Turkey releases journalist, press freedom advocate
New York, June 30, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s release of Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey representative of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Şebnem Korur Fincancı, an academic, columnist, and president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, and called on Turkish authorities to drop all charges against them.
Two NPR journalists killed in Afghanistan
New York, June 5, 2016 – Afghan interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna and American photographer David Gilkey were killed today while traveling in a military convoy in southern Afghanistan, according to their employer, U.S. public broadcaster NPR. The two were traveling with an Afghan army unit near Marjah, in Helmand province, when the convoy came under attack.
President-elect sends wrong signal on impunity in the Philippines
Bangkok, June 1, 2016 – The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s comments during a press conference justifying the killing of journalists. Duterte made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question on Tuesday about how his government would handle cases of media murders, according to news reports.
CPJ reacts to reports that Peter Thiel has funded lawsuits against Gawker
New York, May 25, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists today released the following statement from Executive Director Joel Simon regarding reports that entrepreneur Peter Thiel has been secretly covering the expenses for Hulk Hogan’s lawsuits against online news organization Gawker Media:
Azerbaijani reporter Khadija Ismayilova ordered released on suspended sentence
New York, May 25, 2016 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is relieved at the Azerbaijani Supreme Court’s decision today to free investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova, who had been imprisoned on trumped-up charges since December 2014. The court converted Ismayilova’s jail term into a three-and-a half-year suspended term, Reuters reported.