Belarusian authorities detain reporter Dzianis Ivashyn; prosecute journalists for protest coverage
Vilnius, Lithuania, March 17, 2021 — Belarusian authorities must stop prosecuting and harassing members of the press, and should allow reporters to cover issues of national significance without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 12, officers of the KGB, the Belarusian security service, in the western city of Hrodna…
Journalist arrested from clinic bed, detained over defamation complaint in Republic of Congo
Dakar, March 16, 2021 — Authorities in the Republic of Congo should immediately release journalist Raymond Malonga and ensure that the press in the country can work without fear of harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 2, security officers in plainclothes arrested Malonga, an editor at the privately owned Sel-Piment newspaper,…
Rwandan journalist Dieudonné Niyonsenga acquitted, released after 11 months in prison
Nairobi, March 15, 2021 — In response to the acquittal and release of Rwandan journalist Dieudonné Niyonsenga and media worker Fidèle Komezusenge, who had been detained since April 2020, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “While it is certainly good news that Dieudonné Niyonsenga and Fidèle Komezusenge have been acquitted and freed…
At least 3 journalists detained overnight in Yemen, pressured not to cover protests
On February 18, 2021, police in Hadramout Governorate, Yemen, detained at least three journalists and forced at least two of them to sign statements promising not to cover political protests in the region, according to the a statement by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, a local press freedom group, and Mohammed al-Yezidi, a local reporter familiar…
CPJ calls for immediate release of AP’s Thein Zaw, all other journalists detained in Myanmar
Bangkok, March 12, 2021 – In response to today’s court ruling allowing Myanmar authorities to continue holding Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw and at least six other members of the press in detention on criminal charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw and all other journalists wrongly detained in…
Russian journalist Aleksey Mironov interrogated, charged over Navalny protest coverage
Vilnius, Lithuania, March 9, 2021 — Russian authorities should drop all charges against journalist Aleksey Mironov and allow the press to cover protests and other political events without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 5, police in Cheboksary, the capital of the central Russian autonomous republic of Chuvashia, detained Mironov, a…
Russian journalist Ilya Azar sentenced to 15 days for allegedly organizing protests
On March 3, 2021, the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow sentenced Ilya Azar, a correspondent for the liberal Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, to 15 days of detention and a fine of 150,000 rubles (US$2,014) for allegedly organizing illegal protests on Facebook, according to news reports and a statement from his employer. On March 5, the…
India state assembly elections 2021: Journalist safety guide
India is scheduled to hold legislative assembly elections in the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry in March, April, and May 2021. Media workers covering any of these elections should be aware of the potential risk of physical attack, intimidation, and harassment; online bullying; COVID-19 exposure; arrest and detention; and government…
Translators and journalists released without charge in Ethiopia
Nairobi, March 3, 2021 — In response to Ethiopian authorities’ decision today to release two media workers and two reporters who had been detained in relation to their coverage of the conflict in the northern state of Tigray, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We welcome the release of the translators and…
CPJ condemns sentencing of Belarus journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich to 6 months in jail
Vilnius, Lithuania, March 2, 2021 — In response to today’s sentencing of Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich to six months in jail and a fine over her coverage of protests in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Today’s sentencing of journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich is yet another example of how the Belarusian authorities will…