Bitter reversal: Myanmar military coup wipes out press freedom gains
Myanmar’s junta has effectively criminalized independent journalism, arresting and charging journalists, closing news outlets, restricting access for international reporters, and driving journalists underground or into exile. Within a few months of the February military coup, the country has become one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists. A CPJ special report by Shawn W. Crispin…
European soccer association UEFA denies accreditations to at least 6 journalists, citing failed background checks by Russia and Azerbaijan
New York, June 15, 2021 – The Union of European Football Associations should ensure that all journalists can report from its events freely and without political interference from host countries, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since late May, UEFA, an umbrella organization comprised of 55 national soccer associations across Europe, has denied or…
Belarus sentences reporter Hlafira Zhuk to jail, authorities continue to harass journalists
Vilnius, Lithuania, June 2, 2021 — Belarusian authorities should release journalist Hlafira Zhuk immediately and cease harassing members of the press over their news coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 31, the Maskouski District Court in Minsk, the capital, sentenced Zhuk, a correspondent for the independent news website Narodnaya Volya, to 30…
Cuban journalist Mary Karla Ares transferred to prison
Miami, May 27, 2021 – Cuban authorities should release journalist Mary Karla Ares immediately and drop the criminal investigation into her work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, authorities transferred Ares to the Western Women’s Prison in the La Lisa municipality of Havana, after holding her in a police facility since her April…
Nicaraguan police raid Confidencial office, briefly detain camera operator Leonel Gutiérrez
Guatemala City, May 21, 2021 — Nicaraguan authorities must return confiscated equipment to Confidencial, allow its staff to enter their offices, and refrain from harassing independent media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At 9 a.m. yesterday, riot police officers surrounded the independent news website Confidencial’s office in Managua, and about 90 minutes…
Israeli air strikes destroy buildings housing more than a dozen media outlets in Gaza
New York, May 13, 2021 – Israeli forces must refrain from bombing media outlets, and should ensure that journalists can work safely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 11 and 12, Israeli warplanes bombed and destroyed the Al-Jawhara and Al-Shorouk office buildings in Gaza City, which house more than…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Violent protests erupted in parts of Jerusalem in mid-April, in response to the proposed eviction of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, according to multiple news reports. Combined with reports of heavy handed policing of Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan–which began in mid-April–and the use of stun grenades and tear gas to control…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering mass protests in Colombia
Violent and deadly protests have flared in urban centers across Colombia since April 28, 2021, including Bogotá, the capital, as well as Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Ibagué, Zipaquirá, and Buenaventura, according to news reports. Initially sparked by President Iván Duque’s proposed tax reforms–which were later dropped–protests have since morphed into a wider movement against poverty,…
Russian court jails journalist Sergey Stepanov for 30 days over Navalny protest coverage
Vilnius, Lithuania, April 29, 2021 — Russian authorities should release journalist Sergey Stepanov immediately and should cease detaining and harassing members of the press covering protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Oktyabrsky District Court in the central Russian city of Tambov sentenced Stepanov, a freelance correspondent for Finnish TV and radio broadcaster…
Israeli security forces arrest Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Rimawi in Ramallah
New York, April 22, 2021 – Israeli authorities should immediately make public any charges against Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Rimawi and disclose where he is being held, or release him unconditionally at once, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Early yesterday morning, a group of about 12 Israeli soldiers raided the Ramallah home of al-Rimawi,…