Myanmar journalist Maung Maung Myo sentenced to 6 years in prison
Bangkok, August 1, 2022 – Myanmar authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Maung Maung Myo and stop imprisoning members of the press on spurious charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Friday, July 29, a court in the city of Hpa-an, in Kayin state, sentenced Maung Myo, a reporter for the independent Mekong News Agency, to six years in prison on…
Ivory Coast journalist Noël Konan jailed overnight, fined over a tweet
On July 18, 2022, a court in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, convicted investigative reporter Noël Kouadio Konan of defamation under Article 89 of the country’s press law and fined him three million CFA francs (US$4,600) over a June 29 tweet, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging…
Honduran journalist Sonia Pérez criminally charged over reporting on Indigenous evictions
Guatemala City, July 29, 2022 — Honduran authorities should immediately drop all criminal charges against journalist Sonia Pérez López and stop using the country’s legal system to silence the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On May 22, Juan Argueta, a landowner in the municipality of San Jose, filed a criminal complaint against…
Shireen Abu Akleh’s family, CPJ, U.S. lawmakers call on Biden administration to investigate journalist’s killing
On Thursday, CPJ joined the family of slain Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and U.S. lawmakers for a press conference to call for an independent, U.S.-led investigation into her killing. Also this week, CPJ called on U.S. officials to act after Blinken met with Abu Akleh’s family. “Today, we remind President Biden of his…
CPJ calls for Ukraine to revise draft media law
Paris, July 28, 2022 – Ukrainian legislators should revise a draft media law that threatens to restrict press freedom in the country and would move it away from European Union standards, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On July 1, Olga Gerasimyuk, the head of Ukraine’s National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting, the…
Adani Group files criminal defamation suit against freelance Indian journalist Ravi Nair
New Delhi, July 28, 2022 – Indian authorities should not pursue criminal defamation charges against journalist Ravi Nair, and should ensure he can work free from legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On July 26, police in New Delhi ordered Nair to appear in a court in Gandhinagar, the capital of the…
Bosnia and Herzegovina news website eTrafika threatened with ‘bloodshed’ over reporting
Berlin, July 28, 2022 – Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should swiftly and thoroughly investigate death threats sent to journalists at the independent news website eTrafika and ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Starting in May, Siniša Golub, a man who was previously the subject of eTrafika’s reporting, sent threats of…
‘Covering a lawless land’: Brazilian journalists on reporting in the Amazon after Dom Phillips’ and Bruno Pereira’s killings
The June murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous issues expert Bruno Pereira, whom police suspect were killed by people with ties to illegal fishing in the Amazon, amounted to a “nightmare” come true, Brazilian journalist Daniel Camargos, who often covers the Amazon, told CPJ in a phone interview. Camargos, an investigative reporter for news website Repórter Brasil,…
Six Kenyan journalists and press freedom advocates on their fears ahead of general elections
Kenyans are preparing to head to the polls August 9 for a national election that is predicted to be tightly contested. Deputy President William Ruto is vying for the presidency against main contender Raila Odinga, a veteran opposition figure who nonetheless has the backing of the current President Uhuru Kenyatta. In 2017, Kenyan journalists were harassed and detained while covering…
Nigerian police arrest, briefly detain 5 staff members of Peoples Gazette in Abuja
New York, July 22, 2022 — Nigerian authorities should cease harassing employees of the Peoples Gazette and reform the country’s laws to decriminalize defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Mid-day on Friday, July 22, police arrived at the privately owned news website’s office in Abuja, the capital, and arrested assistant managing editor John…