Crimean court fines chief editor of Qirim newspaper
New York, April 21, 2021 – Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea should not contest the appeal of journalist Bekir Mamutov, and should refrain from fining members of the press over their coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the magistrates’ court of the Zheleznodorozhny district of Simferopol, the capital of Russian-occupied Crimea, convicted Mamutov,…
Vietnamese police arrest 3 more journalists in probe of ‘Clean Newspaper’
Bangkok, April 21, 2021 – Vietnamese authorities should immediately release journalists Nguyen Thanh Nha, Doan Kien Giang, and Nguyen Phuoc Trung Bao, and drop any pending charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the southern city of Can Tho arrested the three journalists as part of an ongoing investigation…
Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal orders El Nacional daily to pay $13 million in defamation case
Bogotá, April 20, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned a decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal ordering the independent daily newspaper El Nacional to pay the equivalent of more than $13 million in damages in a civil defamation lawsuit. On April 16, the Civil Cassation Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal ordered El…
Imprisoned Uyghur journalist Erkin Tursun appears in Chinese propaganda video
Taipei, April 19, 2021 – Chinese authorities should immediately release journalist Erkin Tursun and stop using imprisoned members of the press in propaganda materials, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 9, at a press event in Beijing, Chinese officials aired a video of Tursun, a former TV producer who has been imprisoned…
Digital media rules empower Indian government to censor online news
Digital news sites in India are on edge and expecting the worst after the government promulgated news rules in February, bringing them under regulation and further endangering the environment for press freedom in the country. The rules, in essence, give the government powers to censor website content, with little chance for appeal. In interviews with…
Proposed Venezuelan foreign funding law could have ‘huge impact’ on independent outlets
When Ewald Scharfenberg launched the investigative news website Armando.Info in 2014, about half of his start-up funds came from Venezuelan donors, subscribers, and advertisers, while overseas foundations provided the rest. But amid the worst economic crisis in Venezuela’s history, local income has disappeared, forcing Scharfenberg to rely almost entirely on international donations to keep Armando.Info…
Report: Chilean army allegedly monitored investigative journalists
Miami, April 15, 2021—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today over the findings of an April 9 report by the Chilean nonprofit news site Center for Investigative Journalism (CIPER) that Chile’s army appears to have allegedly monitored journalists covering corruption and human rights abuses. CIPER’s report is related to the ongoing September 2019 investigation by the…
Some much-needed good news: Journalists released in Turkey and Egypt after years behind bars
Some long-overdue good news. After several painful years behind bars, three journalists imprisoned in Turkey and Egypt are finally free and reunited with their families. On Wednesday, it was announced that Egyptian journalists Solafa Magdy and Hossam el-Sayyad were released, after having been imprisoned since November 2019. Separately, in Turkey, prominent journalist Ahmet Altan was…
Russian law enforcement raid student magazine DOXA, place 4 editors under home detention
New York, April 15, 2021 – Russian authorities should immediately drop all charges against DOXA editors Armen Aramyan, Natalia Tyshkevich, Vladimir Metelkin, and Alla Gutnikova, and allow them to work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, law enforcement officers in Moscow raided the office of the independent student-run magazine DOXA…
Palestinian journalist Muath Hamed questioned in Spain by alleged Israeli intelligence agent
New York, April 15, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over an account by Palestinian journalist Muath Hamed that he was summoned by Spanish authorities under false pretenses and questioned about his journalistic activity by someone he believes to be an Israeli intelligence operative. In early February, officers with Spain’s Civil…