April 2021: The ‘voice of the people’: Anastasia Mejía vows to keep reporting after Guatemala arrest
On August 24, 2020, Anastasia Mejía prepared herself for yet another day of reporting in Joyabaj in central Guatemala. At 49 years old, she had spent the previous 11 years covering the city’s Indigenous Maya K’iche’ community, to which she belongs. Her subject that day was a protest of mostly Maya K’iche’ merchants who wanted…
Russia designates independent outlets Meduza and PASMI as ‘foreign agents’
New York, April 26, 2021 – Russian authorities should reverse their decision to designate independent media outlets Meduza and PASMI as foreign agents, and should repeal or reform the country’s foreign agent law, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 23, Russia’s Justice Ministry added the independent Latvia-based news website Meduza to its…
Algerian freelance journalist Said Boudour arrested while covering protests
New York, April 26, 2021 – Algerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Said Boudour and cease arresting journalists for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 23, police in the city of Oran arrested Boudour, a blogger and freelance journalist, while he was covering anti-government protests on his Facebook…
Police obstruct journalists covering U.S. protests against police violence
As protests against police violence in the U.S. persisted, CPJ urged law enforcement in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and other cities to respect journalists’ rights and allow them to continue working and reporting the news. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, of which CPJ is a founding partner, documented at least 26 assaults, 24 arrests or detentions,…
CPJ, other groups urge Biden administration not to waive human rights conditions on Egypt aid
The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 13 other civil society groups in sending an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Jake Sullivan, assistant to the president for national security affairs, urging the Biden administration not to waive human rights conditions in sending military aid to Egypt for fiscal year 2020. In…
Kenya police threaten to summon Citizen TV staff over investigation into illegal gun trade
Nairobi, April 22, 2021 – Kenyan police should cease harassing the Royal Media Services company and its Citizen TV broadcaster, refrain from summoning journalists for questioning, and ensure that members of the press can work without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 20, George Kinoti, the director of the National Police…
Argentine court charges journalist Daniel Santoro with attempted extortion
Miami, April 22, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Argentine authorities to drop the latest criminal charge against investigative journalist Daniel Santoro, who has been subject to repeated legal harassment for at least two years. On April 19, Judge Luis Rodríguez from the Ninth Federal Criminal and Correctional Court charged Santoro,…
Israeli security forces arrest Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Rimawi in Ramallah
New York, April 22, 2021 – Israeli authorities should immediately make public any charges against Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Rimawi and disclose where he is being held, or release him unconditionally at once, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Early yesterday morning, a group of about 12 Israeli soldiers raided the Ramallah home of al-Rimawi,…
Brazilian media outlet that covers women’s rights targeted with DDoS attack
Between March 26 and April 2, 2021, unidentified internet users orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Portal Catarinas, an online media outlet specializing in gender, feminism, and human rights, according to Paula Guimarães, the portal’s executive director and a report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI). The attacks flooded the site with traffic…
Hong Kong court convicts, fines journalist Choy Yuk-ling over documentary research
Taipei, April 22, 2021 — In response to a Hong Kong court’s conviction today of video producer Choy Yuk-ling, also known as Bao Choy, on charges of giving false statements, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The unjust conviction of video producer Choy Yuk-ling marks the latest assault on press freedom in…