The targeting of Russian blogger Aleksei Navalny
The trial of Aleksei Navalny is coming to an end at the Leninsky District Court in the river city of Kirov, 500 miles northeast of Moscow. Navalny, a charismatic 37-year-old lawyer, was propelled to fame through his activities as an anti-corruption blogger, activist, and a leader of Russia’s opposition movement. Most recently, he pledged to…
Egyptian press under fire after Morsi’s ouster
New York, July 8, 2013–An Egyptian photographer working for a newspaper affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood was killed today while covering clashes in Cairo, according to news reports. Other local and international journalists have also reported being targeted in the aftermath of last week’s ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi.
Rouhani can take steps to improve Iran press freedom
After eight hellish years for Iran’s journalists under outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the election of Hassan Rouhani was welcomed with hope for a better future. As soon as he takes office in August, he should act on his view and take steps to protect journalists in Iran.
Ecuador loses investigative journal Vanguardia
Like the death of a loved one. That’s how Juan Carlos Calderón, editor of the newsmagazine Vanguardia, described the June 28 closing of the newsweekly that for eight years published hard-hitting investigations about public officials and faced frequent government harassment. Yet the final days of Vanguardia were almost as controversial as its stories.
Pakistan should allow access for foreign journalists
Dear Prime Minister Sharif: We are writing to express our deep concern about the expulsion of at least three foreign journalists from Pakistan. While Pakistan remains a dangerous country for journalists, we are concerned that it is also fast becoming inhospitable to international correspondents.
Egyptian authorities step up censorship
New York, July 5, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that Egypt’s new military-run government is detaining journalists and censoring news outlets, including those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, despite proclaiming an intention to be inclusive.
Malaysia denies entry to critical journalist
New York, July 5, 2013–Malaysian immigration authorities should reverse their decision to deny entry Wednesday to a journalist critical of the provincial Sarawak government, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is based in the United Kingdom, flew to Kuching in southeast Malaysia but was served a “notice of refusal of…
Al-Jazeera station raided, 3 others shut in Egypt
New York, July 3, 2013–Authorities in Egypt’s new military-run government raided Al-Jazeera’s Egyptian station today, disrupting its service, and shut down at least three stations supportive of Mohamed Morsi in a worrying series of moves that seemed designed to cut off coverage of pro-Morsi events, according to news accounts.
Attacks in Egypt highlight risk of covering protests
From São Paulo to Istanbul to Cairo, coverage of street demonstrations has re-emerged as an exceptionally dangerous assignment for journalists. Since June 1, CPJ has documented more than 120 attacks on the press amid the civil unrest in Brazil, Turkey, and Egypt–the biggest surge of attacks in such circumstances since the uprisings that swept the Arab world…