Taliban bans Washington Post journalist Susannah George from returning to Afghanistan
New York, April 20, 2023—Taliban authorities must allow Washington Post journalist Susannah George to return to and work from Afghanistan and should stop all attempts to restrict the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In a statement on Thursday, April 20, Washington Post Executive Editor Sally Buzbee said that George, the paper’s Islamabad-based…
Pakistan bans broadcasting of ex-PM Imran Khan’s speeches, suspends ARY News channel
New York, March 6, 2023 – Pakistan authorities must immediately rescind the ban on satellite television channels airing live and recorded speeches by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and restore the license of the privately owned television broadcaster ARY News, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On the evening of Sunday, March 5, the…
Taliban bans, restricts media operations in 2 Afghanistan provinces
New York, February 22, 2023 – The Taliban must reverse its recent orders targeting media operations in Helmand and Parwan provinces and allow journalists to work freely and independently, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, February 21, Taliban officials, in a meeting with journalists in the southern province of Helmand, announced a ban…
Taliban bans radio broadcasts of VOA and RFE/RL in Afghanistan
New York, December 1, 2022 – Taliban authorities must cease their intensifying crackdown on the media in Afghanistan and reinstate the radio transmissions of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcasters Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture issued the ban, which went…
CPJ: Kyrgyzstan’s block of RFE/RL website ‘a flagrant act of censorship’
Stockholm, October 27, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy on Wednesday announced a two-month block of the website of Radio Azattyk, the local service of U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, under the country’s false information law after the outlet refused to remove a video report on recent border…
Somaliland’s ministry of information imposes indefinite ban on CBA TV
Nairobi, September 16, 2022—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland to allow the privately owned CBA TV broadcaster to resume operations and to desist from using bans to silence the press. In a September 6 letter, the minister of information Suleyman Yusuf Ali, also known as…
Authorities fine, ban Moldovan journalist Val Butnaru from media work
Paris, August 5, 2022 — Moldovan authorities should drop the fine imposed on Val Butnaru, reverse the ban on his work activities, and let him and his colleagues work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On July 26, the Buiucani Court in the capital city of Chisinau found Butnaru, founder of independent broadcaster…
Taliban detain and release at least 7 journalists and media workers; ban broadcasts from BBC, VOA, DW
New York, March 28, 2022 — The Taliban must cease detaining journalists for their work and lift all bans on news outlets’ operations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Since Saturday, March 26, Taliban forces have detained and then released at least seven journalists and media workers, and have ordered local outlets to stop…
Russian authorities close Deutsche Welle office after Germany revokes RT license
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,…
Turkish journalist Sedef Kabaş arrested for ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan
Istanbul, January 25, 2022 – Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist Sedef Kabaş, drop the charge of “insulting the president,” and cancel the fine and ban imposed on TELE1 TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On January 22, 2022, an Istanbul court charged Turkish freelance journalist Sedef Kabaş with insulting President Recep Tayyip…