly detained on Thursday, are in the process of leaving the country.

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A Bahraini anti-government protester carries a sign with the picture of a jailed photographer during a march in Karranah, Bahrain, on Friday. (AP/Hasan Jamali)

To bridge divide, Bahrain should expand media access

The Bahraini press, like almost everything else in the island country, is sharply divided. If the government would take steps to strengthen press freedom instead of restricting access, then much of this divide could be bridged.

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Attacks on the Press in 2012: Bahrain

The authorities continued to restrict critical reporting and independent news coverage a year after protesters began calling for reform in Bahrain. In February and April, the government denied visas to journalists and press freedom groups, including CPJ, and detained and deported several foreign journalists, effectively barring international news coverage of the unrest surrounding the Formula…

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Attacks on the Press: Killed in 2012: A Worldwide Roundup

  Killed in 2012: A Worldwide Roundup The number of journalists killed in the line of duty rose sharply in 2012, as the war in Syria, a record number of shootings in Somalia, continued violence in Pakistan, and a worrying increase in Brazilian murders contributed to a 49 percent increase in deaths from the previous…

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Bahrain arrests photographer who documented dissent

New York, January 9, 2013–Bahraini authorities should drop charges they have filed against a photojournalist in connection with his coverage of anti-government protests in April, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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2013