Middle East & North Africa

  
Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are seen in Tehran on January 3, 2020. Intelligence agents recently raided the homes of four journalists. (AFP/Atta Kenare)

Iranian intelligence agents raid homes of 4 journalists, confiscate equipment

Washington, D.C., February 5, 2020 — Iranian authorities should cease raiding journalists’ homes and should return all material confiscated in recent raids, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Syrian army soldiers are seen in Maarat al-Numan on January 30, 2020. At least five Syrian journalists were recently injured while embedded with Syrian government forces. (Reuters/Omar Sanadiki)

Five Syrian journalists injured while covering clashes in Aleppo and Idlib

Five Syrian journalists embedded with forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad were injured in two incidents, on January 29 and February 2, 2020, in the northwestern Syrian governorates of Idlib and Aleppo, according to news reports and reports by their employers.

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An Iranian police vehicle is seen in Tehran on April 10, 2018. Iranian authorities recently convicted three editors on defamation and false news charges. (AFP/Atta Kenare)

Iran finds 3 editors guilty of defamation and spreading false news

Washington, D.C., February 3, 2020 – Iranian authorities should immediately drop the false news and defamation charges against the editors of three news outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A wounded Palestinian photojournalist is evacuated during a protest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on February 2, 2020. (Reuters/Mussa Qawasma)

Israeli security forces arrest 1 Palestinian journalist, and injure another covering protests

Beirut, February 3, 2020 — Israeli authorities should reveal the reason for journalist Mohammad Malhem’s arrest or release him immediately, and should investigate the injuries sustained by journalist Abdul Mohsen Shalaldeh and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A Jordanian police vehicle is seen near the Israeli border on November 13, 2019. Jordanian authorities recently suspended broadcaster Dijlah TV, and the station's offices in Iraq were raided by local authorities. (Reuters/Muhammad Hamed)

Dijlah TV broadcaster suspended for 1 month in Jordan, offices raided in Iraq

Beirut, January 28, 2020 — Jordanian authorities should immediately lift the suspension of Dijlah TV and allow the station to broadcast freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Lebanese riot police guard a road leading to the parliament during clashes with anti-government protesters in downtown Beirut on January 22, 2020. Journalists covering the unrest are advised to take safety precautions. (AFP/Patrick Baz)

CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering protests in Lebanon

Protests in Lebanon have become more violent in recent weeks, with approximately 500 protesters and members of the security forces injured, according to reports. Lebanese authorities have used water cannon, batons, rubber bullets and, on occasion, fired teargas directly at protesters, according to reports. Protesters have thrown projectiles including molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks, directed…

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Saudi crown prince’s alleged hacking of Bezos raises press freedom concerns

Washington, January 22, 2020—The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined U.N. human rights experts in calling for an investigation into the alleged hacking of The Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The U.N. experts called the alleged hacking “an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post’s reporting on Saudi Arabia.”

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The Doha skyline, pictured in May 2019. The Qatari Emir this month approved a law on 'false news' that carries a potential five-year prison sentence. (AP/Kamran Jebreili)

Qatar changes penal code to include ‘false news’ law

New York, January 21, 2020—Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani amended Article 136 of the country’s penal code to make the publication or sharing of “false news” punishable by up to five years in prison or a 100,000 Qatari riyal fine (US$27,473), according to the Beirut-based Gulf Center for Human Rights. Details of the law,…

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Riot police restrain a protester in Beirut, Lebanon, on January 18, 2020. Authorities arrested U.S. freelancer Nicholas Frakes and held him for two days. (Reuters/Mohamed Azakir)

Lebanese authorities detain US freelancer Nicholas Frakes for 2 days

At about 8:30 p.m. on January 19, 2020, Lebanese security forces arrested Nicholas Frakes, a U.S. national and freelance reporter, while he was covering protests in downtown Beirut, according to news reports and a friend of the journalist, who spoke to CPJ.

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Protesters and police officers are seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on January 15, 2020. Police attacked and detained journalists covering the recent protests in Beirut. (AP/Hussein Malla)

Journalists assaulted, detained while covering protests in Beirut

Beirut, January 16, 2020 — Lebanese authorities should investigate recent attacks against journalists covering protests in Beirut by both police and demonstrators, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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