In Swaziland, two held on contempt of court charges
Cape Town, March 19, 2014–Authorities in Swaziland should immediately release Bheki Makhubu, editor of the independent newsmagazine The Nation, and Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer, who were imprisoned earlier this week in connection with articles published in The Nation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Amid clampdown, another blogger sentenced in Vietnam
Bangkok, March 19, 2014–In a mounting clampdown on Internet freedom in Vietnam, blogger Pham Viet Dao was sentenced to prison today for online posts critical of the Communist Party-led government, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ruling and calls for his immediate release.
Egypt hands jail term to journalist, holds others in custody
New York, March 17, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the one-year prison sentence given today to Samah Ibrahim, a reporter for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice newspaper. Ibrahim is one of at least 10 journalists imprisoned in the country, according to news reports and CPJ research.
More journalists obstructed on the job in Crimea
New York, March 13, 2014–Journalists covering the ongoing crisis in the southern Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea continue to be detained, harassed, and obstructed, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on all sides of the crisis to allow journalists to report freely on the events in Crimea and Ukraine.
Two Iraqi journalists killed in suicide bomb
New York, March 11, 2014–A suicide bombing targeting a police checkpoint in Iraq’s Babil province on Sunday killed dozens of Iraqis, including two journalists, according to news reports. Muthanna Abdel Hussein and Khaled Abdel Thamer were cameramen for the state-run Al-Iraqiya TV station.
British-Swedish journalist shot dead in Afghan capital
New York, March 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s fatal shooting of an international journalist in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and calls on authorities to ensure the perpetrators are held responsible. The shooting comes amid mounting risks for foreigners in Kabul. Two unidentified men approached Nils Horner, 51, in Kabul’s diplomatic district this morning,…
Journalists detained, attacked while reporting in Crimea
New York, March 11, 2014–Two reporters were detained by armed men in the autonomous republic of Crimea, in southern Ukraine, while other journalists have reported being assaulted covering the crisis and their equipment damaged or seized, according to news reports. More than a dozen broadcasters have also been censored, the reports said.