Outlets banned in Bahrain and Syria over allegations of false news
New York, August 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in Bahrain and the Kurdish-run territory of Syria to rescind two separate decisions this week to suspend the operations of three news outlets that fill a critical journalistic space in their respective areas. The three outlets have been accused of spreading false news…
Germany scores against the surveillance state
It all went very fast. On Tuesday morning August 4, Germany’s chief federal prosecutor, Harald Range, was ordered by Justice Minister Heiko Maas to withdraw an independent expert from the investigation of two journalists from Netzpolitik. The investigator had concluded that leaked documents quoted by the news website amounted to a disclosure of a state…
Baku court bars press and family from Khadija Ismayilova trial
New York, August 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijani authorities to ensure due process in the trial against award-winning investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova. When Ismayilova appeared at Baku Court on Grave Crimes for the first substantive hearing in her case today, journalists, international observers, and the reporter’s family were barred from entering…
Brazilian journalist dies after being shot while hosting radio program
New York, August 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder on Thursday of Brazilian radio journalist Gleydson Carvalho in the municipality of Camocim in the northeastern state of Ceará and calls on authorities to bring the killers to justice. Carvalho was presenting a program on Radio Liberdade FM when two unidentified gunmen entered…
Fourth blogger killed in six months in Bangladesh
New York, August 7, 2015–Bangladeshi authorities should immediately investigate the murder today of a secular blogger who was hacked to death by six assailants with sharp weapons in his home in the capital, Dhaka, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The blogger, who is known as Niloy Neel, frequently criticized religious extremism in the…
CPJ urges Maldives to launch independent investigation into case of missing journalist Rilwan
Dear President Yameen: The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent international press freedom organization, is writing to express its concern about a Maldivian journalist who has been missing for a year and to call on your government to ensure a credible and independent investigation into his disappearance.
Burundi must investigate attacks on journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists and 18 other organizations are urging Burundi authorities to investigate attacks on journalists and human rights defenders. Since the April announcement that President Pierre Nkurunziza would run for a third term, defying constitutional limitations and sparking months of protests, journalists have been routinely targeted. At least five radio stations were…
An international call for China to release ailing journalist Gao Yu
With the health of jailed journalists Gao Yu fading quickly (see ‘I don’t want to die here’: Gao Yu’s health deteriorates in Beijing prison), 15 media support and human rights groups sent a letter today to Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials calling for the 71-year-old reporter’s unconditional release. Gao suffers from heart disease,…
Ivory Coast publisher charged with defamation, insult
Abidjan, August 5, 2015–A journalist who was imprisoned for almost a week by authorities in the Ivory Coast has been charged with defamation, among other crimes, according to the journalist and news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Ivory Coast to drop the charges against Joseph Titi immediately. A judge…