Nigerian BBC host Peter Nkanga receives death threats
Abuja, May 30, 2021 – Nigerian authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the death threats received by journalist Peter Nkanga and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. Since May 20, dozens of anonymous people have called and sent text messages to Nkanga, an Abuja-based reporter with the BBC,…
Hungarian court convicts reporter Júlia Halász on criminal defamation charge
Berlin, May 28, 2021 — Hungarian authorities should not contest journalist Júlia Halász’s appeal of a recent criminal defamation verdict, and should reform the country’s laws to decriminalize speech, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 6, an appellate court in Budapest upheld a lower court’s November 12, 2020, ruling to convict Halász,…
Hong Kong cites encrypted communications with journalists to deny bail to former lawmaker
Taipei, May 28, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned Hong Kong authorities’ decision to cite communications with foreign journalists as a reason to deny bail to former pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo. The Hong Kong High Court cited Mo’s interviews and texts with reporters from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,…
Turkmen security officials threaten, harass families of two exiled journalists
Stockholm, May 26, 2021 – Turkmen authorities must immediately end the practice of harassing exiled journalists’ family members and allow all Turkmen journalists based abroad to return to the country and report in safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On a number of occasions between March and May this year, officers of the…
Unidentified men attack, bind, and gag Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor at his home in Islamabad
Washington, D.C., May 26, 2021 — Pakistan authorities must launch a credible investigation into the assault of journalist Asad Ali Toor and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday evening, three unidentified men beat, bound, and gagged Toor inside his apartment in Islamabad, according to news reports and the…
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…