Statements

Brussels February 17, 2022 – European Union ministers should prioritize press freedom reform in Poland when the EU General Affairs Council meets to discuss rule of law concerns in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. “When Poland attacks press freedom, it makes a mockery of European Union values,” said Tom Gibson, CPJ’s…

Brussels, February 14, 2022 — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must speak out on media freedom when she meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday. “Egyptian President el-Sisi has systematically attacked the press, imprisoned journalists, and silenced critical voices,” said Tom Gibson, CPJ’s…

Abuja, February 9, 2022 — In response to news reports that a Ghana court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced Oheneba Boamah Bennie, a host and commentator with privately owned Power FM, to two weeks in prison and fined him 3,000 Ghana cedis (US$468) for contempt of court, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following…

Guatemala City, February 9, 2022 – Nicaraguan authorities should not contest the appeal of sports journalist Miguel Mendoza Urbina, and should cease filing criminal charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. In a closed-door trial on Tuesday, February 8, Mendoza was convicted of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and…

Istanbul, February 9, 2022 – In response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s civil lawsuit seeking damages from journalist Sedef Kabaş and TELE1 television board chair Fırat Sakar, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for the complaint to be dropped. “President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should drop his civil suit against imprisoned…

New York, February 7, 2022 – In response to news reports that Israel will investigate its police force’s alleged use of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of Israeli journalists, among others, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling on authorities to ensure the harmful technology is not used against…

Washington, D.C., February 7, 2022—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday expressed grave concern about the cyberattack on News Corp that gave hackers access to journalists’ emails and other documents, and urged Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into who was behind the attack.  The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the attack…

Abuja, February 4, 2022 — In response to the release on bail Thursday of Luka Binniyat, a Nigerian freelance reporter for the U.S.-based news outlet The Epoch Times, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for the charges against him to be dropped: “While Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat’s release on bail is…

New York, February 3, 2022 – In response to Russian authorities’ decision Thursday to shutter the Moscow bureau of German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) and withdraw the credentials of its staff, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Russia must stop using journalists as pieces in tit-for-tat games with Germany,…

New York, January 24, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists cautiously welcomed a British court’s decision on Monday allowing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to apply to appeal against a lower court’s ruling that he could be extradited to face criminal charges in the United States. “We are glad that Julian Assange will be allowed…