Turkish Kurdish photojournalist Murat Yazar detained for 8 days in Iraqi Kurdistan
Sulaymaniyah, July 23, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that the prominent Turkish Kurdish photojournalist Murat Yazar was held in an Iraqi Kurdish security forces prison for eight days before his release on Sunday evening and calls on Iraqi Kurdish authorities to stop arresting journalists. “Iraqi Kurdish authorities have made a habit out of…
CPJ, partners call on Biden to raise press freedom issues with Netanyahu
The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine other rights groups sent a letter Monday calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on journalist killings and media access in Gaza. The letter urged Biden to ensure that Netanyahu takes steps to facilitate press freedom and journalist safety in Israel and…
Egypt arrests 2 journalists in less than a week, refuses to disclose whereabouts
Washington, D.C., July 23, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Ashraf Omar, a cartoonist for the independent news outlet Al-Manassa, and Khaled Mamdouh, a reporter for news website Arabic Post. “By arresting journalists Khaled Mamdouh and Ashraf Omar and subjecting them to enforced disappearance, the Egyptian regime has once…
Photos: Israel-Gaza war takes unprecedented toll on journalists
The Israel-Gaza war has been devastating for civilians, including journalists covering the conflict. While a few conflicts have taken the lives of hundreds of journalists over a period of years, no other war has taken so many journalists’ lives in such a short time span, according to CPJ data that has been gathered since 1992. Here…
Libyan TV host Ahmed al-Sanussi arrested after corruption report
New York, July 12, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate and safe release of Libyan television host Ahmed al-Sanussi who was arrested in the capital Tripoli on Thursday. “CPJ strongly denounces the arrest of Libyan TV host Ahmed al-Sanussi. It is unacceptable that authorities have not disclosed where he is being held…
CPJ, 4 others urge Saudi authorities to release detained podcaster, other content creators
On July 10, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined four human rights organizations in urging Saudi authorities to immediately release various Saudi content creators and journalists, including Palestinian journalist and podcast presenter Hatem al-Najjar, who has been detained since January of this year. Al-Najjar is the host of the popular podcast “Muraba” (Square) on Thmanyah, a…
After prison release, journalist Mustapha Bendjama struggles to rebuild his life in Algeria
After serving a 14-month prison sentence on various charges, Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama assumed his life would return to normal as the editor-in-chief of Le Provincial, a local independent newspaper in the northeastern city of Annaba. “I was wrong,” said Bendjama, who was released April 2024. In a phone interview with CPJ, Bendjama revealed that his contract at…
Strike injures 2 Iraqi Kurdish reporters in Sinjar
UPDATE: Çira TV reporter Murad Mirza died on July 11 of injuries sustained in the drone strike. He was buried on July 12 in the Girê Gewir Cemetery, according to his outlet. Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, July 10, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish and Iraqi authorities to investigate after a suspected Turkish strike injured two Iraqi…
Tunisian commentator Sonia Dahmani sentenced to 1 year
New York, July 9, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a Tunisian court’s sentencing of lawyer and political commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison on Saturday and calls for her immediate release. “The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and commentator Sonia Dahmani to one year in prison for her political commentary is…
CPJ, 25 others urge Bahraini leaders to release blogger Abduljalil Alsingace after his hunger strike exceeds 3 years
On July 8, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined 25 human rights organizations in urging Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to immediately release blogger Abduljalil Alsingace and ensure he receives urgent medical care. The statement was issued to mark three years since…