Turkish presidency reintroduces press card controls that court found restrictive
On April 1 this year, press freedom groups in Turkey chalked up a small win when the nation’s top administrative court, the Council of State, suspended 2018 rules that made it easier for the authorities to cancel or refuse press cards. The changes had transferred authority over press cards to the presidency and barred them…
Ethiopia elections 2021: Journalist safety kit
Ethiopia is scheduled to hold general elections later this year amid heightened tensions across the country. Military conflict broke out in the Tigray region in November 2020, and is ongoing; over the past year, several other regions have witnessed significant levels of violence and fatalities as a result of protests and inter-ethnic clashes, according to…
UK online safety bill raises censorship concerns and questions on future of encryption
The U.K. government emphasized press freedom this month when it published the draft online safety bill for social media companies, pledging that the bill would protect both “citizen journalism” and “recognized news publishers” from censorship. Vocal segments of the media not only welcomed the legislation, but actively campaigned for it. When Oliver Dowden, secretary of…
Zimbabwe journalists charged with criminal insult over interview on politician’s personal life
New York, May 21, 2021 — Zimbabwean authorities must immediately drop the insult charges against two journalists with the Zim Morning Post news website and repeal the country’s criminal insult laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 14, officers from the Law and Order section of the Central Police Station in Harare,…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering mass protests in Colombia
Violent and deadly protests have flared in urban centers across Colombia since April 28, 2021, including Bogotá, the capital, as well as Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Ibagué, Zipaquirá, and Buenaventura, according to news reports. Initially sparked by President Iván Duque’s proposed tax reforms–which were later dropped–protests have since morphed into a wider movement against poverty,…
Mexican reporter Benjamín Morales shot and killed in Sonora
Mexico City, May 11, 2021 – Mexican authorities must immediately undertake a swift, credible, and transparent investigation into the killing of independent reporter Benjamín Morales, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the evening of May 2, Morales’ family lost contact with the journalist in Sonoyta, a small…
Journalists struggle to work amid extended internet shutdowns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, Kashmir
By CPJ Africa and Asia Program Staff Even a brief shutdown of the internet impedes the press from doing its job. But some disruptions last for months, severely undermining safety and access to information, CPJ has found. Recently, authorities have imposed such measures in Myanmar and Ethiopia amid serious crises. India leads the world in internet…
At least 10 journalists detained while covering pro-Navalny rallies in Russia
Vilnius, Lithuania, April 22, 2021 — Russian authorities should stop harassing journalists and allow members of the press to cover political demonstrations without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police detained at least 10 journalists and harassed several others in relation to their coverage of unauthorized protests in support of jailed Russian…
Mission Journal: ‘Trench warfare’ in Polish press as government eyes next election cycle
“Media without choice.” On February 10, this sentence ran on the otherwise empty front page of Gazeta Wyborcza, the largest critical newspaper in Poland. On the same day, Radio ZET, a commercial radio station, ran this message on repeat, evoking the country’s communist past: “You will not hear any of our normal broadcasts today…We are…
Guinea journalist Amadou Diouldé Diallo detained in hospital over alleged insults to president
Dakar, March 24, 2021 — Guinean authorities should immediately release journalist Amadou Diouldé Diallo and ensure that the press can work without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 27, police officers arrested Diallo, a sports reporter with Guinea’s public broadcaster Radio Télévision Guinéenne (RTG) and a political commentator on…