Middle East & North Africa

  

CPJ concerned about trial of Bahrain bloggers

Dear Sheikh Al-Khalifa: The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, is deeply concerned about the ongoing detention and trial of prominent Bahraini bloggers Ali Abdel Imam and Abdeljalil Alsingace. We’re outraged by allegations of torture made by the two bloggers, along with those made by 23 activists and opposition figures.

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Tunisia should drop charges against Mouldi Zouabi

New York, December 6, 2010–A court in Jendouba is expected to rule Wednesday in a criminal case against Mouldi Zouabi, a senior reporter for the online news outlet Kalima. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to drop the charges, which have been brought in reprisal for Zouabi’s critical journalism.

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Facebook gets caught up in Egypt’s media crackdown

As CPJ has previously documented, journalists in Egypt have faced a deterioration in press freedom in the run-up to the parliamentary vote on Sunday. Editors have been fired, TV shows suspended, and regulations over SMS texting suddenly tightened. In the final few days, a new forum found itself caught up in this attempt to control…

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CPJ board member Kati Marton presents a 2010 International Press Freedom Award to Nadira Isayeva. (Getty/Michael Nagle)

Journalists on the frontlines of press freedom honored

New York, November 24, 2010–Outstanding journalists at the forefront of the battle for press freedom in Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela were honored Tuesday evening at the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 20th Annual International Press Freedom Awards benefit dinner.

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Mohammad Davari IPFA 2010 Video

Mohammad Davari, editor-in-chief of the news website Saham News, is being held at Evin Prison in Iran for compiling testimony of detainees who were raped and tortured at Kahrizak Detention Center. Davari is a 2010 CPJ International Press Freedom Awardee. Read about other awardees here.

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Kuwait journalist gets year in jail; faces over a dozen cases

New York, November 23, 2010–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a one-year prison sentence given to Mohammed Abdulqader al-Jassem, a Kuwaiti writer and journalist, on Monday. A criminal court convicted al-Jassem of criminal defamation in connection with an article he published on his personal news blog, Al-Mizan. The case is only one of 18 that the government has…

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Egypt detains journalist on drug charges in Alexandria

New York, November 22, 2010–Egyptian authorities should immediately release Youssef Shaaban, a reporter for the online newspaper Al-Badil who was arrested while covering street protests in Alexandria, and drop the criminal charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.  

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Al-Mosuliya journalist shot to death in Iraq

New York, November 22, 2010–Mazen Mardan al-Baghdadi, a reporter for Al-Mosuliya television, was gunned down on Sunday in front of his home, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi authorities to thoroughly and transparently investigate the murder.

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Left to right: Nadira Isayeva, Dawit Kebede, and Laureano Márquez in Washington. (CPJ/Rodney Lamkey Jr.)

CPJ Press Freedom Awardee: ‘I always wanted answers’

The last few weeks have been extremely busy for everyone at CPJ as we’ve been preparing for the 2010 International Press Freedom Awards. Today’s press conference in Washington will be followed by a series of events culminating in our awards ceremony Tuesday in New York. As always, the awardees make it special. 

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Two German reporters charged with espionage in Iran

New York, November 17, 2010–Iranian authorities announced on Tuesday that two German reporters for Bild am Sonntag will be charged with espionage, according to international news reports. They were arrested in October while interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery. The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by these developments and…

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