Sri Lanka moves to re-establish restrictive media regulatory body
New York, July 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about Sri Lankan authorities’ decision to re-establish the Sri Lankan Press Council, a media regulatory body which gives the government powers to jail journalists in connection with their reporting.
India should conduct thorough investigation into journalist’s death
New York, July 6, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Indian authorities to fully investigate the death of a local TV journalist in Madhya Pradesh state on Saturday. The family of Akshay Singh has called for the federal Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the case.
In Turkey, jailed journalist given new prison term as third investigation begins
Istanbul, July 1, 2015–Turkish journalist Mehmet Baransu was handed a 10-month jail sentence by an Istanbul court on June 30 for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Twitter, according to reports. Baransu, a columnist and correspondent for the privately owned daily Taraf, is already in prison while authorities investigate him on separate charges, his lawyer…
Nigerian journalists investigating smuggling are beaten
Abuja, Nigeria, July 1, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an attack on two journalists who, according to one of the journalists and news reports, were left with serious injuries after being beaten and threatened on the grounds of the Nigeria Customs Service offices on June 25.
Zimbabwean journalist to appeal jail term over unregistered newspaper
New York, June 30, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to immediately release Zimbabwean journalist Patrick Chitongo who, according to reports, was sentenced to one year in prison on June 23 for publishing an unregistered newspaper.
Moroccan editor, source convicted in defamation case
New York, June 30–Moroccan journalist Hamid al-Mahdaoui was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence by a Casablanca court on Monday and ordered, along with a co-defendant named in the case, to pay a combined 100,000 Moroccan dirhams ($10,290) in damages for criminal defamation, according to the journalist’s website and other news outlets.
Turkish journalist faces 23 years in prison for insulting government officials
Istanbul, June 26, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the insult charges filed against a Turkish reporter and calls on Turkish authorities to drop them immediately. The charges against Canan Coşkun, a reporter for the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, were first reported by the Turkish media on Wednesday.
Al-Jazeera cameraman killed in shelling in Syria
Beirut, June 26, 2015–An Al-Jazeera cameraman was killed today while covering clashes between regime forces and rebels in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, the pan-Arab broadcaster reported. Mohammed al-Asfar is the second Al-Jazeera journalist to be killed in the province since December.
RFI reporter assaulted in Chad, then expelled
Abuja, Nigeria, June 26, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Chadian authorities’ ejection this week of a French journalist. Laurent Correau, reporter for Radio France Internationale, was assaulted by police alongside an international human rights defender before being expelled, according to news reports.