Chinese journalist held on extortion charges
New York, January 28, 2016–Chinese authorities should immediately release Zhang Yongsheng, a reporter for the state-owned Lanzhou Morning Herald, who has been imprisoned since January 7, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On Monday, authorities accused Zhang of extortion.
Jailed Turkish journalists face multiple life sentences
New York, January 27, 2016 — Turkish prosecutors should immediately drop all charges against Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, journalists at the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, and release them without delay, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Coalition calls for release of two journalists in Chhattisgarh, India
A coalition of free expression and human rights advocacy groups led by the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to Chief Minister Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh to ask him to intervene to ensure that police and prosecutors swiftly release journalists Somaru Nag and Santosh Yadav.
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian is free, Iran news outlet says
EDITOR’S NOTE: This alert was updated at 01:23 p.m. Saturday to reflect U.S. officials confirming Jason Rezaian has been freed. New York, January 16, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, who spent 544 days in prison in Iran. Rezaian was freed as part of a prisoner…
Press trying to cover politics in Uganda face restrictions, attacks
January 15, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that journalists in Uganda are being prevented from freely covering Parliament and campaigning for next month’s presidential elections. The government announced this week that journalists without a university qualification will be barred from covering parliament, according to local reports. Journalists have also reported being attacked and…
Journalists arrested without charge in Djibouti
New York, January 15, 2016 – Officials in Djibouti should immediately release two journalists arrested this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrested Kadar Abdi Ibrahim on Thursday, and arrested Mohamed Ibrahim Waiss on Monday, but have yet to charge either, according to the Facebook page of a local publication.
Two Kurdish journalists jailed in southeast Turkey
Istanbul, January 12, 2016–Turkish authorities should immediately release two Kurdish journalists jailed in southeast Turkey since last week and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The arrests follow the detentions of at least three other journalists working for pro-Kurdish news outlets in December.
Iran arrests journalists, bans newspaper ahead of elections
New York, January 11, 2016–Iranian authorities should immediately release Farzad Pourmoradi, Meysam Mohammadi, and all journalists detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Authorities should furthermore lift the ban on the daily newspaper Bahar, CPJ said. The arrests and the ban on the newspaper come ahead of legislative elections scheduled to…
South Sudan arrests journalist, newspaper ceases publishing
New York, January 7, 2016—South Sudanese authorities should immediately release journalist Joseph Afandi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The editor of the newspaper where Afandi worked resigned after Afandi’s arrest, and the newspaper has not published since.
‘They wanted me to say I was wrong’: Freed Ethiopian journalist on why 1,500 days in jail failed to silence her
Reeyot Alemu, an Ethiopian journalist who worked for the independent weekly Feteh, spent almost 1,500 days in prison after being arrested in June 2011 and charged with terrorism in 2012. She was released unexpectedly in July.