Middle East & North Africa

  
A picture taken in Dar Salah on August 2 shows Israeli border police scuffling with a journalist. At least 3 journalists were injured covering protests in Gaza and the West Bank on August 2. (AFP/Musa Al-Shaer)

Israeli forces injure 3 journalists at West Bank and Gaza protests

At least three journalists covering protests in the Gaza Strip and West Bank on August 2, 2019 were injured as Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and rubber bullets, and, in one case, allegedly assaulted a photojournalist working for the Associated Press, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, news reports, and videos and pictures shared by…

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Sudanese protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration in the capital Khartoum on August 1, 2019. On July 24, authorities detained Al-Sayha newspaper editor-in-chief and journalists’ union head Sadiq al-Rizaigi. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

Sudan detains Sadiq al-Rizaigi, Al-Sayha editor-in-chief and journalists’ union head, for 5 days

Sudanese authorities detained Sadiq al-Rizaigi, the editor-in-chief of privately owned newspaper Al-Sayha and head of the Sudanese Journalists’ Union, on July 24, 2019, according to AFP and Sudanese broadcaster Radio Dabanga. He was held without charge until he was released on July 29, according to the Sudan Tribune and the Sudanese Journalists’ Union.

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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants are seen in outside the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Syria, on July 18, 2018. Militants from the group recently detained journalist Jumaa Haj Hamdou. (RT/Khalil Ashawi)

Militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham detains Syrian reporter Jumaa Haj Hamdou in Aleppo

In the afternoon of July 24, 2019, at least 10 members of the Al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham detained Jumaa Haj Hamdou, a reporter for the Syrian pro-civil rights opposition news website Zaman al-Wasl, at his home in Abian, a village in western Aleppo governorate under control of the militant group, according to the France-based…

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Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (right) casts his ballot on June 22, 2019, at a polling station in Nouakchott during the presidential election. Mauritania freed blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, who had been imprisoned since 2014, on July 29, 2019. (AFP/Sia Kambou)

Mauritania finally frees blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed

Washington D.C., July 30, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed relief that Mauritanian blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed is free and safely out of the country. Mohamed was released yesterday and left Mauritania, according to news reports, citing his lawyer and official government news sources.

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Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers are seen in Erbil, Iraq, on July 9, 2019. Peshmerga forces recently detained journalist Zuber Bradosti. (Reuters/Ako Rasheed)

Kurdish military forces detain journalist in Iraqi Kurdistan

Beirut, July 29, 2019 — Kurdish Peshmerga forces should immediately disclose any charges against journalist Zuber Bradosti or else release him from custody, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today.

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Demonstrators are seen in Basra, Iraq, on July 19, 2019. During the protest, demonstrators assaulted journalist Ayman al-Sheikh. (Reuters/Alaa Al-Marjani)

Iraqi reporter assaulted while covering protest in Basra

On July 19, 2019, in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, a group of protesters assaulted Ayman al-Sheikh, a correspondent for the private Iraqi broadcaster Al-Sharqiyya, according to news reports and local press freedom group Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq.

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Journalists and demonstrators are seen in the West Bank on July 20, 2019. On July 19 and 20, at least three Palestinian journalists were injured by Israeli soldiers while covering protests in Gaza and the West Bank. (Reuters/Mussa Qawasma)

Israeli forces injure 3 Palestinian journalists covering protests in Gaza Strip and West Bank

On July 19 and 20, 2019, Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters that hit Palestinian journalists while they were covering protests in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, injuring at least three, according to local press freedom organizations.

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Soldiers are seen in Deraa, Syria, on July 7, 2018. Journalist Alaa Nayef al-Khader al-Khalidi died in a Syrian military prison, his family was recently told. (Reuters/Omar Sanadiki)

Syrian journalist Alaa Nayef al-Khader al-Khalidi died under state torture, official tells family

Beirut, July 22, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Syrian authorities to immediately account for all journalists who they have arrested during the years-long civil war, including those who have died in state custody. Most recently, the family of Alaa Nayef al-Khader al-Khalidi say they learned that the freelance photojournalist allegedly…

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Iraqi Kurdish security officers are seen in Erbil on July 17, 2019. That day, officers from the Kurdish Counter-Terrorism Forces assaulted Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmed al-Zawiti. (AFP/Safin Hamed)

Kurdish forces assault Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmed al-Zawiti in Iraqi Kurdistan

On July 17, 2019, in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil, officers from the Kurdish Counter-Terrorism Forces assaulted Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmed al-Zawiti, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and news reports.

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Yemeni police officers are seen in Taez on July 2, 2018. Yemeni security forces recently arrested freelance journalist Yahya al-Sawari. (AFP/Ahmad al-Basha)

Yemeni journalist Yahya al-Sawari arrested, held without charge in unknown location

New York, July 15, 2019 — Yemeni and Saudi authorities must disclose freelance journalist Yahya al-Sawari’s whereabouts and release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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