French journalist Olivier Dubois seen in new video 11 months after disappearing in Mali
New York, March 14, 2022 – Those responsible for the kidnapping of French journalist Olivier Dubois in Mali must release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement Monday. In a video recently published online, Dubois says that he was abducted in Mali’s Gao region on April 8, 2021, by the Al-Qaeda…
Russia-Ukraine watch
How the war is affecting press freedom in the region Updated June 16, 2022 Russia’s February 24 full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a sharp escalation in threats to press freedom in the region and beyond. Journalists in Ukraine have been killed covering the war, while many of their Russian counterparts have fled or faced persecution….
Cameroon Web reporter Paul Chouta assaulted again in Yaounde
New York, March 11, 2022 — Cameroonian authorities should immediately investigate an attack on Paul Chouta, a reporter for the privately owned news website Cameroon Web, and ensure those who assaulted him are held accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday evening, Chouta was watching the UEFA Champions League soccer game between…
‘Completely unclear’: Mushtaq Ahmed’s lawyer seeks answers on how the Bangladeshi writer died in jail
One year after renowned Bangladeshi writer Mushtaq Ahmed died in jail, the circumstances of his death remain murky. While an investigative committee formed by the Home Ministry claimed he died of “natural causes,” his former lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua believes that Ahmed may have died of health issues that arose after alleged torture. In May 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion,…
Northeast Syrian authorities assault Rudaw news crew, suspend network’s licenses
Washington, D.C., February 9, 2022 – Northeast Syrian authorities must reverse their suspension of Rudaw Media Network’s broadcast license and the license of all their employees, stop attacks and harassment of its staff, and allow all journalists to work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On February 2, Asayish security forces…
Opinion: Myanmar’s military junta is killing press freedom
One year since a democracy-suspending coup, press freedom is dying in Myanmar. A military campaign of intimidation, censorship, arrests, and detentions of journalists has more recently graduated to outright killing, an escalation of repression that aims ultimately to stop independent media reporting on the junta’s crimes and abuses. In January, military authorities abducted local news…
Syrian journalist Amer Matar on facing his torturer in court
Syrian journalist Amer Matar was regularly blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten with cables, whips, and fists during the eight months he was held in a Syrian prison. When a German court sentenced one of his torturers – Syrian army colonel Anwar Raslan – to life in prison earlier this month, Matar finally felt that at least…
Soldiers briefly hold 2 journalists reporting on run-up to Burkina Faso coup
New York, January 25, 2022 – Authorities in Burkina Faso should ensure that journalists can report freely, safely, and without fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, soldiers at the Sangoule Lamizana military camp in Ouagadougou, the capital, briefly held freelance reporter Henry Wilkins and Associated Press reporter Sam Mednick,…
Dozens of El Salvador journalists targeted with Pegasus spyware
In one of the most widespread known uses of Pegasus spyware to surveil journalists in the world, a forensic analysis of dozens of phones in El Salvador found that devices belonging to 35 people, mostly members of the press, were infected with between July 2020 and November 2021. “Suspecting you’ve been targeted isn’t the same…
Myanmar journalist killed in military massacre, another killed in artillery strike
Bangkok, January 14, 2022 – Myanmar authorities must immediately stop all attacks on the press, ensure that members of the media are not killed for their work, and thoroughly prosecute all journalist killings, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 25, 2021, journalist Sai Win Aung, also known as A Sai K, was…