Liberia’s FrontPageAfrica summoned to defend bribery report or face contempt of court
Abuja, June 12, 2023—Liberian authorities should ensure that journalists are able to cover court cases without fear that they will be forced to expose their sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. In a summons dated May 31, which CPJ reviewed, Judge Blamo Dixon of Criminal Court C in the Liberian capital Monrovia ordered…
Ukraine journalists say opaque accreditation process hampers war coverage
Paris, June 9, 2023—Ukrainian authorities should ensure that journalists covering the war are not pressured over their reporting and must set clear and transparent qualifications for press accreditation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Since March, officers with Ukraine’s SBU security service have repeatedly questioned journalists seeking accreditation from the country’s military and others…
CPJ welcomes new board chair, Jacob Weisberg
CPJ announced today that Jacob Weisberg has been elected chair of its board of directors. His term will run from 2023 to 2026, and he will succeed Kathleen Carroll, who has been a member of the CPJ board since 2008 and chair since 2017. “When it comes to defending journalists and press freedom, CPJ has…
Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani detained on undisclosed charges
New York, June 8, 2023—Iranian authorities must release cartoonist Atena Farghadani and stop their unabated efforts to silence commentators and members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, June 7, authorities arrested Farghadani at Evin Prison in the capital city of Tehran after she responded to a summons to appear…
Pakistani journalists Ahmad Noorani and Shahid Aslam targeted in leak case
New York, June 8, 2023–Pakistan authorities must cease harassing journalists Ahmad Noorani and Shahid Aslam and allow them to work without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In late May, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued an investigative report, which CPJ reviewed, accusing the journalists of involvement in illegally accessing the tax records…
CPJ concerned by India Law Commission’s recommendation to expand sedition law
New Delhi, June 8, 2023–The Indian government must repeal the country’s sedition law and reject recommendations from the Law Commission to retain and expand the legislation, as it would impinge on press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On May 24, the commission, which advises the Indian government on legal reforms, recommended retaining…
Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes new board chair
New York, June 8, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today announced that Jacob Weisberg has been elected chair of its board of directors. The board voted yesterday for Weisberg, whose term will run from 2023 to 2026, to succeed Kathleen Carroll, who has been a member of the CPJ board since 2008 and chair…
South African court’s gag on amaBhungane raises fears for investigative journalism, sources
New York, June 7, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday expressed concern that a South African high court judge’s temporary injunction, if made final, against the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit investigative outlet, could imperil the country’s investigative journalism, journalists’ confidential sources, and whistleblowers. In April, amaBhungane published a series of articles…
Mahoney: The lingering legacy of China’s COVID-19 censorship
One time she drew flowers on a letter to her ailing mother from her Chinese prison cell. Another time it was pictures of penguins. The drawings were a good sign. Zhang Zhan, the journalist jailed for her COVID-19 reporting from Wuhan, is maybe doing better. The 39-year-old Shanghai lawyer-turned social media reporter was one of…
Russian soldiers detain former journalist Iryna Levchenko in southeastern Ukraine
Paris, June 2, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release Iryna Levchenko and stop detaining current and former members of the press in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In early May, Russian forces detained Levchenko and her husband, Oleksandr, in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, in southeast Ukraine, according…