Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov sentenced to 16 years on treason charges
New York, November 16, 2020 – The Grave Crimes Court in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, today sentenced Polad Aslanov, the chief editor of the independent news websites Xeberman and Press-az, to 16 years in jail on the charge of high treason, his wife Gulmira Aslanova told the Committee to Protect Journalists via messaging app and the…
Journalist Virgilio Maganes shot and killed in the Philippines
Bangkok, November 16, 2020 – Philippine authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Virgilio Maganes and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the morning of November 10, two assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed Maganes outside his home in Villasis, in…
Three journalists killed in Mexico in two weeks
In Mexico, reporter Israel Vázquez was shot and killed in the state of Guanajuato on Monday. He was the third journalist killed in the country in the last two weeks. So far in 2020, Mexico is the deadliest country for journalists with at least four journalists killed in direct relation for their work. Freelancer Lizbeth…
Egyptian blogger Mohamed Oxygen’s detention extended as authorities file new charge
New York, November 11, 2020 – Egyptian authorities must immediately release blogger Mohamed Ibrahim, also known as Mohamed Oxygen, and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ibrahim has been held in pretrial detention since September 21, 2019, when he was arrested and charged with membership of a banned group,…
Ethiopian journalist Bekalu Alamrew arrested, accused of disseminating false news
Nairobi, November 10, 2020 — Today the Committee to Protect Journalists called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release broadcast journalist Bekalu Alamrew, who was arrested on November 4 and has not been formally charged. Three uniformed police officers and one plain-clothed officer arrested Bekalu from the Addis Ababa offices of the privately-owned Awlo Media Center,…
Female journalists covering Mexican feminist protests face harsh police response
Lizbeth Hernández, a freelance journalist based in Mexico City, is documenting a rising women’s protest movement against gender-based violence in the country. According to federal data from the Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SESNSP), deadly violence against women reached record heights in 2019; more than 1,000 women were murdered because of their gender, an…
EU should withdraw draft resolution that threatens encryption
November 10, 2020—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern after the Council of the European Union proposed a draft resolution last week calling for national authorities across the EU to have access to encrypted messages as part of criminal investigations into terrorism and organized crime. Journalists rely on encryption to evade surveillance and protect their…
Mexican journalist Jesús Alfonso Piñuelas shot and killed in Sonora
Mexico City, November 9, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Mexican authorities today to undertake a swift and credible investigation into the killing of journalist Jesús Alfonso Piñuelas, founder of Zarathustra Press and El Shock de la Noticia, who was shot dead November 2 in Cajeme, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. According to news reports, Piñuelas,…
Belarus authorities arrest journalists, issue jail sentences, launch investigation
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 6, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should stop arresting and prosecuting journalists and allow news media to report on the country’s political situation freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the capital Minsk detained Nasta Zacharevich of internet news portal Zeleny, according to the Belarusian Association of…
Globally journalists covering the pandemic continue to face threats
Journalists worldwide continue to face attacks and harassment while covering COVID-19 and related lockdowns. In Brazil, an unidentified group harassed and threatened journalist Bárbara Barbosa and a camera operator while reporting on lockdown compliance. In Italy, a television crew covering anti-lockdown demonstrations were attacked and chased, and journalist Mimmo Rubio was threatened over his reporting…