Turkish parliament to vote on criminalizing the spread of ‘false information’
Istanbul, October 5, 2022—The Turkish parliament should not approve the draft bill on misinformation that would criminalize spreading “false information,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Turkey’s parliament, known as the Grand National Assembly, started discussing the draft bill on Tuesday evening and is set to finish voting this week, according to multiple news…
Congolese authorities order Lomela city radio stations off the air over security concerns
Kinshasa, October 5, 2022—Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Sankuru province should reverse their decision to shut down radio stations in Lomela city and ensure media there can work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On September 17, Jules Lodi Emongo, governor of Sankuru province, ordered privately owned radio stations based in the…
Angolan opposition journalist’s wife assaulted in apparent retaliation for his reporting
New York, October 4, 2022–Angolan authorities must swiftly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the assault on Ludmila Pinto, the wife of broadcaster Claudio Pinto, in an apparent warning to the journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. At around 6 p.m. on September 20, two unidentified men whose faces were concealed…
Taliban shuts down two news websites in Afghanistan
New York, October 4, 2022 – Taliban authorities must stop censoring news coverage in Afghanistan and allow Hasht-e Subh Daily and Zawia News to operate under their internet domain names, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, October 3, the Taliban’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology said it had shut down the websites of Hasht-e Subh Daily and Zawia News due to “false propaganda” against the Taliban, according to a tweet from the ministry’s spokesperson Anayatullah Alokozay and…
Radio journalist Percival Mabasa shot and killed in the Philippines
Frankfurt, Germany, October 4, 2022–Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Mabasa–better known as Percy Lapid–was gunned down inside his vehicle by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Las Piñas City on the night…
Guinea regulator orders 1-month suspensions for 3 journalists and ‘Africa 2015’ radio program
Dakar, September 30, 2022—Guinean authorities should lift the suspension of Nostalgie Guinée’s “Africa 2015” radio program and three of its journalists, and ensure the press can report freely on subjects of public interest without sanction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Friday, September 23, the High Authority for Communication (HAC), Guinea’s media regulator,…
Mexican journalist Roberto Flores missing in Comitán
Mexico City, September 29, 2022 – Mexican authorities must immediately undertake a credible and exhaustive investigation into the disappearance of journalist Roberto Flores, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Flores, the founder and editor of Chiapas Denuncia YA, a Facebook page with 66,000 followers that publishes citizens’ reports about crime, security, and alleged government…
Kurdistan 24 reporter ‘wounded severely’ in Iran’s shelling in Iraqi Kurdistan
Beirut, September 28, 2022—Iran should immediately investigate whether journalists are being targeted by Iranian forces after a journalist in Iraqi Kurdistan was injured during Iranian strikes on the region, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Soran Kamaran, a correspondent for the Kurdistan 24 broadcaster owned by Kurdish Prime Minister…
Proposed Ugandan legislation seeks to criminalize ‘misuse of social media’
Nairobi, September 28, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni not to sign into law a bill that would undermine press freedom by criminalizing speech sent via computer on a broadly defined and vaguely worded range of grounds. On September 8, Uganda’s Parliament passed the Computer Misuse…
Myanmar sentences journalist Htet Htet Khine to second 3-year prison term
Bangkok, September 27, 2022 – Myanmar authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Htet Htet Khine and stop jailing journalists for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 27, Htet Htet Khine, a freelance BBC Media Action reporter, was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor, according to a statement…