Togolese journalists Loic Lawson and Anani Sossou jailed following minister’s complaint
New York, November 15, 2023 – Togolese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Loic Lawson and Anani Sossou, and reform the country’s laws and regulations to ensure journalism is not criminalized, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, November 14, an investigating judge at a Lomé court charged Lawson, publication director of…
Resources for journalists covering protests
Protests and other crowded gatherings are dynamic situations that can quickly turn dangerous or violent. It is important for journalists to understand the protest environment they are reporting in and to be prepared for any potential risks they may encounter. Covering protests and civil unrest may result in surveillance, arrest, and targeted attacks. Journalists should…
Filipino radio journalist Juan Jumalon shot dead while live broadcasting
Bangkok, November 6, 2023—Philippine authorities must launch a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of radio journalist Juan Jumalon, determine if he was targeted for his work, and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Sunday morning, an assailant entered Jumalon’s home-based radio station pretending to be a listener and shot him twice during his…
CPJ Insider: November edition
‘Journalists in Gaza are facing exponential risk:’ a look at CPJ’s response to the war The world is watching in horror the unfolding events in the Israel-Gaza war. Working closely with our partners in the region, CPJ is documenting press freedom violations—with scores of journalists killed, assaulted, detained, threatened, and censored. We offer safety consultations…
Myanmar junta raids Rakhine State news agency, arrests journalist
Bangkok, November 3, 2023—Myanmar’s military regime must immediately release Rakhine State journalist Htet Aung and allow the independent Development Media Group news agency to operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Sunday, soldiers arrested Development Media Group reporter Htet Aung while he was taking photos of soldiers making donations to Buddhist monks…
Impunity for the killers of journalists at nearly 80% on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
Today, as we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the rate of impunity for killers of journalists continues unabated at nearly 80% worldwide, according to CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index. For the first time, Haiti is on the index, ranking as the world’s third-worst impunity offender, behind Syria and Somalia…
Syrian journalist missing after arrest on Iraqi Kurdistan border
Beirut, November 1, 2023—Iraqi Kurdish authorities should immediately reveal the whereabouts of Syrian journalist Sleman Mohammed Ahmed, unconditionally release him, and stop harassing journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On October 25, Ahmed—an Arabic editor for the local news website RojNews—was arrested by Iraqi Kurdish authorities at the northern Faysh Khabur border and…
DRC journalist Blaise Mabala accused of insulting a provincial government official
Kinshasa, October 31, 2023—Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should immediately release and drop their criminal prosecution against journalists Blaise Mabala and Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On October 20, an officer with the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) arrested Mabala, radio coordinator with the privately owned Même Morale FM…
In Haiti, murders of journalists go unpunished amid instability and gang violence
Dumesky Kersaint never flinched when it came to investigating violence in his gang-controlled suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. On the morning of April 16, the 31-year-old radio reporter left before dawn to cover a previous night’s shooting near his home in Carrefour-Feuilles. He never came back. Several hours after setting out, Kersaint’s body was found…
Crisis-hit Haiti fails to deliver justice for murdered journalists
Impunity for the killers of journalists continues unabated at nearly 80% worldwide Full justice achieved in fewer than 5% of cases since 1992 New York, October 31, 2023—No one has been brought to justice in nearly 80% of the 261 cases of journalists murdered in retaliation for their work in the past decade, according to…