Statements
2016
Dutch photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans killed in Libya
New York, October 2, 2016 – Dutch freelance photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans was killed today in the Libyan city of Sirte while covering clashes between Islamic State fighters and forces loyal to the Libyan Army, according to Dutch and Libyan news outlets.
CPJ welcomes UN Human Rights resolution on releasing jailed journalists, right to encryption
Washington, September 29, 2016–The United Nations Human Rights Council’s annual resolution on journalist safety for the first time urges all states to release arbitrarily detained journalists. The resolution, co-sponsored by 87 countries and adopted today in Geneva, raises new concerns about mounting attacks on journalists during elections and calls for states to protect the confidentiality…
CPJ welcomes new probe into murder of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga
New York, September 27, 2016–Sri Lankan police today exhumed the body of slain journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga as part of a new investigation into his death in 2009, according to news reports. A Sri Lankan judge this month granted permission for the police to exhume the editor’s body due to contradictory post-mortem reports–two months after a…
Ethiopian journalist Yusuf Getachew released from jail
New York, September 10, 2016–Ethiopian authorities today released Yusuf Getachew, editor-in-chief of Ye Muslimoch Guday (Muslim Affairs), who has been imprisoned since his arrest in July 2012, a relative of the journalist told CPJ. Yusuf was freed on the day that several prisoners were released as part of a presidential pardon for Ethiopia’s new year…
Award-winning editor’s wife banned from leaving Turkey, passport confiscated
New York, September 3, 2016–Turkish authorities should cease preventing Dilek Dündar, wife of exiled Turkish journalist Can Dündar, from leaving the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Can Dündar told CPJ that security officers at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport this morning confiscated his wife’s passport and prevented her from boarding a plane to Europe,…
International journalists denied entry to Venezuela before September 1 protest
New York, August 31, 2016–Authorities in Venezuela denied entry to at least six journalists, including CPJ Andes correspondent John Otis, who were traveling to the country to cover a protest tomorrow demanding a recall referendum on President Nicolás Maduro. Authorities said the journalists did not have the proper documentation to enter the country to work,…
Turkish prosecutors issue 35 arrest warrants for journalists
New York, August 30, 2016 — Turkish prosecutors should cancel orders for the detention of 35 journalists, and authorities should unconditionally release all journalists already jailed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police today detained at least nine of the journalists on the list, according to press reports.
Turkish police raid newspaper office, detain at least 23 employees
New York, August 29, 2016–Turkish authorities should immediately release 23 employees of the Kurdish-language daily newspaper Azadiya Welat detained yesterday in a police raid of the newspaper’s office, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
CPJ urges Egypt to release journalists ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday
New York, August 25, 2016 – The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Egyptian media reports that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi might release a number of imprisoned journalists ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday, which this year falls on September 11. Award-winning photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, better known as Shawkan, is among those who might be released,…
Turkish court arraigns newspaper editors, columnist on terrorism charges
New York, August 23, 2016 – Turkish authorities should immediately drop all charges against two newspaper editors and a columnist jailed on terrorism charges and release them without delay, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.