Ethiopia elections 2021: Journalist safety kit
Ethiopia is scheduled to hold general elections later this year amid heightened tensions across the country. Military conflict broke out in the Tigray region in November 2020, and is ongoing; over the past year, several other regions have witnessed significant levels of violence and fatalities as a result of protests and inter-ethnic clashes, according to…
CPJ calls for immediate release of seriously ill Egyptian journalist Gamal al-Gamal
New York, May 26, 2021 – In response to news reports that Egyptian freelance columnist Gamal al-Gamal’s health has seriously deteriorated during his pretrial detention in Cairo’s Tora Prison, and that he is suspected of having contracted COVID-19, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are extremely concerned by reports of journalist…
Journalist Nurgeldi Halykov jailed in Turkmenistan since September 2020 on fraud charges
Stockholm, May 21, 2021 – Turkmen authorities should immediately release journalist Nurgeldi Halykov from prison and allow him and all other journalists to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 15, 2020, the Bagtyýarlyk District Court in Ashgabat, the capital, sentenced Halykov, a freelance correspondent working for the independent Netherlands-based news…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering mass protests in Colombia
Violent and deadly protests have flared in urban centers across Colombia since April 28, 2021, including Bogotá, the capital, as well as Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Ibagué, Zipaquirá, and Buenaventura, according to news reports. Initially sparked by President Iván Duque’s proposed tax reforms–which were later dropped–protests have since morphed into a wider movement against poverty,…
CPJ sends letter calling on EU to address press freedom in India summit
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen European Commission Rue de la Loi 200 1049 Brussels Belgium President of the European Council Charles Michel Rue de la Loi 175 1048 Brussels Belgium May 6, 2021 Sent via email Dear President von der Leyen and President Michel, The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent non-governmental organization…
News editor in Botswana faces jail time over Facebook posts, alleges suffocation by police
Police in Botswana detained Oratile Dikologang, co-founder and digital editor of the local, privately owned website Botswana People’s Daily News, on April 9, 2020, and charged him over Facebook posts about COVID-19 and local politics that he denies publishing, according to CPJ’s review of a copy of a charge sheet, Dikologang, and local media reports….
Ukrainian journalist Sergiy Nikishin attacked while attempting to cover event violating COVID restrictions
New York, April 29, 2021 – Ukrainian authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate the attack on journalist Sergiy Nikishin, hold the perpetrators responsible, and ensure that members of the press can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 10 p.m. on April 24, in the western village of Lahodiv in Ukraine’s…
Crimean court fines chief editor of Qirim newspaper
New York, April 21, 2021 – Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea should not contest the appeal of journalist Bekir Mamutov, and should refrain from fining members of the press over their coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the magistrates’ court of the Zheleznodorozhny district of Simferopol, the capital of Russian-occupied Crimea, convicted Mamutov,…
Jailed Indian journalist Siddique Kappan hospitalized after contracting COVID-19
New Delhi, April 21, 2021 – Authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh state should immediately release journalist Siddique Kappan from custody and allow him to freely seek medical treatment for COVID-19, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Kappan collapsed in the Mathura Jail yesterday, where he is held pending trial, and today he tested positive…
Mexico elections 2021: Journalist safety kit
Mexico will hold the largest elections in its history on June 6, 2021. Candidates will run for, among other offices, the federal Chamber of Deputies, governorships in 15 states, and mayor in hundreds of municipalities. Journalists and media workers covering the elections anywhere in Mexico should be aware of a number of risks, including physical…