‘I am challenged at the court for simply doing my job’: Journalists covering climate issues in Europe face growing threats
Skyrocketing temperatures and catastrophic flooding have hammered home the realities of climate change in Europe, making environmental coverage one of the continent’s most important beats. It’s also an increasingly dangerous one as journalists face legal and physical harassment for reporting on polluters, amid other concerns. Of course, Europe isn’t the only place where journalists find…
Belarus authorities detain journalist Vyacheslau Lazarau on undisclosed charges
Paris, February 14, 2023 — Belarusian authorities should disclose the reason for the recent detention of journalist Vyacheslau Lazarau or free him immediately, and ensure that no members of the press are jailed for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On February 9, law enforcement in the northeastern city of Vitebsk detained…
‘Like going to the war front’: Nigerian journalists offer tips for covering 2023 elections
In the early hours of February 1, unknown gunmen set fire to an office of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission and a police station in the country’s southeastern Anambra state. Days earlier, gunmen had attacked and killed soldiers and policemen at checkpoints along a road that connects nearby Enugu and Ebonyi states. The incidents underscored…
‘Don’t give up’: After fleeing overseas, Hong Kong journalists fight on
When Hong Kong journalist Matthew Leung covered a small protest in the northern English city of Manchester last October, little did he know it would become one of the biggest stories in his career—and unleash a diplomatic storm between China and Britain. His photographs, showing a group of men beating a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester…
Journalist Mortaza Behboudi detained by Taliban since January 7
New York, February 8, 2023 – Taliban authorities must immediately release journalist Mortaza Behboudi and stop intimidating and arbitrarily detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 7, members of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence detained Behboudi, a reporter and cofounder of the independent news website Guiti News,…
CPJ Insider: February 2023 edition
Maria Ressa acquitted on spurious charges: A Q&A with Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn W. Crispin A Philippine Court of Tax Appeals in January acquitted Nobel laureate and CPJ’s 2018 Gwen Ifill Award winner Maria Ressa of tax evasion in four of seven cases brought by the government against her and the news organization she…
CPJ calls for transparency, public accountability in Cameroon’s investigation into Martinez Zogo’s death
Dakar, February 2, 2023–In response to multiple news reports that police arrested several people, including prominent members of Cameroon’s security forces, in connection to their investigation into the murder of the Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Cameroonian authorities must ensure transparency in the investigation into the brutal…
CPJ joins calls for credible investigation into death of Rwandan journalist John Williams Ntwali
CPJ joined about 100 other human rights and press freedom organizations Tuesday in a joint statement calling on the Rwandan government to ensure an “independent, impartial, and effective investigation” into the death of journalist John Williams Ntwali. Authorities said that Ntwali died on January 18 in a traffic accident in the capital city of Kigali….
Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested for alleged hate speech
New York, February 2, 2023 – Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Imran Riaz Khan and cease targeting journalists in retaliation for their commentary on the military, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In the early hours of Thursday, February 2, officers with Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency arrested Khan, an anchor with…
Venezuelan authorities question 2 El Nacional employees, summon 3 others
Bogotá, January 27, 2023 — Venezuelan authorities must drop their criminal investigation into two editors, three reporters, and an administrative employee of the El Nacional news website and allow them to continue their work free of intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, January 25, officers of Venezuela’s investigative police unit detained…