Peru opens criminal investigation into Ojo Público’s Ernesto Cabral over corruption reporting
Bogotá, November 12, 2021 – Peruvian authorities should immediately drop their criminal investigation of journalist Ernesto Cabral and allow him and the Ojo Público team to work free of harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 9, Ojo Público, a Lima-based news website, reported that government prosecutors are seeking an order to…
Two Mexican journalists killed in less than a week
Impunity in journalist killings in Mexico continues to perpetuate a cycle of violence against the press. On October 28, in the southern state of Chiapas, an unidentified man shot and killed reporter Fredy Fernando López Arévalo outside his home. Also that day, armed men abducted Alfredo Cardoso Echevarría at his home in Acapulco; he was…
Syrian journalist Majed Shamaa facing deportation from Turkey over satirical video
New York, November 4, 2021 — Turkish authorities should immediately release Syrian journalist Majed Shamaa, end deportation proceedings against him, and allow him to do his job freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At 1:30 a.m. on October 30, police arrested Shamaa, a reporter for the Dubai-based broadcaster Orient TV, at…
Eight press freedom threats to watch ahead of Nicaragua’s presidential elections
On November 7, Nicaraguans are set to go to the polls to vote for president, the culmination of a campaign that has included the detention of opposition candidates, the banning of civil society organizations, and continued suppression of the country’s independent press. Nicaragua’s press freedom environment sharply deteriorated in 2018, when journalists covering protests against…
Spanish judge demands journalist Ignacio Escolar reveal his sources in a leak investigation
Berlin, October 26, 2021 — Spanish authorities must drop their demand for journalist Ignacio Escolar to reveal his news site’s sources in a leak investigation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 5, 2021, the first instance investigative criminal court No. 29 of Madrid, presided by investigating judge María Cristina Díaz, gave Ignacio…
Taliban fighter beats freelance journalist Sadaqat Ghorzang at Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing
Washington, D.C., October 25, 2021– The Taliban must thoroughly investigate the beating of Sadaqat Ghorzang, ensure its forces do not attack members of the press, and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, a Taliban fighter patrolling the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and…
Jammu and Kashmir authorities detain, question 5 journalists; hold Salman Shah, Suhail Dar
New Delhi, October 15, 2021 — Authorities in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir must immediately release journalists Salman Shah and Suhail Dar, cease detaining and questioning journalists in relation to their work, and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and independently, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since October 8, authorities in Jammu…
Polish authorities question reporter covering Belarus border area
On September 27, 2021, police in Michałowo, a Polish town near the border with Belarus, questioned Agnieszka Kaszuba, a reporter for daily newspaper Fakt, for about an hour, according to news reports, her employer, and the journalist, who communicated with CPJ via email. Kaszuba told CPJ that the officers stopped her car while she was…
Bangladesh authorities detain sister of exiled journalist Kanak Sarwar
Washington, D.C., October 6, 2021 — Bangladesh authorities must immediately release Nusrat Shahrin Raka, cease targeting journalists’ family members, and commit to allowing the media to operate without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Very early yesterday morning, officers with the police Rapid Action Battalion raided Raka’s home in Uttara, a…
‘It is becoming unbearable:’ Journalists say they have become ‘scapegoats’ at anti-vaccine protests
Journalists covering demonstrations against COVID-19 countermeasures have been called “terrorists,” “pedophiles,” “murderers,” and “scumbags.” Protesters have harassed and assaulted members of the press, and told them that “the nooses are ready.” Threats like these have become increasingly familiar for reporters in Europe and the United States, where the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a CPJ partner,…