Middle East & North Africa

  

Iranian journalist Ali Moslehi detained, transferred to Kashan Central Prison

Washington, D.C., August 16, 2023—Iranian authorities must release journalist Ali Moslehi from prison immediately and cease jailing members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.  On July 20, intelligence agents arrested Moslehi, a political columnist for the local news website KashanNews, at his home in the central city of…

Read More ›

New Jordanian cybercrime law criminalizes ‘fake news’ online

Beirut, August 15, 2023—In response to Jordanian authorities passing a new cybercrime law that threatens press freedom online, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “The new cybercrime law approved by Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is alarming, and could see journalists facing harsh prison terms and huge fines over…

Read More ›

CPJ condemns trials of Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi

Washington, D.C., July 24, 2023 –  The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the continuation of the closed-door trials of journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who were among the first journalists to report on the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. “CPJ stands in solidarity with Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe…

Read More ›

Iranian journalist Seyed Mostafa Jaffari arrested on false news charges

Washington, D.C., July 24, 2023 — Iranian authorities must release journalist Seyed Mostafa Jaffari from prison immediately and stop jailing members of the press for reporting on issues of public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On Monday, July 24, security forces arrested Jaffari in the central city of Qazvin on charges filed…

Read More ›

Journalist Omed Baroshky arrested in Iraqi Kurdistan

Beirut, July 21, 2023 – Iraqi Kurdish authorities should immediately disclose the whereabouts of journalist Omed Baroshky and ensure journalists are not arrested for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On the evening of Thursday, July 20, Asayish security forces raided Baroshky’s home in the northwest city of Duhok and arrested him,…

Read More ›

Sherwan Sherwani

Imprisoned journalist Sherwan Sherwani given additional 4-year sentence in Iraqi Kurdistan

Beirut, July 20, 2023—Iraqi Kurdish authorities should release journalist Sherwan Sherwani at once, drop all charges against him, and allow members of the press to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Thursday, July 20, the Erbil criminal court sentenced Sherwani to an additional four years in prison over a complaint by…

Read More ›

CPJ condemns Moroccan court’s rejection of appeals by jailed journalists Soulaiman Raissouni and Omar Radi

New York, July 19, 2023 – In response to news reports that the Moroccan court of cassation in Rabat on Tuesday rejected the final appeals of jailed journalists Soulaiman Raissouni and Omar Radi, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “We are deeply disappointed by the court’s decision to keep Soulaiman…

Read More ›

60+ organizations urge US Congress to pursue justice for slain Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Washington, D.C., July 18, 2023 —It has been more than a year since Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was fatally shot while reporting on an Israeli military raid of a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. The prevailing consensus is that an Israeli soldier was responsible for her death. Yet there has been no…

Read More ›

60+ NGOs call on US Congress to pursue justice for slain Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Read the full letter by a coalition of more than 60 organizations urging members of Congress to support the Justice for Shireen Act (H.R. 3477). (Read the press release about the letter here.)

Read More ›

Iranian authorities rearrest journalist Nazila Maroofian

Washington, D.C., July 11, 2023—Iranian authorities should release journalist Nazila Maroofian and drop any charges against her, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, July 8, authorities arrested Maroofian, a Kurdish Iranian investigative reporter for the state-run news website Rouydad24, after she responded to a summons at a court in Evin prison in…

Read More ›