Top Iranian journalists jailed in wake of Ashura protests
New York, December 29, 2009—The Iranian government, struggling to silence the many critical voices in the country, has arrested at least 11 journalists since Sunday, including former International Press Freedom Award recipient Mashallah Shamsolvaezin and the prominent writer Emadeddin Baghi. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the arrests and called for the release of all…
Prominent Kyrgyz journalist killed in Kazakhstan
New York, December 22, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Kazakh authorities today to thoroughly investigate the apparent murder of visiting Kyrgyz journalist Gennady Pavlyuk. Pavlyuk, at left, who is better known by his pen name, Ibragim Rustambek, died in the hospital this morning after falling from an upper-story window of an apartment building…
Rebecca MacKinnon, Ahmed Rashid, and María Teresa Ronderos join CPJ board
New York, December 21, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists announced the addition of three leading journalists to its board of directors today: Rebecca MacKinnon of Global Voices, Ahmed Rashid, journalist and scholar, and María Teresa Ronderos of Semana.com.
Reason to doubt there will be justice in Maguindanao
On Thursday, CPJ’s Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin posted an entry—“Cries for justice in the Philippines massacre”—on the international mission he was part of in the Philippines this week. The team was following up in the aftermath of the November 23 massacre that killed at least 30 journalists and media workers in Ampatuan, in Maguindanao province, in the southern Philippines.
CPJ joins Global Day of Solidarity with Philippine journalists
New York, December 9, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists joins in the call to journalists across the world to join the Global Day of Solidarity today to demand justice for the journalists slaughtered in Maguindanao province of the Philippines on November 23.
Philippine groups move quickly to investigate massacre
Four groups in the Philippines released what appears to be the most authoritative account on the murder of 57 people on November 23 in Ampatuan, in Maguindanao province, in the Philippines’ southernmost main island, Mindanao. The report puts the death toll for journalists at 30, with a few others classified as media workers—drivers and other support staff. Some bodies are…
American journalist interrogated at Canadian border
New York, December 2, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention and interrogation of a U.S. journalist crossing the border into Canada. News host Amy Goodman of the syndicated, community-oriented radio and television program “Democracy Now!” was detained on Nov. 25 as she tried to cross the Canadian border south of Vancouver and questioned about her work. Goodman…
Letter to Ahmadinejad: Release the hikers
I hope Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad checked his fax machine this morning because he received an important letter urging the release of three American hikers held now for five months without charge. I joined 79 signatories from a dozen countries in signing the appeal because I am gravely concerned that the hikers are being used as political…