Somaliland’s ministry of information imposes indefinite ban on CBA TV
Nairobi, September 16, 2022—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland to allow the privately owned CBA TV broadcaster to resume operations and to desist from using bans to silence the press. In a September 6 letter, the minister of information Suleyman Yusuf Ali, also known as…
Journalists tell CPJ how Tunisia’s tough new constitution curbs their access to information
On a recent CPJ mission to Tunisia, local journalists spoke to CPJ about the erosion of press freedom alongside other human rights in the country over the last 14 months. In July 2021, Tunisia President Kais Saied fired Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament, granting himself sole executive power. A year later, a heavily…
Vietnam sentences blogger Le Anh Hung to 5 years in prison
Bangkok, September 16, 2022 – Vietnamese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned blogger Le Anh Hung and stop harassing journalists on spurious anti-state charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On August 30, the Hanoi People’s Court convicted and sentenced Hung to five years in prison under Article 331 of the penal code, an anti-state…
Journalists tell CPJ how Tunisia’s tough new constitution curbs their access to information
When a CPJ researcher sat down with Lotfi Hajji, Tunisia bureau chief of Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera at a coffee shop in Tunis in July, we noticed that a man sitting directly behind us was recording our conversation on his phone. When we stood up to take a selfie with him in the background, the man…
Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union shuttered by Moscow court order
Paris, September 14, 2022 — In response to news reports that the Moscow city court on Wednesday closed the independent Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union trade group at the request of Moscow’s prosecutor office, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for authorities to reverse their decision and to let the union work freely:…
Turkish authorities arrest journalist Sinan Aygül for refusing to pay fine
Istanbul, September 13, 2022—Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist Sinan Aygül and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Aygül, chief editor of the privately owned local news website Bitlis News and chair of the Bitlis Journalists Society, a local trade group, was arrested by police in the eastern city…
People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists pronounces judgment in The Hague
The Hague, September 13, 2022 – In an unprecedented effort to achieve justice for the killing of journalists, three leading press freedom groups launched a People’s Tribunal in November 2021 to hold governments accountable. After three case hearings in Mexico City and the Hague, the independent Panel of Judges will pronounce its judgment on 19…
Sierra Leonean authorities fine, suspend licenses of Star broadcasters
Abuja, September 13, 2022—Authorities in Sierra Leone should ensure that Star television and radio stations can broadcast news without undue interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. In mid-August, Sierra Leone’s broadcast media regulator, National Telecommunications Commission, suspended the licenses of privately owned broadcasters Star Radio and Star TV for over two weeks and…
Russian journalist Badma Byurchiyev assaulted in Elista
Paris, September 13, 2022 — Russian authorities should swiftly investigate the assault on Badma Byurchiyev, determine whether it was linked to his journalistic activity, and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Thursday, September 8, unidentified people attacked Byurchiyev, a news reporter with independent news website Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian…