Iran bars BBC staff and contributors from selling property
Washington, D.C., August 15, 2017–Iranian authorities should immediately reverse an order banning 152 journalists and media workers with the BBC’s Persian service from buying or selling assets, cease harassing BBC journalists, and lift their ban on the station, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Iraqi regulator threatens TV satirist with legal action
New York, August 14, 2017–Iraqi authorities should stop threatening the pro-Kurdish broadcaster NRT and political satirist Ahmed al-Basheer, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In a letter NRT received August 10, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission inquired whether the broadcaster’s Arabic-language channel would continue airing al-Basheer’s program and threatened to pursue “legal action”…
Palestinian security forces arrest five journalists in West Bank
Beirut, August 10, 2017–Palestinian security forces should immediately release five journalists arrested in the West Bank yesterday and should cease arresting journalists on spurious charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Egypt censors Al-Mesryoon newspaper, harasses editors
New York, August 8, 2017–Egyptian authorities should stop censoring Al-Mesryoon newspaper and harassing its journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Authorities banned this week’s edition of the newspaper and summoned Al-Mesryoon Editor-in-Chief Gamal Sultan and Managing Editor Mahmoud Sultan for interrogation, according to Gamal Sultan and news reports.
Israel should abandon plans to close, censor Al-Jazeera
Washington, D.C., August 6, 2017–Israeli authorities should abandon efforts to close Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera’s offices, revoke its journalists’ credentials, and censor its transmissions, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Communications Minister Ayoub Kara today repeated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegations that the station supports terrorism, and said the government wanted satellite and cable companies…
Four Lebanese TV journalists fined for defamation and false news
Beirut’s Publication Court, headed by Judge Roukoz Rizk, on July 17, 2017, fined Mariam al-Bassam, head of News and Political Programs at the Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed, Riyad Kobaissi, the head of the station’s investigative unit, Rami al-Amine, a reporter for the station, and Layal Mousa, an assistant reporter at the station, 2 million Lebanese pounds…
