Iraqi Kurdish journalist Omed Baroshky: Press freedom ‘an illusion’ in the region
Freelance journalist Omed Baroshky spent 18 months in jail over social media posts that were critical of the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan. One of four Iraqi Kurdish reporters listed in CPJ’s 2021 prison census, his incarceration marked yet another low point for a region that has seen a sharp deterioration in the environment for the…
Serbian broadcaster N1TV and newspaper Danas receive death threats
Berlin, April 25, 2022 – Serbian authorities should conduct swift and thorough investigations into death threats made to employees of the broadcaster N1TV and newspaper Danas, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On April 18, the independent broadcaster N1TV received an anonymous email threatening that the outlet’s employees…
Libyan journalist Ali al-Rifawi detained since March after reporting on corruption
New York, April 21, 2022 – Libyan authorities must immediately release journalist Ali al-Rifawi, disclose his location, and ensure that journalists can cover local events without fear of detention, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On March 26, armed officers from the Internal Security Agency, a coalition of armed groups led by the Libyan…
UK court brings Julian Assange one step closer to extradition; CPJ calls on US Justice Department to drop charges
A London court on Wednesday ordered the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. The decision brings Assange one step closer to facing espionage and hacking charges in the U.S., but the extradition still needs to be approved by a British cabinet minister, and Assange’s defense can appeal to her directly. CPJ…
Hong Kong’s largest journalist association considers disbanding amid government investigation
Taipei, April 20, 2022 – Hong Kong authorities should stop persecuting, harassing, and jailing members of the press and ensure that journalists and journalist associations are able to do their jobs freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On April 13, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) informed its members that it…
Two Ukrainian journalists’ bodies found in Bucha and Yahidne after Russian withdrawal
After Russian withdrawal, Ukrainian journalists found killed: video technician Roman Nezhyborets’ body was found buried in the northern Ukrainian village of Yahidne, and freelance journalist Zoreslav Zamoysky’s body was found in Bucha, near the capital of Kyiv. Local Ukrainians found the bodies after Russian forces withdrew from those areas. More from CPJ’s coverage of the…
After Russian withdrawal, Ukrainian journalists found killed in Bucha and Yahidne
Paris, April 13, 2022 — Ukrainian authorities should thoroughly investigate the deaths of journalists Roman Nezhyborets and Zoreslav Zamoysky, determine if they were targeted for their work, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Nezhyborets’ body was recently found buried in the northern Ukrainian village of Yahidne, and Zamoysky’s…
Emily Bell: Tech companies must ‘wake up’ to their role in Ukraine war disinformation
As Russia wages an information war alongside its physical war in Ukraine, tech companies have responded with measures small and large, from reducing the visibility of propagandistic social media posts to blocking Russian state-affiliated media, to going beyond international sanctions by pulling out of the country altogether. Meanwhile, Ukrainian journalists, citizens, and officials have used…
Russian court sentences 4 student journalists to 2 years of correctional labor
New York, April 12, 2022 – In response to a Russian court’s sentencing of four journalists from the student-run online magazine DOXA to two years each of correctional labor, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Russian authorities’ sentencing of four student journalists to two years each of correctional labor is…
Somaliland intelligence officers attack 3 journalists; detain journalist Abdisalan Ahmed Awad
Nairobi, April 11, 2022 — Authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland should unconditionally release freelance online journalist Abdisalan Ahmed Awad and hold the intelligence officers who harassed and assaulted him and two other journalists responsible, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On the night of March 18, Abdisalan was riding in a car…