Iraqi authorities threaten charges against journalists Saadoun Damad and Sarmad al-Taei, seek al-Taei’s arrest
New York, June 8, 2022 – Iraqi authorities must cease their legal harassment of journalists Sarmad al-Taei and Saadoun Damad, and ensure they can work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On June 1, Damad, host of the program “Al-Mohayed” on the public TV broadcaster Iraqia, aired an interview with al-Taei,…
French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff killed in Ukraine
CPJ is deeply saddened by the death of French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff while covering the war in Ukraine, and calls on Russian and Ukrainian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his death. Leclerc-Imhoff, a reporter for French broadcast BFMTV, was reported killed on Monday after an armored evacuation vehicle came under…
‘Disastrous for press freedom’: What Russia’s goal of an isolated internet means for journalists
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presents a danger not only for reporters operating in the war zone. The campaign could also pose a broader threat to press freedoms and other civil liberties if it brings the Kremlin closer to its dream of creating a domestically controlled internet. Russia’s internet regulator, Rozkomnadzor, has long been able to…
‘I want to be a journalist like Shireen’
“I wanted to reach her, but I just couldn’t,” Shatha Hanaysha — the 29-year-old Palestinian correspondent who was seen in the video of the aftermath of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last week — told CPJ, recalling the danger of extending her hand to touch her colleague’s body. “When I was asked,…
Albanian journalists reporting on prosecutor’s vetting intimidated, personal data breached
On April 23, 2022, the wife of Albanian journalist Edmond Hoxhaj received a notification from the government’s official e-Albania website that a notary public named Agron Bajri had downloaded personal information about their family, according to a report by Safejournalists.net, a regional website tracking violence against journalists, and Hoxhaj, who corresponded with CPJ via email….
CPJ Insider: May 2022 edition
Today is World Press Freedom Day! For over two months now, the invasion of Ukraine has dominated the news, and much of CPJ’s work has been dedicated to supporting journalists covering the war. From disbursing safety information in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, working to coordinate the distribution of personal protective gear, or providing first aid…
‘When you stop writing, they win’: Exiled after attacks, Lebanese journalist Mariam Seif Eddine is still reporting
When a teenager’s burned body was discovered in Mariam Seif Eddine’s neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburb in September 2020, the journalist knew she had to report the story, even if it meant crossing Hezbollah. The Shia political party and militant group likes to keep tight control on information coming out of its strongholds, she told CPJ. “Hezbollah…
Georgia convicts 26 people over 2021 attack on journalists by anti-LGBT protesters
New York, April 7, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday welcomed Georgian authorities’ recent convictions of 26 people over their attacks on journalists during mob violence in July 2021. “We welcome the convictions of 26 people for their part in last July’s mob attack on dozens of Georgian journalists, including the brutal…
CPJ calls on Sri Lankan government to respect press freedom amid nationwide state of emergency
New York, April 4, 2022 – The government of Sri Lanka should respect press freedom, ensure unrestricted access to social media and communication platforms, and allow the media to work freely and independently during a nationwide state of emergency, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Friday, April 1, the Sri Lankan government declared…
CPJ Insider: April 2022 edition
CPJ on Ukraine: How the situation for journalists has changed One month ago, we spoke with Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, about what to expect for journalists as Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, after a month of fighting, Said speaks on how the situation has changed for journalists covering the war–and what…