Bangladesh authorities order banks to disclose information on 12 journalists’ accounts
Washington, D.C., September 28, 2021 — Bangladesh authorities must immediately drop their investigations into the bank accounts of 12 members of the press and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and independently, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 11, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, a government agency responsible for investigating…
French police question journalist Thomas Dietrich over complaint by Chad official
On September 9, 2021, judicial police in Puteaux, a Paris suburb, questioned Thomas Dietrich, a reporter for the news website Le Média, about his recent encounter with a government official from the central African country of Chad, according to a statement by the local journalists’ union SNJ-CGT, a report by Le Média, and Dietrich, who…
People’s Tribunal to indict governments, seeking justice for murdered journalists
The Hague, September 28, 2021 – In an unprecedented effort to achieve justice in the killing of journalists, three leading press freedom groups have established a People’s Tribunal to investigate their murders and hold governments accountable. The Tribunal, a form of grassroots justice, relies on investigations and high-quality legal analysis involving specific cases in three…
Colombian journalist Marcos Efraín Montalvo shot and killed
Bogotá, September 28, 2021 – Colombian authorities must thoroughly investigate the killing of journalist Marcos Efraín Montalvo, determine if he was targeted for his work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 19, in the western city of Tuluá, an unidentified man with a pistol entered a…
CPJ calls on EU states to prioritize safe passage for fleeing Afghan journalists
Brussels, September 27, 2021 – At the upcoming High-level Resettlement Forum, European Union officials must commit to helping Afghan journalists resettle in EU member states, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The forum, scheduled for October 7, has been convened by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Commissioner for…
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan must advocate for press freedom in meetings with Saudi Arabia and UAE
New York, September 27, 2021 – U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan should advocate for an end to press freedom violations in Yemen and throughout the Persian Gulf region as he meets with leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Sullivan is traveling to the region…
Syrian journalists fear for their lives despite the end of the siege of Daraa al-Balad
On September 9, the Syrian Army and its allies lifted their two-and-a half-month siege of the district of Daraa al-Balad in southern Syria under a Russian-brokered ceasefire with local rebels. The deal is the latest chapter in the long saga of the district, a cradle of the 2011 revolution that was recaptured by Syrian Army…
Congolese authorities detain AFP correspondent Pierre Sosthène Kambidi without charge
New York, September 24, 2021 — Congolese authorities should immediately release journalist Pierre Sosthène Kambidi and ensure the press across the country can work without fear or intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 20, plainclothes military officers arrested Kambidi, a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and the local news website Actualite.cd, at…
Hong Kong police arrest, charge journalist with disorderly conduct after anniversary of Prince Edward metro station ‘831 incident’
On August 31, 2021, at around 9 p.m., Hong Kong police arrested Leung Chi-Hung, a reporter for the online news outlet Egg Egg Club, while dispersing crowds outside of the Prince Edward metro station, according to news reports. Leung, who was filming police operations at the station on the two-year anniversary of the “831 incident,”…
‘There is no private life’: Three Togolese journalists react to being selected for spyware surveillance
When Komlanvi Ketohou fled Togo in early 2021, he left behind his home, his family, and his cell phone that the gendarmerie seized when they arrested and detained him over a report published by his newspaper, L’Independant Express. In July, Ketohou, who goes by Carlos, learned that the phone number connected to the device they…