Inside an Afghan news network’s struggle to survive
Threats, insults, beatings, and censorship: Former Ariana News staffers detail dire challenges during a year under Taliban control For veteran journalist Sharif Hassanyar, the final breaking point came in September last year. The Taliban had ousted the elected government of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani almost a month earlier, and the last American soldiers had since…
Angolan journalists harassed while covering election rallies
New York, July 21, 2022 — Angolan authorities should thoroughly investigate all instances of the harassment of journalists ahead of the country’s August 24 elections, and ensure that members of the press can cover the campaign safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Since July 1, at least three journalists have been harassed or…
Mexican journalist Antonio de la Cruz shot dead in Ciudad Victoria
Mexico City, June 30, 2022 – Mexican authorities must immediately and credibly investigate the killing of journalist Antonio de la Cruz and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. At about 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, unidentified attackers shot and killed de la Cruz near his home in Ciudad…
Indian police investigate 2 journalists following critical social media posts
New York, June 16, 2022 – Indian police must immediately drop investigations into journalists Saba Naqvi and Mohammed Zubair in response to their social media posts criticizing right-wing Hindu politics and activists, and allow all members of the press to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On June 3, police in the…
Russian authorities fine Vecherniye Vedomosti newspaper, threaten 60.ru news website over Ukraine war coverage
New York, June 8, 2022 – Russian authorities must stop their efforts to silence reporting on the country’s invasion of Ukraine, and drop all fines and penalties issued to outlets covering the conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On June 3, the Kirovsky District Court in the central city of Yekaterinburg fined the…
British journalist Dom Phillips missing in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, June 6, 2022 – Brazilian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough search for journalist Dom Phillips and ensure he is found as soon as possible, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Phillips, a freelance British reporter, was on a reporting trip in the Indigenous territory of the Javari Valley with…
Three DRC journalists get death threats for posts about conflict in the country’s east
Kinshasa, June 6, 2022 – Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must ensure the safety of journalists Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, Steve Wembi, and John Lungila and investigate the threats made against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday. Since Monday, May 30, Bujakera, a reporter with privately owned, France-based Jeune Afrique…
Botswana journalists remain ‘vigilant’ under new surveillance law
When Botswana’s government sought to pass a new law early this year that would have allowed for warrantless surveillance, local opposition came swift. Authorities eventually introduced judicial oversight, which local media groups considered a success, but the Botswana police’s history of searching journalists’ devices and accessing their telecom information remains cause for concern. “We do…
As World Cup nears, Qatar and FIFA face fresh scrutiny on press freedom commitments
Exactly one year before the scheduled start of the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar, plainclothes officers from the Gulf state’s Criminal Investigations Department arrested Halvor Ekeland and Lokman Ghorbani, a sports reporter and cameraman respectively for Norwegian state broadcaster NRK, as they were leaving their hotel in the capital of Doha. The NRK journalists…
Two Ukrainian journalists’ bodies found in Bucha and Yahidne after Russian withdrawal
After Russian withdrawal, Ukrainian journalists found killed: video technician Roman Nezhyborets’ body was found buried in the northern Ukrainian village of Yahidne, and freelance journalist Zoreslav Zamoysky’s body was found in Bucha, near the capital of Kyiv. Local Ukrainians found the bodies after Russian forces withdrew from those areas. More from CPJ’s coverage of the…