Five Bahraini journalists detained; Parvaz still missing
New York, May 17, 2011–Bahrain’s crackdown against journalists continues unabated with five new detentions in less than a week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Syria and Iran, one of which is holding Al-Jazeera English journalist Dorothy Parvaz, continue to make intentionally vague or misleading remarks about her whereabouts and physical condition. Meanwhile, Libya…
Ugandan journalists targeted during Entebbe march
New York, May 13, 2011–Security and military personnel attacked local and foreign journalists and confiscated their equipment on Thursday as they covered the return of opposition leader Kizza Besigye to Uganda. Besigye returned to Uganda Thursday from Nairobi, where he was treated for injuries received when security forces assaulted him and his colleagues during demonstrations…
Media owners prosecuted, forced out of Kyrgyzstan
New York, May 13, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Kyrgyz authorities today to drop trumped-up criminal charges against the founder and director of the largest regional television channel, Osh TV, and the founder, owner, and director of three now-defunct media outlets–the independent broadcaster Mezon TV, and newspapers Itogi Nedeli and Portfel.
Iran must release Dorothy Parvaz
New York, May 11, 2011–Al-Jazeera reported today that Syria has deported Dorothy Parvaz, a journalist working for the channel’s English-language service, to Iran. The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling for her immediate release.”Syria’s apparent deportation of Dorothy Parvaz to Iran when she is also a citizen of the U.S. and Canada, is an irresponsible…
New Ivory Coast president must improve press freedom
Dear President Ouattara: We are writing to ask that you uphold press freedom now that you have taken office. We ask that you ensure that journalists and media outlets close to former president Laurent Gbagbo are allowed to report freely, and take all necessary steps to solve the disappearance since 2004 of French-Canadian journalist Guy-André Kieffer.
CPJ Impact
News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, April 2011 Digital frontiers and beyond To mark World Press Freedom Day 2011, CPJ will publish “The 10 Tools of Online Oppressors,” a special report on the most threatening tactics to suppress online journalists and bloggers as well as the countries making exemplary use of these censorship tools.…
Honduran radio director ambushed by gunmen
New York, April 29, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Honduran authorities today to offer full protection to Radio Uno Director Arnulfo Aguilar after a group of gunman attempted to enter his home in the northwestern city of San Pedro Sula. The police delayed an hour in responding to Aguilar’s distress call, according to…
Two Swiss journalists barred from leaving Qatar for 13 days
New York, April 19, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention and questioning of two sports journalists working in Qatar for the public Swiss broadcaster Radio Television Suisse (RTS). Both journalists were prevented from leaving the country for 13 days.
In Italy, journalists threatened for reporting on murders
President Napolitano: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about local authorities’ harassment of journalists and media outlets who criticize the official investigation into the November 2007 brutal murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in the central Italian city of Perugia. CPJ is particularly troubled by the manifest intolerance to criticism displayed by Perugia Public Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, who has filed or threatened to file criminal lawsuits against individual reporters, writers, and press outlets, both in Italy and the United States, in connection with the Kercher murder investigation as well as the investigation into the Monster of Florence serial killings.
Bahraini blogger dies in custody; journalists under attack
New York, April 12, 2011– The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Bahraini authorities to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into the death of a blogger while in state custody. Bahraini authorities, meanwhile, announced that they would file criminal charges against three senior editors at the Gulf kingdom’s premier independent daily, continuing a months-long…