Belarusian authorities briefly detain 4 Tut.by journalists; at least 13 staff remain in custody
New York, May 25, 2021 – Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all employees of the independent news website Tut.by who remain in custody, and cease harassing the outlet’s employees, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today, police in Minsk, the capital, arrested Tut.by reporters Anastasiya Prudnikava and Dzianis Burkouski, and social media…
Supporters of Peruvian presidential candidate Pedro Castillo harass, assault 2 journalists covering rally
Miami, May 25, 2021 – Peruvian authorities must investigate the recent attack on journalists Stefanie Medina and Carlos Brown, and guarantee that the press can cover election events safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 19, at about 5:15 p.m., a group of people at a rally in support of presidential candidate…
Ghana police detain 2 Citi FM journalists, beat 1 in custody
Abuja, May 25, 2021 – Ghanaian authorities must thoroughly investigate allegations that police officers beat journalist Caleb Kudah in custody; arbitrarily detained Kudah and his colleague, Zoe Abu-Baidoo Addo; and deleted photos from their phones, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 11, police officers in Accra, the capital, detained and beat Kudah,…
Detained Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich appears in ‘confession’ video
Vilnius, Lithuania, May 24, 2021 — Belarusian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Raman Pratasevich, who was detained yesterday, and allow him to leave the country freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today, Pratasevich appeared in a 29-second video first published by the pro-government Telegram channel Zhyoltiye Slivy. In that video, which…
Iranian journalist Najaf Mehdipour imprisoned with no charges disclosed
Washington, D.C., May 24, 2021 — Iranian authorities must immediately release journalist Najaf Mehdipour, known as Kaveh, and stop arbitrarily arresting members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 18, authorities in the eastern city of Darreh Shahr, in Ilam province, arrested Mehdipour, a freelance journalist, at his home and…
Oromia Broadcasting Network journalist Sisay Fida shot and killed in Ethiopia
Nairobi, May 21, 2021 — Ethiopian authorities must swiftly and credibly investigate the killing of reporter Sisay Fida and guarantee the safety of journalists in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the evening of May 9, two unidentified attackers in the town of Dembi Dollo, in the Oromia region, shot and…
Nicaraguan police raid Confidencial office, briefly detain camera operator Leonel Gutiérrez
Guatemala City, May 21, 2021 — Nicaraguan authorities must return confiscated equipment to Confidencial, allow its staff to enter their offices, and refrain from harassing independent media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At 9 a.m. yesterday, riot police officers surrounded the independent news website Confidencial’s office in Managua, and about 90 minutes…
CPJ calls on Myanmar to release Kamayut Media editor Nathan Maung, news producer Hanthar Nyein
Bangkok, May 21, 2021 – Myanmar’s military authorities must drop all charges against Nathan Maung, a U.S. citizen, and Hanthar Nyein, co-founders of the privately held local news website Kamayut Media, and immediately release them from detention, where their families report they have been physically abused, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Authorities first…
Journalist Nurgeldi Halykov jailed in Turkmenistan since September 2020 on fraud charges
Stockholm, May 21, 2021 – Turkmen authorities should immediately release journalist Nurgeldi Halykov from prison and allow him and all other journalists to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 15, 2020, the Bagtyýarlyk District Court in Ashgabat, the capital, sentenced Halykov, a freelance correspondent working for the independent Netherlands-based news…
Zimbabwe journalists charged with criminal insult over interview on politician’s personal life
New York, May 21, 2021 — Zimbabwean authorities must immediately drop the insult charges against two journalists with the Zim Morning Post news website and repeal the country’s criminal insult laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 14, officers from the Law and Order section of the Central Police Station in Harare,…