Cuban internet access cut amid free expression protest; journalist harassed
Miami, January 29, 2020 — Cuban authorities should stop disrupting internet access in the country and allow journalists to cover protests freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 27, starting at around 3:30 p.m. internet access was shut down on the island for approximately two hours, according to news reports and several local journalists posting on Twitter. To get…
Kurdish Syrian journalist Fanar Mahmoud Tami abducted
New York, January 29, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed alarm over the abduction of Syrian journalist Fanar Mahmoud Tami, and called on all parties in northeast Syria to ensure his safety. In the evening of January 23, masked assailants driving a white jeep abducted Tami, a freelance journalist who publishes news…
Russian police crack down on journalists covering pro-Navalny protests
Russian law enforcement has detained, beat, and interfered with the work of dozens of journalists covering protests in support of opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, assaulting at least eight and detaining at least 49. Ahead of expected demonstrations on Saturday, police continue trying to intimidate independent journalists covering the demonstrations. CPJ urges Russian…
Moroccan journalist Maati Monjib sentenced to 1 year in prison
New York, January 28, 2021 – The Court of First Instance in Rabat, Morocco, yesterday convicted Maati Monjib, co-founder of the Moroccan Association for Investigative Journalism, of fraud and endangering state security, and sentenced him to one year in prison and a fine of 10,000 dirhams (US$1,116), according to news reports. “The Moroccan government has…
Indian journalist Neha Dixit receives threatening calls, break-in attempt
New Delhi, January 27, 2021 – Indian authorities should thoroughly investigate threats made to journalist Neha Dixit and ensure her safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 9 p.m. on January 25, an unidentified person attempted to break into Dixit’s home in Delhi, and fled when she went to investigate, she told…
Egyptian cartoonist Ashraf Hamdi detained after publishing video on Arab Spring anniversary
New York, January 26, 2021 — Egyptian authorities must immediately release cartoonist Ashraf Hamdi and drop any charges filed against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the early hours yesterday, state security forces arrested Hamdi, owner and founder of cartoon blog Egyptoon, at his home in Giza, according to news reports and…
Russian police detain, beat, and harass dozens of journalists covering pro-Navalny protests
New York, January 26, 2021 – Russian authorities should allow journalists to cover protests freely and without fear, and refrain from attacking or detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 23, police in at least 20 cities throughout Russia detained, beat, and otherwise interfered with the work of…
Trump lit the fuse, but anti-media sentiment among his supporters may outlast him
Joe Biden’s subdued — if heavily guarded — inauguration at the U.S. Capitol was a marked contrast to the events there two weeks prior, when journalists were assaulted, harassed, and had their equipment destroyed by protesters who sought to overturn the election in favor of Donald Trump. Yet with Trump now out of the White House —…
Arrest warrant issued for Indian journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta in defamation case
New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat should drop their arrest warrant for journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and the Adani Group conglomerate should stop trying to intimidate journalists with legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Adani Group initiated criminal and civil defamation suits in 2017…
Indian authorities in Manipur investigate editors for sedition, conspiracy, terrorism
New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Manipur should drop their investigations into The Frontier Manipur and its editors, Sadokpam Dhiren and Paojel Chaoba, and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 17, police in Imphal, the Manipur state capital, summoned and detained…