Finland charges 3 investigative journalists with revealing state secrets
Berlin, November 3, 2021 – Finnish authorities should drop all criminal charges filed against three journalists working for the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, and ensure that members of the press can cover sensitive issues without facing government retaliation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 29, Finnish prosecutors announced that three Helsingin Sanomat…
Mexican journalist Fredy López shot and killed in San Cristobal de las Casas
Mexico City, November 3, 2021 – Mexican authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of reporter Fredy Fernando López Arévalo, determine whether he was targeted for his work, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 8 p.m. on October 28, an unidentified man…
Hamas security forces arrest journalist Alaa al-Mashrawi in Gaza
New York, November 2, 2021 – Authorities with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, should immediately release Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Mashrawi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At 4 p.m. on October 31, Hamas’ Internal Security Forces arrested al-Mashrawi, director of the local news website Al-Mashreq News and the Al-Mashreq Foundation…
Ethiopian authorities detain two broadcast journalists
Nairobi, November 2, 2021 — Authorities in Ethiopia must immediately release Ahadu Radio and Television journalists Luwam Atikilti and Kibrom Worku and stop retaliating against members of the press for their coverage of the ongoing war in northern Ethiopia, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 22, at approximately 4:00 p.m., police in…
Journalists shot, beaten, and detained in Afghanistan
Washington, D.C., November 2, 2021– The Taliban must thoroughly and swiftly investigate the attacks on Afghan journalists Abdul Khaliq Hussaini and Alireza Sharifi and the beating and detention of Zahidullah Husainkhil, and do everything in its power to ensure the safety of members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October…
Iranian journalist Manoochehr Aghaei begins 8-month prison sentence
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2021 — Iranian authorities must release journalist Manoochehr Aghaei immediately and unconditionally, and cease jailing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 27, Aghaei, the editor-in-chief of the independent, social media-based news outlet MiandoabPress and a reporter for the state-run news website Young Journalists’ Club,…
Iran’s parliament moves forward with troubling bill to further restrict internet
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today that Iran’s parliament is moving ahead with a restrictive internet bill, despite objections from citizens and international observers. The legislation, the Cyberspace Users Rights Protection and Regulation of Key Online Services Bill, was undergoing review by a parliamentary subcommittee in…
Nigerian police assault, detain journalists covering memorials marking Lekki Toll Gate killings
Abuja, Nigeria, November 1, 2021 — Authorities in Nigeria must prioritize the safety of journalists covering protests and hold officers responsible for abuses accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 20, in three separate incidents, police officers arrested, harassed, or beat up three journalists–Sikiru Obarayese, Abisola Alawode, and Adefemi Akinsanya—as they covered…
Journalist Orlando Dinoy shot and killed in the Philippines
Bangkok, November 1, 2021 – Philippine authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Orlando “Dondon” Dinoy, determine if the attack was related to journalism, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 30, in Bansalan, a town in the southern province of…
CPJ condemns harsh prison sentences handed to 5 journalists in Vietnam
Bangkok, November 1, 2021 – Vietnamese authorities should immediately release five journalists recently sentenced to prison terms for alleged anti-state crimes, and cease persecuting members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 28, a court in the southern city of Can Tho convicted Truong Chau Huu Danh, Doan Kien Giang,…