Uttar Pradesh journalist dies after alleged arson attack
New Delhi, December 4, 2020 — Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state must thoroughly investigate the death of journalist Rakesh Singh and ensure that those responsible are swiftly prosecuted, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 28, Singh, a journalist with a local Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Swaroop, died from burn injuries after his house…
Two journalists killed in the Philippines in one week
Eleven years after the Maguindanao massacre in the Philippines, where 32 journalists and media workers were killed, the government has prematurely declared an end to impunity in journalist murders. Meanwhile, journalist killings continue: CPJ calls on Philippine authorities to investigate the deaths of Ronnie Villamor, shot by unidentified assailants on November 10, and Virgilio Maganes,…
Media luminaries join together in a powerful celebration of press freedom #IPFA
The media community and supporters of press freedom came together in a powerful celebration of journalism at last night’s International Press Freedom Awards. The host, veteran broadcast journalist Lester Holt, kicked off the evening, which took viewers on a journey through the repression faced by journalists in Iran, the brutal experience of prison for a…
Ecuadorian journalist Juán Sarmiento sentenced to prison for ‘discrediting’ local official
Bogotá, November 20, 2020 – Ecuadorian authorities should not contest journalist Juan Sarmiento’s appeal of a recent criminal conviction for critical comments about a local politician, and the country should remove speech laws from its penal code, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 12, the Justice Court of Napo, in central Ecuador,…
CPJ awards celebrate free media and the power of the press
Journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, and Russia honored New York, November 19, 2020 — In a tumultuous year marked by a global pandemic, social upheaval, and tense political divides, the overarching message from CPJ’s 2020 International Press Freedom Awards tonight was simple: journalism matters more than ever and solidarity has never been more important. “Whether…
Algerian Ennahar TV director Anis Rahmani sentenced to 5 years in prison
New York, November 17, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed disappointment at the conviction and sentencing of Algerian journalist Anis Rahmani for his work as director of Ennahar TV. On November 15, the Bir Mourad Rais First Instance Court in Algiers sentenced Rahmani, director of the privately owned news broadcaster Ennahar TV, to five…
Belarus authorities arrest journalists, issue jail sentences, launch investigation
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 6, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should stop arresting and prosecuting journalists and allow news media to report on the country’s political situation freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the capital Minsk detained Nasta Zacharevich of internet news portal Zeleny, according to the Belarusian Association of…
Moldovan airline employee prevents Russian journalist Irek Murtazin from boarding flight to Moldova
New York, November 4, 2020 – Moldovan authorities should immediately investigate an incident in which Russian journalist Irek Murtazin was prevented from boarding an Air Moldova flight to Moldova, and ensure that journalists can freely report on the country’s presidential elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 31, at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport,…
Media luminaries join the Committee To Protect Journalists annual awards to celebrate press freedom amid global turmoil
Actor Meryl Streep to honor lawyer Amal Clooney with CPJ’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award Award ceremony to be broadcast online on NBC, CBS and ABC November 19 at 8 p.m. EST. New York, Oct 27, 2020— In celebration of the resiliency of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists will honor four journalists from…
Daily Sangram reporter arrested in Bangladesh sedition case
New York, October 22, 2020— Bangladeshi authorities should immediately release reporter Ruhul Amin Gazi and let him work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday evening, police officers in the Hatirjheel neighborhood of Dhaka, the capital, arrested Gazi, a reporter with the Daily Sangram newspaper, according to news reports. The arrest came after…