Headquarters of Chilean daily El Líder damaged in arson attack by protesters
On November 26, 2019, at around 8 p.m., unidentified demonstrators broke into the headquarters of Chilean newspaper El Líder, in the commune of San Antonio, Valparaíso, started fires, and vandalized the newspaper’s offices, according to news reports and a statement from the National Press Association, an independent association of Chilean media outlets.
Fullerton journalists sued for “hacking” city’s open Dropbox folder
In a complaint filed in the California Superior Court of Orange County on October 24, 2019, the City of Fullerton, California accused a community blog and two contributors of violating anti-hacking laws for accessing confidential files city employees posted online, according to their lawyer Kelly Aviles and court documents reviewed by CPJ. Aviles told CPJ…
CPJ joins call for Kyrgyzstan to ensure safety of journalists covering corruption
CPJ and four other international organizations today sent a letter to Kyrgyzstan authorities demanding they stop harassing local journalists who have covered alleged official corruption, and urging authorities to investigate threats and attacks against journalists.
25 journalists were killed this year for their work
In the Philippines, a court convicted the mastermind of the November 23, 2009, massacre of 58 people in Maguindanao. The attack killed 32 journalists and media workers, and was the deadliest event for the press that CPJ has ever recorded. This week, CPJ released its 2019 report on journalists killed worldwide, finding that at least…
Venezuelan intelligence services raid, shutter news outlets Venepress and Telecaribe
Bogotá, December 20, 2019 — Venezuelan authorities must immediately allow local news outlets Telecaribe and Venepress to resume their work informing the public and cease their harassment of independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
A Note from the EU Representative and Advocacy Manager
Dear Friend of CPJ, What a year it has been. In the summer, European elections brought about a change within the institutions. We capitalized on the renewed political will by leading a call to the new Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, to make press freedom a priority, and our call was answered. A new…
Algeria sentences cartoonist Benabdelhamid Amine to 3 months in prison
Washington, D.C., December 19, 2019 — A court in Oran, in northwest Algeria, sentenced cartoonist Benabdelhamid Amine to one year in prison on December 11 after finding him guilty of insulting the president, “violating territorial integrity,” and “disseminating publications harmful to national security,” according to news reports. The Djamal City Criminal Court suspended nine months…
Ten years for justice in Maguindanao case is too long: We can do better
Never Forget. This became the rallying cry among journalists, freedom of expression activists and human rights defenders as they demanded justice following the massacre on November 23, 2009 of 58 people in Maguindanao. The attack, in which 32 journalists and media workers were killed, was the single deadliest event for the press that CPJ has…