CPJ calls on Sri Lanka to reconsider bills likely to undermine press freedom
New York, October 18, 2023—Sri Lankan authorities should withdraw the proposed Online Safety Bill and Anti-Terrorism Bill or significantly amend them in line with international human rights standards, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. In parliament on October 3, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles tabled the Online Safety Bill, which would empower a five-member…
Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war
As of April 23, 2026, CPJ’s preliminary investigations show that at least 264 journalists and media workers are among the more than tens of thousands killed across Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023 and the Iran war began in February 28, 2026. Israel’s disregard for the…
The Israel-Gaza conflict’s toll on journalists
The Israel-Gaza conflict has taken a severe toll on journalists since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7 and Israel declared war on the militant Palestinian group, launching strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip. “CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted…
Tipping the scales: Journalists’ lawyers face retaliation around the globe
The smears began the day Christian Ulate began representing jailed Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora: tweets accusing the lawyer of being a leftist or questioning his legal credentials. He began to fear he was being surveilled. Ulate had taken over the case in August 2022 from two other lawyers, Romeo Montoya García and Mario Castañeda,…
CPJ Insider: October 2023 edition
Iran one year later: key trends from CPJ’s research In the year since Iranians took to the streets to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by morality police for alleged “improper” wearing of the hijab, CPJ documented the arrests of around 100 journalists swept up in a crackdown on the…
Jimmy Lai marks 1,000 days in jail
CPJ joined 10 other press freedom and human rights groups on Monday in calling on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to take immediate and decisive action to secure the release of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and a British citizen. Lai, 75, has spent more than 1,000 days behind bars…
Turkish courts keep 2 reporters in pretrial detention, grant bail to bodyguards charged with attack on a journalist
Istanbul, September 15, 2023—Turkish authorities should not continue imprisoning journalists for their reporting while granting bail to those charged with assaulting them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, September 14, the 2nd Tatvan Court of Penal Peace granted bail to Yücel Baysali and Engin Kaplan, two bodyguards of the mayor of the…
Pegasus spyware found on exiled Russian journalist’s phone
An investigation revealed that the phone of Galina Timchenko, an exiled Russian journalist who heads independent news website Meduza, was infected by NSO Group’s Pegasus surveillance spyware while she was in Germany earlier this year. The infection took place shortly after Russia designated Meduza as an “undesirable” organization – a measure that banned the outlet from operating on Russian territory.
Cyberattacks attempt to crash 6 media sites globally using U.S. company RayoByte
Media sites from at least six countries — Somalia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, and Turkmenistan — have faced distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks using U.S. company RayoByte’s services over the last two years. Such cyberattacks often take place alongside other threats to journalists’ safety and press freedom. Headquartered in Nebraska, RayoByte is one of many…