Middle East & North Africa

  
TV journalist Gilles Jacquier was killed in the Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday. (Reuters)

French reporter first foreign journalist killed in Syria

New York, January 11, 2012–French TV journalist Gilles Jacquier was killed on Wednesday in the Syrian city of Homs, according to news reports. Jacquier is the first foreign journalist killed in Syria since the 10-month uprising began.

Read More ›

Witnesses in Al-Ayyam case turn against prosecution

New York, January 10, 2012–Two prosecution witnesses at a trial of banned Yemeni daily Al-Ayyam last month testified in favor of the defense, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today after reviewing court documents.

Read More ›

Syrian state journalist, videographer killed

New York, January 3, 2012–A Syrian state journalist and a videographer who documented unrest in Homs province were separately shot and killed in recent days, according to news accounts. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.

Read More ›

At least eight journalists were attacked on Saturday and Sunday while covering protests in Yemen. (Khaled Abdullah Ali Al Mahdi/Reuters)

In Yemen, journalists attacked during protests

New York, December 28, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attacks on at least eight journalists on Saturday and Sunday by armed forces loyal to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The clashes between pro-Saleh forces and protesters left nine people dead on Saturday, The Associated Press reported. 

Read More ›

In Mauritania, Moroccan journalist expelled

New York, December 23, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Mauritanian authorities’ Wednesday decision to expel a Moroccan journalist from the country. The Mauritanian government gave no reason for their decision.

Read More ›

Hundreds of Turkish journalists march to protest detentions and demand reforms to media laws in Ankara on March 19, 2011. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Responding to Turkey’s appalling press freedom record

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would like to take credit for Turkey’s economic growth and increasing regional influence, but when challenged on his country’s abysmal  press freedom record he tends to blame others, including the media itself which, he says, exaggerates the problem. But the facts speak for themselves, as I noted in a letter…

Read More ›

CPJ condemns journalist arrests in Turkey

Prime Minister Erdoğan: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to condemn the arrests of as many as 29 journalists in raids on Tuesday as well as the ongoing media repression that has earned Turkey a reputation as one of the world’s worst press freedom violators and done grave damage to the consolidation of Turkish democracy.

Read More ›

New Libyan rule halts delivery of journalist visas

Dear Prime Minister Abdurrahim al-Keib: The Committee to Protect Journalists has been monitoring with growing concern the difficulties that many foreign journalists have been experiencing in obtaining a visa to your country.

Read More ›

AFP photographer Mustafa Ozer is detained at his home in Istanbul. (AFP/Bulent Kilic)

Turkey must justify widespread arrests of journalists

New York, December 20, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports of the arrests of journalists in a nationwide sweep today in Turkey, and calls on authorities to immediately disclose the names of those detained along with any charges being filed against them.

Read More ›

For journalists, coverage of political unrest proves deadly

Journalists die at high rates while covering protests in the Arab world and elsewhere. Photographers and freelancers appear vulnerable. Pakistan is again the deadliest nation. A CPJ special report

Read More ›