Ethiopia’s state of emergency cuts lines of communication and puts bloggers at risk of arrest
On October 4, I heard that my friend Natnael Feleke had not returned home even though it was approaching midnight in Ethiopia. Family and friends were discussing where to search for the blogger, who had only been released 11 months earlier from the notorious Kilinto prison, where he was held for 16 months over his…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 23
EU Parliament urges Turkey to release journalists The European Parliament urged Turkey to release all journalists jailed without proof of their alleged involvement in the failed July 15 military coup, Hürriyet Daily News reported, based on the text of the resolution.
Somalia closes newspaper, arrests editor
Nairobi, October 17, 2016 — Somali authorities should immediately release the editor of Xog Ogaal newspaper and allow the newspaper to resume publishing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Officers from Somalia’s National Intelligence Agency raided the newspaper’s office and arrested its editor on October 15, according to press freedom advocates and press reports.
CPJ calls on Thailand to not censor news during royal transition
New York, October 14, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Thailand’s military government to lift a blanket censorship order on television news broadcasters imposed in the wake of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death yesterday.
Blogger’s prison sentence reduced, news site shuttered in Vietnam
Bangkok, October 5, 2016 – A Vietnamese appeals court yesterday reduced from four to three years a prison sentence given earlier this year to independent blogger Nguyen Ngoc Gia on anti-state charges related to his critical journalism, according to news reports.
Kashmir newspaper ordered to suspend printing
New York, October 3, 2016 – Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir should immediately reverse an order to suspend publication of the Kashmir Reader newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrived at the daily newspaper’s office with an order to stop publishing yesterday.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 2
Reporter arraigned on terrorism charges for Facebook posts The Mersin Court of Penal Peace last night arraigned Cemil Uğur, a reporter for the left-wing Evrensel newspaper, on charges of “being member of a [terrorist] organization,” and “propagandizing for a [terrorist] organization,” his employer reported. Police held Uğur for 16 days in August, before a court…