Statements

New York, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentencing on Friday of Belarusian journalist Ihar Karnei to three years in prison and a fine of 20,000 rubles (US$6,115) on charges of participating in an extremist group. “It took three days for the Belarusian authorities to send Ihar Karnei to prison for three…

Beirut, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the journalists arrested at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City this week.  On Monday, March 18, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new offensive on the Al-Shifa hospital complex, arresting scores of Palestinians. An unspecified number of journalists, including…

New York, March 21, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for journalist Andrei Tolchyn’s immediate release after a Belarusian court on Thursday sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison for facilitating extremism and defaming President Aleksandr Lukashenko. “The 2.5 year prison sentence handed to journalist Andrei Tolchyn on unfounded charges is yet another demonstration of…

Dakar, March 19, 2024—Presidential candidates in Senegal’s elections on Sunday should commit to decriminalizing journalism and dropping all legal proceedings against journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Senegalese are due to vote on March 24, with 19 candidates vying to lead the country, after a last-minute delay to the poll in February triggered protests. The current president, Macky Sall,…

Istanbul, March 19, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Turkish authorities to investigate reports of police harassment of three reporters during Kurdish spring Newroz celebrations in Istanbul on Sunday. On Sunday, March 17, Police officers in Istanbul harassed at least three reporters in two separate incidents while they were covering a mass arrest…

Stockholm, March 19, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Kanal 13 director Aziz Orujov and reporter Shamo Eminov, whose pretrial detention was extended on Tuesday, along with eight others being held on similar charges. “As Azerbaijani courts have once again rubber-stamped the detention of yet more journalists on allegations of illegally…

Taipei, March 19, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Hong Kong legislature’s hasty passing of a national security law on Tuesday which could lead to the suppression of press freedom and prosecution of journalists. The city’s lawmakers unanimously passed the Safeguarding National Security Bill, enacted under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s…

Stockholm, March 13, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Wednesday’s decision by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov to withdraw from parliament a draft law that could have been weaponized against the independent press. “Alongside Kyrgyzstan’s ongoing media crackdown, jailing of journalists, and Russian-inspired ‘foreign agents’ bill, the vague and repressive mass media bill could have been…

Brussels, March 13, 2024— As the European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of the European Media Freedom Act, CPJ and 20 other groups representing journalists, as well as press freedom and civil society organizations, called for effective implementation of the new law to ensure greater media independence and pluralism within the European Union (EU)….

New York, March 6, 2024—The Committee to Protect journalists calls on Sudanese authorities to investigate and hold to account those responsible for killing the journalist Khalid Balal and urges all parties to the conflict to respect members of the press. “We are shocked by the brutal killing of journalist Khalid Balal in his own home…