Middle East & North Africa

  

CPJ pays tribute to slain Palestinian press freedom defender Bilal Jadallah

Washington, D.C., November 20, 2023 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply saddened by the killing of Palestinian journalist and press freedom defender Bilal Jadallah, a previous contributor to CPJ’s work, and reiterates its call for the protection of journalists working tirelessly and at enormous risk to cover the Israel-Gaza war.   On Sunday, Jadallah,…

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CPJ expresses grave concern over 4th communications blackout in Gaza

Update: Communications in Gaza were partially restored over the weekend after a limited amount of fuel was allowed into the region to power generators. Journalists are still reporting to CPJ that they are having difficulty with communications. New York, November 16, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is highly alarmed by widespread reports of a communications blackout…

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Iran arrests 2 female environmental journalists in mass raids

Washington, D.C., November 14, 2023—Iranian authorities must immediately release journalists Nasim Tavafzadeh and Helaleh Nategheh and stop trying to silence journalists by jailing them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, intelligence agents with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arrested Tavafzadeh, editor-in-chief of the local news website Moroor.org, and Nategheh, an environmental reporter…

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Iranian journalist Manijeh Moazen arrested

Washington, D.C., November 9, 2023—Iranian authorities must immediately release journalist Manijeh Moazen and cease jailing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.  On November 8, Moazen, a freelance journalist and translator, was arrested from her home in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and was taken to an undisclosed location, according to news reports and a…

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CPJ condemns new prison sentence for Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama

New York, November 8, 2023 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the additional six-month prison sentence issued to Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama on Tuesday, November 7. “Imposing a new prison sentence on journalist Mustapha Bendjama just when he was due to be released shows how determined the Algerian government is to keep independent journalists…

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FAQ: How CPJ documents journalist deaths in the war

How many journalists have died since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7? Dozens have died; see an updated list here. How do these numbers compare to prior conflicts? There have been more journalists killed in the first 10 weeks of the Israel-Gaza war than in any other similar period of conflict since CPJ started recording such deaths in…

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Iranian journalist Negar Ostad Agha detained reporting on girl’s funeral

Washington, D.C., November 6, 2023—Iranian authorities must immediately release female journalist Negar Ostad Agha and cease jailing members of the press for reporting the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On October 29, Ostad Agha, a journalist and senior editor at Etemad Online, was arrested in a cemetery in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while…

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CPJ condemns strike on AFP bureau in Gaza

New York, November 3, 2023— The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the November 2 strike on a building housing the Gaza City bureau of international news agency Agence France-Presse and calls on authorities to release any available information about the attack. “Journalists and media offices must be respected and protected,” said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg….

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Sleman Mohammed Ahmed of RojNews in Iraqi Kurdistan

Syrian journalist missing after arrest on Iraqi Kurdistan border

Beirut, November 1, 2023—Iraqi Kurdish authorities should immediately reveal the whereabouts of Syrian journalist Sleman Mohammed Ahmed, unconditionally release him, and stop harassing journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On October 25, Ahmed—an Arabic editor for the local news website RojNews—was arrested by Iraqi Kurdish authorities at the northern Faysh Khabur border and…

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Egypt bans Mada Masr website for 6 months over report on Israel-Gaza war

New York, October 31, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) to revoke its six-month ban on the  independent news website Mada Masr over its reporting on the Israel-Gaza war and to reverse its decision to refer the outlet for prosecution. On Sunday, the SCMR announced that, after…

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