In Belarus, Lukashenko’s vindictiveness reaches new heights
On May 23, Belarusian authorities caused a global outcry when they diverted a Lithuania-bound commercial flight to the Belarus capital of Minsk so they could arrest two passengers on the plane: self-exiled journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. This shocking tactic was seen as emblematic of just how far President Aleksandr Lukashenko is…
Freelance journalist Andrey Kuznechyk detained in Belarus
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 29, 2021 — Belarusian authorities should immediately release journalist Andrey Kuznechyk and stop detaining independent journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 25, Kuznechyk, a freelance correspondent for Radio Svaboda, the Belarusian-language service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), returned to his home in Minsk, the…
CPJ Insider: July 2021 edition
Jimmy Lai, of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, to receive CPJ’s 2021 Gwen Ifill award Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned founder of Hong Kong’s Next Digital media company and Apple Daily newspaper, will be honored with CPJ’s 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award, CPJ’s board of directors announced in June. The award recognizes an individual’s extraordinary and…
Ethiopian journalist Abebe Bayu abducted and assaulted
Last week, unidentified men in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa abducted Ethio Forumjournalist Abebe Bayu at gunpoint, drove him to the city’s outskirts, and warned him to cease criticizing the government. They then seized both of his cell phones and fled the scene. Three days later, Ethio Forum announced on Facebook that it was…
A devastating loss for press freedom in Hong Kong
In recognition of his sustained commitment to press freedom, CPJ will honor Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaperand the paper’s parent company, Next Digital, with the 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. However, in deeply troubling developments, the Chinese government has ramped up its efforts to stomp out critical…
The high cost paid by journalists in exile
Journalists forced to flee their countries face many challenges, including physical attacks and threats to family members they left behind. In some cases, they are pushed out of their professions completely. In a new feature released ahead of World Refugee Day, CPJ examines the risks facing journalists in exile, with recommendations on how nations, the…
CPJ highlights risks for journalists who flee; calls on nations to create special emergency visas
Searching for safety, journalists in exile are often trapped in a vicious circle New York, June 17, 2021– The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on governments to provide safe refuge to journalists at risk through special emergency visas, in a feature and recommendations released ahead of World Refugee Day. Drawing on CPJ’s work over…
At-risk journalists who must flee home countries often find few quick and safe options
In 2018, journalist Mohammad Shubaat was in Daraa, Syria, caught between advancing forces aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the closed borders of Israel and Jordan. Despite the dire threat to Shubaat and many of his colleagues, it would take over a year of intense negotiations with some 20 countries by the Committee to…
In Belarus, authorities are ‘purging the media space’
As the EU moves forward with sanctions against Belarus, in response to the detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich, CPJ held a press briefing Wednesday to shed light on the broad range of restrictions and reprisals facing journalists there. CPJ noted the upcoming Biden-Putin summit as an opportunity to focus on press freedom and welcomed a…
CPJ to brief media on press freedom in Belarus
New York, June 7, 2021–The crackdown on press freedom in Belarus has dominated headlines in recent weeks following the shocking detention of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich. But stepped-up repression and censorship of local media intended to eliminate critical and independent reporting—including arrests, legal restrictions, and internet disruptions—has been ongoing for nearly a year. Ahead of…