Tunisian authorities detain Mosaique FM correspondent Khalifa Guesmi over terrorism article
New York, March 21, 2022 – Tunisian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Khalifa Guesmi and stop intimidating journalists into revealing their sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On March 17, Guesmi, a correspondent at local independent radio station and news website Mosaique FM, published an article about the dismantling of a…
Iranian reporter Amir-Abbas Azarmvand begins 4-year, 4-month prison sentence
Washington, D.C., March 11, 2022 — Iranian authorities must release journalist Amir-Abbas Azarmvand from prison immediately and should cease jailing members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In January, Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Azarmvand, a financial reporter for the state-run Iranian…
Prominent blogger Seyed Hossein Ronaghi Maleki arrested in Iran after critical tweets
Washington, D.C., February 24, 2022 — Iranian authorities should immediately release blogger Seyed Hossein Ronaghi Maleki and drop any charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, February 23, the Tehran home of Ronaghi Maleki, a freelance blogger and freedom of expression activist who posts reporting critical of the government on…
Security forces detain 2 more journalists in northern Syria
Washington, D.C., February 22, 2022 – Authorities in northern Syria should immediately release Ahmed Sofi, Dara Abdo, and all other members of the press detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, February 19, forces affiliated with the Democratic Party Union, the political party in power in the Autonomous Administration…
Syrian journalist Kenan Waqaf in hiding after security forces seek his arrest
New York, February 11, 2022 – Syrian government authorities should stop pursuing journalist Kenan Waqaf and cease harassing and detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the early morning of February 6, Waqaf posted a video to his Facebook account saying that he had gone into hiding after heavily…
Security forces in northern Syria detain 2 journalists
Washington, D.C., February 10, 2022 – Kurdish security forces in northern Syria should immediately release journalists Sabri Fakhri and Bawar Malla Ahmad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Saturday, February 5, soldiers affiliated with the Democratic Party Union, the political party in power in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria’s regional…
Northeast Syrian authorities assault Rudaw news crew, suspend network’s licenses
Washington, D.C., February 9, 2022 – Northeast Syrian authorities must reverse their suspension of Rudaw Media Network’s broadcast license and the license of all their employees, stop attacks and harassment of its staff, and allow all journalists to work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On February 2, Asayish security forces…
Israel to investigate alleged police use of Pegasus spyware against local journalists, others
New York, February 7, 2022 – In response to news reports that Israel will investigate its police force’s alleged use of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of Israeli journalists, among others, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling on authorities to ensure the harmful technology is not used against…
Palestinian Authority sentences journalist Abdulrahman Thahir to 3 months in prison
New York, February 3, 2022 – The Palestinian Authority should not contest journalist Abdulrahman Thahir’s appeal and should stop pursuing vague charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 20, a magistrate court in the West Bank city of Nablus sentenced Thahir, a freelance TV producer, to three…
Yemen Houthi forces raid, shutter radio broadcasters
New York, February 2, 2022 – Yemen’s Houthi rebels must stop harassing and shuttering media outlets, and should allow all broadcasters to operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. On January 25, Houthi forces raided and shuttered at least five radio stations in Sanaa, the capital, according to the Media Freedom Observatory…