Radio Capital FM journalists face criminal defamation investigation in Guinea-Bissau
Lisbon, April 7, 2021 — Authorities in Guinea-Bissau should drop their criminal defamation investigation into the privately owned broadcaster Radio Capital FM and two of its journalists, and reform its defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 9, the public prosecutor’s office issued a summons to Radio Capital FM asking for…
Brazilian sports blogger faces 5-month prison sentence over 2016 defamation case
Rio de Janeiro, March 11, 2021 – Brazilian authorities should not arrest sports blogger Paulo Cezar de Andrade Prado, and should reform the country’s defamation laws to ensure members of the press do not face imprisonment for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 23, the 26th Criminal Court of São…
Peruvian congressional candidate files criminal defamation suit against 2 journalists over coverage of sexual harassment allegations
Bogotá, March 8, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned a criminal defamation lawsuit filed against Peruvian journalists Graciela Tiburcio and Luciana Távara, and called on Peru to reform its laws to drop criminal penalties for speech. On February 25, Victor Hugo Quijada, a Peruvian congressional candidate, filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against…
Angolan editor Mariano Brás questioned, investigated over article critical of president
Lisbon, March 4, 2020 – Angolan authorities should stop harassing editor Mariano Brás, drop any charges against him, and allow the press to cover the country’s president without fear of legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 12, officers with the organized crime division of Angola’s Criminal Investigation Service questioned Brás,…
DRC journalist Pius Romain Rolland Ngoie detained since December over criminal defamation complaint
New York, February 11, 2021 — Congolese authorities should immediately release journalist Pius Romain Rolland Ngoie and reform their country’s laws to decriminalize defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 22, 2020, judicial police arrested Ngoie, a reporter who covers the country’s parliament for the privately owned Depeche.CD news website, while he…
Peruvian journalist Erick Osores convicted of criminal defamation, given 1-year suspended prison term
On January 14, 2021, a Peruvian criminal court convicted journalist Erick Iván Osores Patiño of defamation and sentenced him to a one-year suspended prison term, according to news reports and Osores, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Osores, a sports reporter for the Lima-based TV stations América Televisión and Canal N, told CPJ that…
Pakistani journalists charged with criminal defamation over tweets in sexual harassment case
On September 28, 2020, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency filed criminal defamation charges against Maham Javaid, a freelance journalist, and Haseem uz Zaman Khan, an editor and writer for the English-language news website of local broadcaster GEO News, along with seven others, for their involvement in an alleged “smear campaign” against the singer and actor Ali…
Arrest warrant issued for Indian journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta in defamation case
New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat should drop their arrest warrant for journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and the Adani Group conglomerate should stop trying to intimidate journalists with legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Adani Group initiated criminal and civil defamation suits in 2017…
Ecuadorian journalist Juán Sarmiento sentenced to prison for ‘discrediting’ local official
Bogotá, November 20, 2020 – Ecuadorian authorities should not contest journalist Juan Sarmiento’s appeal of a recent criminal conviction for critical comments about a local politician, and the country should remove speech laws from its penal code, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On November 12, the Justice Court of Napo, in central Ecuador,…
Journalists harassed, detained, and sentenced to jail in South Sudan
New York, November 5, 2020 — South Sudanese authorities should immediately release journalists Zechariah Makuach Maror and Jackson Ochaya and halt all acts of intimidation against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 1, Ochaya, a reporter with the privately owned No. 1 Citizen newspaper, went missing and was later confirmed…