Taliban intelligence officials beat, interrogate journalist Zabihullah Noori
New York, December 22, 2022 – Taliban authorities must investigate the 48-hour detention and cruel assault of Afghan journalist Zabihullah Noori, and hold its intelligence agency to account for the ongoing crackdown on members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On December 9, around 50 armed officers surrounded and entered the…
Italian journalist Claudio Locatelli injured while covering war in Ukraine
Paris, December 21, 2022 – Russian and Ukrainian authorities should swiftly investigate the attack on Italian journalists Claudio Locatelli and Niccolò Celesti and ensure that members of the press are not targeted while reporting on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, December 19, a car transporting Locatelli, an…
Belarusian journalist Syarhei Chihrin detained for 7 days on extremism charges
Paris, December 20, 2022 — Belarusian authorities should immediately release journalist Syarhei Chihrin and stop using the country’s extremism legislation against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On December 16, security forces in the southwestern city of Slonim detained Chihrin and a local court ordered him to be held for…
Ethiopia must release journalist Meskerem Abera after second detention this year
Nairobi, December 20, 2022 –Ethiopian police should unconditionally release online journalist Meskerem Abera and cease harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Federal police detained Meskerem, the founder and editor of private YouTube-based media outlet Ethio Nikat Media, in the capital Addis Ababa on December 13, her husband, Fitsum Gebremichael, told CPJ by phone….
Bulgarian authorities question reporter and editor about sources
Berlin, December 20, 2022—Bulgarian authorities must stop harassing journalists Alexei Lazarov and Desislava Nikolova, and cease attempting to investigate their sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Prosecutors summoned Lazarov and Nikolova for questioning on December 12 regarding allegations of drug markups in state-owned hospitals that were published in the weekly newspaper Capital, according…
Kazakh financial police arrest investigative journalist Mikhail Kozachkov
New York, December 19, 2022—Kazakh authorities should release investigative journalist Mikhail Kozachkov immediately and ensure that members of the press are not prosecuted in retaliation for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Sunday, December 18, officers from Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) in the southern city of Almaty arrested Kozachkov, who…
News anchor Ciro Gómez Leyva survives shooting attempt in Mexico City
Mexico City, December 16, 2022 – Mexican authorities should immediately investigate the shooting attack on journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva and guarantee his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Late Thursday evening, two unidentified attackers on a motorcycle shot at Gómez Leyva while he was driving near his Mexico City home and then fled…
Turkish journalist Sinan Aygül arrested under new ‘disinformation’ law
Istanbul, December 15, 2022 – Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist Sinan Aygül and reform the country’s new anti-disinformation law to ensure that it is not used to harass and imprison members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, December 14, authorities in the eastern province of Bitlis arrested Aygül,…
Belarusian authorities revoke registration of Belarusy y Rynok newspaper
Paris, December 14, 2022— Belarusian authorities should reverse a recent decision to cancel the registration of the independent business newspaper Belarusy y Rynok and cease all efforts to censor the outlet, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On December 1, the Belarusian Ministry of Information ordered Belarusy y Rynok’s registration to be annulled, according…
Rappler contributor Frank Cimatu convicted of cyber libel in the Philippines
Bangkok, December 14, 2022 – Philippine authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist Frank Cimatu, and should stop filing spurious cyber libel charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, December 13, a Quezon City court convicted Cimatu, a contributor to the independent news outlet Rappler, of…