Cameroon military spokesperson says journalist Samuel Wazizi died in custody last year
New York, June 5, 2020 — In response to a statement issued by the Cameroonian Ministry of Defense today that journalist Samuel Wazizi died in government custody in August 2019, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The Cameroonian government’s cruel treatment of journalist Samuel Wazizi is truly shocking. It is unbelievable that authorities…
Burundi court rejects imprisoned Iwacu journalists’ appeal
Nairobi, June 5, 2020 — In response to a Burundi court’s decision today to reject the appeal of four Iwacu media group journalists who are serving 2.5-year prison terms, as reported by their employer, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Burundian authorities should never have arrested the four detained Iwacu journalists; rejecting…
Journalists assaulted, detained while covering COVID-19 protest in Iraqi Kurdistan
On June 2, 2020, Iraqi Kurdish security forces assaulted at least four journalists and detained two others who were covering protests against the COVID-19 restrictions in the northeastern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, according to news reports and a report by the Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy, a local press freedom group. During a…
Yemeni journalist Nabil al-Quaety killed outside his home in Aden
New York, June 3, 2020 — Yemeni authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Nabil Hasan al-Quaety and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday morning, a group of men in military uniforms attempted to hit al-Quaety with their car as he exited his home…
Managing director of Iranian news agency convicted on false news charges
On May 31, 2020, Branch 6 of Tehran’s Media Court convicted Ali Motaghian, the managing director of the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), on charges of “spreading false news,” according to a report by the news agency. CPJ could not determine what sentence Motaghian received or whether he is in custody. The semi-official Iranian…
China’s COVID-19 countermeasures include restricting press freedom
In the nearly 71 years of Communist Party rule in China, the country’s citizens have enjoyed brief periods of relatively free speech, as during the abortive Hundred Flowers Campaign in 1956-57, or the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when investigative journalists covered local corruption and pollution. When the coronavirus outbreak first began spreading in…
CPJ demands Cameroonian government account for arrested journalist Samuel Wazizi
New York, June 3, 2020 — Cameroonian authorities must immediately disclose the whereabouts and the health and legal status of imprisoned journalist Samuel Wazizi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “Samuel Wazizi’s friends, family, colleagues, and lawyers have unsuccessfully sought answers about his arrest from the Cameroonian government for far too long,” said CPJ…
Amid COVID-19, the prognosis for press freedom is dim. Here are 10 symptoms to track
By Katherine Jacobsen The COVID-19 pandemic has sent public health officials scrambling, the global economy into shock, and governments everywhere into crisis. It has also reshaped the way journalists work, not least because many authorities in many countries have cited the contagion as a reason to crack down on the news media. Certain dangers will…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering U.S. protests over police violence
Updated August 26, 2020 There have been hundreds of reported incidents of violence and harassment, as well as arrests, targeting journalists covering ongoing Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. sparked by the death on May 25, 2020—in police custody—of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These incidents have been documented by CPJ…
CPJ condemns targeting of journalists covering protests across the U.S.
New York, May 30, 2020 — In response to reports of attacks against journalists in recent days by police and protesters while covering demonstrations across the U.S., the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Targeted attacks on journalists, media crews, and news organizations covering the demonstrations show a complete disregard for their critical…