Middle East & North Africa

New York, July 13, 2009–The Iranian authorities have arrested six more journalists–cementing the country’s position as the world’s worst jailer of journalists–and sentenced another on Sunday to eight years in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

New York, July 7, 2009–With at least 30 journalists currently in prison, Iran replaces China as the world’s worst jailer of journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. CPJ called on the Iranian authorities to release all journalists who have been detained following the country’s disputed June 12 presidential elections. 

New York, July 6, 2009–A criminal court has suspended a newspaper that reported on a horse-racing scandal, upholding a 2008 ruling. Its editor and publisher were also fined.

In response to reports that Iason Athanasiadis, a journalist detained in Iran since June 17, was released today we issued the following statement…

Iason Athanasiadis is still a young man at 30, but he’s an old school, shoe leather journalist. “Journalism’s deepest, most honest contributions inevitably spring from on-the-ground reporting, unencumbered by policy agendas in Washington, London, or other foreign capitals,” writes Sandy Tolan, author and University of Southern California journalism professor, today in Salon. “That’s what epitomizes the work of…

New York, July 2, 2009–At least 24 journalists remain jailed in Iran, according to the latest CPJ research, while the government has instituted a broad and intrusive censorship regime.

Newsweek has issued a statement on the detention of correspondent Maziar Bahari, who is detained in Iran. Newsweek points out that Bahari’s work over many years has been “accurate, even-handed, and widely respected.” The statement follows…

New York, June 30, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Iranian authorities to immediately release all jailed journalists and to stop vilifying the foreign press. CPJ also welcomed the release of a number of employees of the reformist newspaper Kalameh Sabz who had been held since June 23.

New York, June 29, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Moroccan court decision today to impose fines and damages on three independent dailies for “publicly harming” Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, above, and “injuring his dignity.”