CPJ alarmed by extended communications blackout in Sudan
New York, February 5, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports of an ongoing communications blackout across most of Sudan since Friday and urgently calls for an immediate restoration of telecoms and internet networks across the country, where a nearly 10-month conflict has displaced millions. Since February 2, mobile and internet services provided…
In Tajikistan, independent media throttled by state repression
Giant portraits of President Emomali Rahmon adorn even the most nondescript buildings in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe. Throughout the country, his sayings are featured on posters and billboards. Their ubiquitous presence underscores the consolidation of power by Rahmon – officially described as “Founder of Peace and Unity, Leader of the Nation” – since he emerged…
A call to action for protection of journalists in Israel-Gaza war
New York, December 21, 2023 – Since October 7, at least 68 journalists have lost their lives in the Israel-Gaza war. In more than three decades of documenting journalist fatalities, the Committee to Protect Journalists has never seen violence of such intensity. This devastating toll and related anti-press aggression and restrictions severely impact the ability…
Ethiopian authorities detain Alpha Media founder Bekalu Alamrew
Durban, South Africa, August 9, 2023—Ethiopian authorities must immediately release journalist Bekalu Alamrew, founder and chief editor of Alpha Media, a YouTube-based news channel, and ensure the protection of press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On Sunday, August 6, at approximately 2 p.m., three uniformed police officers and two other people in…
CPJ calls for swift and credible investigation into burglary of Ethiopia Insider office
Nairobi, July 20, 2023—In response to the recent burglary of the privately owned news outlet Ethiopia Insider, including the stealing of video production equipment, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The burglary of Ethiopia Insider, an outlet with a reputation for critical and independent journalism, could have a devastating impact on its…
Cambodia blocks websites, social media accounts of 3 outlets ahead of Sunday election
Bangkok, July 20, 2023—Cambodia’s government should lift its censorship orders against three news organizations and allow the media to report freely on the July 23 general elections without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In a July 12 letter, the Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia ordered local internet service providers (ISPs) to…
Senegalese broadcaster Walf TV suspended for 1 month, threatened with permanent license revocation
On June 1, 2023, Senegalese Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy Moussa Bocar Thiam ordered a 30-day suspension of Walf TV, the television broadcast service of the privately owned media group Wal Fadjri, over its coverage of ongoing countrywide protests. Authorities cut off Walf TV’s broadcast signal on June 1 and restored broadcasts on…
CPJ’s support to exiled journalists jumped 227% in 3 years
Journalists have been increasingly fleeing for safety, as shown in a newly published analysis of CPJ’s assistance data over the past three years. To mark World Refugee Day on June 20, CPJ shed light on the crackdowns that cause journalists to flee and the urgent circumstances particular to journalists as CPJ continues to advocate for…
Journalists arrested and attacked, media offices set ablaze amid Pakistan protests
New York, May 12, 2023—Pakistan authorities and the leadership and supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party must respect the rights of journalists covering the country’s political unrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Amid protests following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, May 9, authorities and supporters of Khan’s…
In Turkey, cautious optimism that tough election could be good for press freedom
Turkey’s powerful Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) are facing one of the toughest challenges of their two decades in office. Polls ahead of the country’s May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections suggest that the president and his long-ruling party could lose to the opposition coalition of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of…