Berlin, July 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a bill under consideration in the Russian State Duma that would introduce fines for accessing or searching for “extremist” online content, threatening to further restrict press freedom and access to information. The bill, which passed its second reading on July 17, 2025, is the “most serious step in censorship and…
Dakar, July 17, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Beninese authorities to release Comlan Hugues Sossoukpè, publishing director of the banned online Beninese weekly newspaper Olofofo Info, following his arrest in Ivory Coast on July 10 and extradition to Benin. “The forcible transfer of journalist Comlan Hugues Sossoukpé by Ivory Coast to Benin, despite his refugee status in…
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, July 16, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi authorities to investigate and hold to account the officers who arrested and severely assaulted four journalists in Iraq’s Kurdish region over the past week. “The arrest, abuse, and intimidation of journalists in Iraq’s Kurdish region are deeply concerning and reflect a broader pattern of hostility…
New Delhi, July 15, 2025—Authorities in India’s western state of Maharashtra must bring all of journalist Sneha Barve’s attackers to justice and take decisive steps to ensure press members can safely do their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Barwe, the founder of the Samarth Bharat Pariwar YouTube-based news channel, was brutally beaten July 4…
New York, July 15, 2025—President Sadyr Japarov signed amendments to the Kyrgyz Code of Offenses on July 8, introducing administrative penalties for spreading “false or unreliable” information via mass media or the internet — another in a series of ongoing moves toward cracking down on the country’s independent press. The law, whose signing was announced July 11, will go…
Dakar, July 14, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to release news commentator Badara Gadiaga, to cease arresting journalists, and to refrain from retaliating against the media for coverage critical of the government. Senegal’s special cybersecurity division (DSC) arrested Gadiaga on July 9 over his remarks during a July 4 broadcast about Prime Minister…
New York, July 11, 2025—A Kyrgyzstan court issued an order Wednesday shuttering independent broadcaster Aprel TV and terminating its broadcasting and social media operations, claiming the outlet undermined the government’s authority and negatively influenced individuals and society. The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed against the outlet by Kyrgyz prosecutors in April, which…
New Delhi, July 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for greater transparency and due process in how Indian authorities handle social media restrictions, following reports of the temporary block of multiple international news organizations’ X accounts over the weekend. X accused the Indian government of censoring the press. “This incident once again underscores the serious lack of transparency and…
Nazareth, Israel, July 10, 2025—Police arrested and detained journalist and activist Israel Frey on Wednesday, July 9, in Tel Aviv after the State Attorney’s office opened a criminal investigation on Tuesday on accusations of inciting terrorism based on a social media post on X. A Tel Aviv court on Thursday extended Frey’s detention by three…
Mexico City, July 10, 2025—Mexican authorities must immediately and credibly investigate death threats against two crime reporters, Óscar Balderas and Luis Chaparro, and take all appropriate steps to guarantee their safety and that of other reporters covering organized crime, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Balderas, a well-known investigative journalist, reported on July 4 on X that he…