Middle East & North Africa

  
Ali Akbar Javanfekr, far left, director of the official Iranian News Agency, is among those recently charged. In this file photo, he attends a June presidential press conference. (Reuters/Caren Firouz)

Iran unleashes another wave of arrests and repression

New York, November 22, 2011–Iranian authorities have engaged in a series of attacks against the press in the past two weeks, including raiding a news office, banning an independent newspaper, and arresting at least five journalists.

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Protesters carry a man wounded during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. (AP)

At least 17 journalists assaulted during Egypt clashes

New York, November 21, 2011 – Clashes between security forces and protesters in Cairo and other Egyptian cities have led to at least 17 assaults on the press over the past couple of days, including a shooting, detentions, and a beating by unidentified security personnel while in custody. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the…

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Syrian cameraman killed; last seen being arrested

New York, November 21, 2011–A Syrian cameraman was found dead Sunday with his eyes gouged out in the town of al-Qasir, according to several news reports. Ferzat Jarban, who was last seen being arrested, is the first journalist to be killed in Syria since CPJ started documenting journalist fatalities in 1992.

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Defending the middle ground of online journalism

It’s easy to use polarizing descriptions of online news-gathering. It’s the domain of citizen journalists, blogging without pay and institutional support, or it’s a sector filled with the digital works of “mainstream media” facing financial worries and struggling to offer employees the protection they once provided. But there is a growing middle ground: trained reporters…

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Journalist Hassan Ghani, detained since Friday, was arrested by Israeli forces on this aid ship headed to Gaza. (Reuters)

Israel continues journalist’s detention

New York, November 10, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by Israel’s continued detention of Hassan Ghani, a correspondent for Iran’s Press TV. Ghani was arrested with four other journalists on Friday when soldiers boarded two humanitarian aid ships sailing toward Gaza, news reports said. The other journalists included Lina Attallah, of Al-Masry al-Youm’s…

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Israeli soldiers board a humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza. (AP)

Israel arrests journalists aboard flotilla

New York, November 4, 2011–Israeli forces arrested an unidentified number of journalists today after a group of soldiers boarded two humanitarian aid ships sailing toward Gaza and forced them to redirect to the Israeli port of Ashdod, according to news reports. 

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Syrian agreement must be monitored for press freedom

New York, November 2, 2011–The Syrian government’s acceptance of an Arab League proposal to end a crackdown on unrest must be closely monitored by international and domestic media, said the Committee to Protect Journalists in response to news of the agreement today. The measures include granting media access to the country as well as the…

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Syrian journalists, blogger missing

New York, October 31, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the continued disappearance of Syrian journalists and bloggers.

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Copts mourn the victims killed during clashes with the Egyptian army. Blogger Alaa Abd el-Fattah was jailed over his coverage.(AP/Khalil Hamra)

Egyptian military officials jail blogger who criticized them

New York, October 31, 2011–Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd el-Fattah, jailed Sunday after he objected to interrogation by military prosecutors, should be released immediately and without condition, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Rebel Fighter. Libya, April 2011. (Tim Hetherington/Magnum Photos)

Hetherington exhibition opens new Documentary Center

CPJ is proud to support the inaugural exhibition this weekend of the Bronx Documentary Center, featuring work by acclaimed photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed in an explosion in Libya in April.

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