South Africa judge strikes down gag order against investigative outlet amaBhungane
New York, July 3, 2023—In response to a South African High Court’s Monday judgment striking down a gag order against the amaBhungane Center for Investigative Journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Today’s judgment is a massive victory for media freedom in South Africa and an important vindication of a journalist’s ethical…
Myanmar sentences The Irrawaddy publisher Thaung Win to 5 years prison for sedition
Bangkok, July 3, 2023 – Myanmar’s military authorities must immediately release Thaung Win, stop persecuting journalists for their work, and let the independent news outlet The Irrawaddy operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On June 28, the Western Yangon District Court sentenced Thaung Win, The Irrawaddy’s publisher, to five years in prison…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering anti-police protests in France
Violent protests have spread across France and Belgium following the fatal shooting of a 17-old teenager by police during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday, June 27. Skirmishes between police and protestors have been reported in cities including Lille, Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Montpellier, and the Belgian capital of Brussels….
Hong Kong denies entry to Japanese journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa
Taipei, June 30, 2023—In response to Hong Kong immigration authorities denying entry to freelance Japanese journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa on Thursday, June 29, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Hong Kong authorities should explain their reasons for denying journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa’s entry or grant him permission to return to the city at once,”…
Russian authorities request 19-year prison term for journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev
New York, June 29, 2023—Russian authorities should release journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev and stop prosecuting reporters for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On June 22, during a hearing in the Yuzhniy Military Court in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, a prosecutor requested a 19-year prison term for Gadzhiev, the religion editor of…
Committee to Protect Journalists to recognize distinguished media advocates at 2023 International Press Freedom Awards
Esteemed awardees from Georgia, India, Mexico, and Togo to be honored New York, June 29, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists will celebrate four extraordinary journalists from Georgia, India, Mexico, and Togo with its 2023 International Press Freedom Awards. In the face of a stark decline in press freedom worldwide, this year’s awardees have continued to…
Shahina K.K., India
CPJ is honored to present its 2023 International Press Freedom Award to Indian journalist Shahina K.K. Shahina K.K. is a veteran Indian journalist who has worked across print and broadcast media to shed light on issues such as gender, human rights, and marginalized communities, along with the injustices they face. CPJ has been documenting the…
Ferdinand Ayité, Togo
CPJ is honored to present its 2023 International Press Freedom Award to Togolese journalist Ferdinand Ayité. Ferdinand Ayité is one of the most targeted journalists in Togo in recent years—facing persistent legal harassment and threats that have forced him into exile. His phone number also appeared on the Pegasus Project list of journalists allegedly selected…
Nika Gvaramia, Georgia
CPJ is honored to present its 2023 International Press Freedom Award to Georgia journalist Nika Gvaramia. Georgian journalist Nika Gvaramia served more than a year of a 3.5-year prison sentence before receiving a presidential pardon in June 2023. The charges against Gvaramia were widely denounced as politically motivated. He is the only journalist in Georgia…
CPJ report finds press freedom in Ecuador on the edge amid escalating security crisis and political inertia
Public-interest reporting under threat ahead of critical 2023 elections Quito, June 27, 2023—Political paralysis and spiking crime pose grave threats to press freedom in Ecuador, finds a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published today. CPJ’s report, “Ecuador on edge,” found the country’s journalists face the prospect of acute violence amid a…