In Belarus, Poczobut in closed trial for ‘insulting’ leader
New York, June 14, 2011–Belarusian authorities must end the retaliatory prosecution of Andrzej Poczobut, a Grodno-based correspondent for the largest Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, and release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Thailand dismisses role in Reuters photographer’s death
New York, March 24, 2011–A Thai police investigation concluded today that government security forces did not kill Reuters photographer Hiro Muramoto, left, during political violence in Bangok on April 10, 2010. But the Committee to Protect Journalists, expressing concerns that the investigation was not transparent, has called for a full, independent investigation into the Japanese…
Concerns of Thai whitewash in killing of Reuters’ Muramoto
Bangkok, February 28, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by inconsistencies in Thailand’s official investigation into the killing of Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto, who was killed by gunfire while covering clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces last April 10 in Bangkok.Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation told reporters today that its investigations showed that Muramoto was apparently…
Journalists held by Belarus KGB face up to 15 years in prison
New York, December 23, 2010–The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by the ongoing detention and potential prosecution of Belarusian journalists Natalya Radina, editor of the pro-opposition news website Charter 97, and Irina Khalip, local correspondent for the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Both are considered suspects in organizing and participating in mass disorder–a charge that carries up to…
Disdaining press freedom, Kazakhstan undermines OSCE
President Nazarbayev’s government promised reforms in exchange for gaining chairmanship of the OSCE. But the reforms never materialized and now, as a summit approaches in Astana, the OSCE is risking damage to its own reputation. A CPJ special report by Nina Ognianova
YouTube wants your input on barriers to Internet freedom
In an age of widespread online journalism, Internet users worldwide are exposed to stories, footage, and leaks that probably would have gone unpublished in the print age. In response, YouTube has opened up the floor to commentary on the current condition of online freedom of expression. They’re calling on all Internet users, bloggers, and activists to submit…
In Polenghi case, autopsy shared but more needed
Two days before Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi was fatally shot while covering widespread civil unrest in the streets of Bangkok, he posted a short message to his Facebook page: “Every day is a gift, so do your best,” he wrote in a message made more poignant by his death on May 19. More than two months…
U.S. Senate passes ‘libel tourism’ bill
This week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill shielding journalists and publishers from “libel tourism.” The vote on Monday slipped past the Washington press corps largely unnoticed. Maybe it was the title that strove chunkily for a memorable acronym: the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act. Journalists and…