South Sudanese journalist found beaten
Nairobi, March 8, 2016 – South Sudanese authorities should immediately launch an independent, thorough investigation into the abduction and beating of journalist Joseph Afandi and punish those responsible, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Colleagues found Afandi dumped near a graveyard in Juba today, beaten and bearing marks of torture, according to press accounts.
Egyptian journalist alleges torture, whereabouts unknown
New York, March 3, 2016 – Egyptian authorities should immediately charge or release journalist Sabry Anwar and order an independent and thorough investigation into claims he has been tortured, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Security forces arrested Anwar, a correspondent for the independent newspaper El Badil, from his home in the Mediterranean city…
Criminal Defamation Laws in South America
Contents Critics Are Not Criminals: Comparative Study of Criminal Defamation Laws in the Americas I. Argentina A. Criminal Laws Restricting Freedom of Expression Argentina’s Law 26.551 of November 2009 amended articles 109 to 117 of the Criminal Code to eliminate criminal sanctions for libel and slander, replacing them with monetary penalties. 1. Libel Libel consists…
Amid rising violence in Brazil, convictions in journalists’ murders are cause for optimism
Justice delayed is justice denied, goes the legal maxim, and that has all too often been the case in Latin America. But the perseverance of lawyers and prosecutors in Brazil has resulted in a number of recent convictions in cases many thought had been buried or forgotten.
Thailand tightens visa requirements for foreign reporters
Bangkok, February 19, 2016 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about new visa restrictions imposed on foreign reporters in Thailand that if fully implemented could restrict coverage of the country. The new guidelines, outlined in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press statement released on Thursday, come amid reports that foreign journalists have…
CPJ urges Obama to prioritize press freedom at ASEAN summit
Dear President Obama: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express our enduring concern about the press freedom situation in Southeast Asia ahead of the summit meeting you will host for regional leaders from February 15 to February 16.
In Tunisia, press freedom erodes amid security fears
Hard-earned press freedom in Tunisia is under threat as journalists are squeezed between violent extremists and security services sensitive to criticism in the wake of deadly terror attacks. While Islamist militants threaten the media, the government introduces restrictive legislation and security forces legally harass and even assault journalists. In this climate, which is further restricted…
Palestinian man impersonating journalist stabs Israeli soldier
New York, October 16, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the stabbing of an Israeli soldier today by a Palestinian man impersonating a member of the press, a move that further imperils journalists on dangerous assignments and has potential to further restrict freedom of the media in the region.
Balancing Act
Access to information In August 2004, Belgian police raided the house and office of Hans-Martin Tillack, a Brussels-based reporter for German magazine Stern, in what his lawyer claimed was an attempt to reveal the identity of a whistleblower. This raid, although exceptional, is emblematic of challenges facing EU correspondents, who say they face hurdles in…