Benin authorities arrest journalist Ignace Sossou, question him about Facebook posts
Vancouver, Canada, December 23, 2019 — Authorities in Benin should immediately release and halt efforts to intimidate journalist Ignace Sossou and drop any charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
British Virgin Islands law to impose fines, jail terms for online defamation
Miami, December 23, 2019 — British Virgin Islands Governor Augustus Jaspert should reject cybercrime legislation recently approved by the territory’s legislature, or require revisions to the bill to protect press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Saudi court sentences 8 for Jamal Khashoggi killing
New York, December 23, 2019 — The Saudi public prosecutor’s office announced today that a court had sentenced five people to death and three to jail terms for their roles in the October 2018 killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which took place in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to…
A letter from CPJ’s Washington Advocacy Manager
Dear friend of CPJ, Happy Holidays from Washington, D.C.! As we reflect on our accomplishments in 2019, we can’t help but take stock of the challenges we faced. President Trump continues to use his platform to attack the press, giving a stamp of approval to dictators and autocrats who imprison and murder journalists. Congress is…
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.