2023 prison census: Jailed journalist numbers near record high; Israel imprisonments spike
By Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director Worst Jailers | New Developments | Regional Repression | Census Methodology Israel emerged as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists following the October 7 start of the Israel-Gaza war, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 prison census has found. Israel ranked sixth – tied with Iran – behind…
Year in review: The most-read press freedom stories of 2023
As we approach the end of a truly volatile year, CPJ has documented physical attacks, imprisonment, and legal harassment against the press accelerate relentlessly in frequency and severity, and we have seen more journalists than ever fleeing into exile. Journalists face increasingly hostile environments in conflict zones, as more journalists have been killed in the…
CPJ calls for accountability in Israeli strike on journalists
Reports released today by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse (AFP) into the October 13 strike on journalists in southern Lebanon found that the attack, which killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six others, was likely a deliberate assault by the Israel Defense Forces on civilians, which would constitute a war…
In Mali, 1 journalist killed, 1 injured, 2 kidnapped by unidentified gunmen
Dakar, December 5, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed and saddened by an attack on four journalists in northeastern Mali by unidentified gunmen last month, in which one journalist was killed, a second injured, and two were kidnapped. On November 7, the attackers fired on the journalists’ vehicle between the eastern town of Ansongo…
Reflecting on what CPJ is grateful for in 2023
As 2023 begins to wind down, journalists around the world continue to face multilayered challenges to do their jobs. Yet some press freedom developments inspire us, strengthen us, and make us grateful. Here is a short list: CPJ is grateful to the journalists covering the Israel-Gaza war who continue to bring us vital news despite…
CPJ celebrates five journalists at the 2023 International Press Freedom Awards
They champion independent reporting despite government crackdowns, kidnapping, exile, and the rising criminalization of their work. On November 16, CPJ will recognize four remarkable journalists with our 2023 International Press Freedom Awards for their invaluable contributions to an informed society empowered with facts. ⚡️ Togolese journalist Ferdinand Ayité is an investigative journalist and a staunch…
Bangladesh national election 2024: Journalist safety guide
Bangladesh is scheduled to hold general elections by January 2024. Amid questions over the potential legitimacy of the elections, clashes are already on the rise both between and within the political parties, and journalists have frequently been caught in the crosshairs. Ahead of the upcoming election, Bangladeshi police have procured large amounts of shotgun bullets,…
CPJ welcomes 27.5-year sentence for murder of Mexican reporter Israel Vázquez
CPJ welcomes the 27.5-year sentence for one of the perpetrators in the murder of Mexican journalist Israel Vázquez Rangel, who was shot at least five times while reporting in Salamanca on November 9, 2020, and died several hours later in hospital. An additional perpetrator in the 2020 murder was sentenced to 20 years in prison…
DRC journalist Stanis Bujakera arrested over report on ex-minister’s murder
Kinshasa, September 11, 2023—Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, return his devices, and stop arresting journalists in connection with their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Friday, September 8, around 10:30 p.m., two Congolese national police officers arrested Bujakera, a reporter for…