Ivory Coast journalist Noël Konan jailed overnight, fined over a tweet
On July 18, 2022, a court in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, convicted investigative reporter Noël Kouadio Konan of defamation under Article 89 of the country’s press law and fined him three million CFA francs (US$4,600) over a June 29 tweet, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging…
Nigerian authorities criminally charge 2 journalists over political reporting
Abuja, July 8, 2022 – Nigerian authorities should immediately drop all charges against publisher Haruna Mohammed Salisu and reporter Idris Kamal and allow journalists to work free from legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On June 27, police in the city of Bauchi, the capital of northern Bauchi state, arrested and detained…
Peruvian President Castillo threatens 2 journalists with criminal defamation suit
On April 12, 2022, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo sent a notarized letter to Rosana Cueva, editor and host of the independent TV news magazine “Panorama,” and to José Ignacio Beteta, editor of the independent news website Vigilante, demanding a retraction of recent reporting, according to reports and Cueva, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app….
Cameroon journalist Malcolm Barnabé Paho detained for 2 days, prosecuted for defamation
Dakar, March 23, 2022 — Cameroonian authorities should drop the prosecution of journalist Malcom Bernabé Paho and decriminalize journalism in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On February 22, the national gendarmerie arrested Paho, director of the newspaper Midi Libre Hebdo; opened a criminal defamation case against him; and detained him for…
Pakistan expands prison terms for online defamation to 5 years
New York, February 22, 2022 – Pakistan authorities must immediately revoke a recently enacted ordinance that further criminalizes freedom of expression in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, February 20, President Arif Alvi enacted amendments to the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, increasing the prison term for online defamation…
Palestinian Authority sentences journalist Abdulrahman Thahir to 3 months in prison
New York, February 3, 2022 – The Palestinian Authority should not contest journalist Abdulrahman Thahir’s appeal and should stop pursuing vague charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 20, a magistrate court in the West Bank city of Nablus sentenced Thahir, a freelance TV producer, to three…
Central African Republic authorities hold journalist Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé for more than 2 months
New York, December 17, 2021 — Central African Republic authorities should release journalist Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé and ensure he can work free of harassment and fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around noon on October 4, members of the Central African Republic police and military arrested Nguéma Ngokpélé, the…
A press freedom crisis unfolds in Latin America
As the number of journalists imprisoned globally for their work climbs to record highs, cases of those behind bars in Latin America remained relatively low. A total of six – three in Cuba, two in Nicaragua and one in Brazil – were in custody for their work as of December 1, according to the Committee…
Turkish government official sues 3 newspapers for covering corruption allegations made in parliament
In late August and early September 2021, Turkish Deputy Health Minister Selahattin Aydın filed civil defamation lawsuits against the leftist opposition dailies Cumhuriyet, BirGün, and Evrensel seeking damages over their coverage of corruption allegations made against him in the country’s parliament, according to reports by the independent news website Bianet and by each outlet targeted…
Iraqi Kurdish court extends journalist Omed Baroshky’s prison sentence by 1 year
New York, September 23, 2021 — In response to an Erbil court’s ruling today to extend the imprisonment of Iraqi Kurdish journalist Omed Baroshky by one year, the Committee to Protect Journalists has called on authorities drop the charges against him and end harassment of reporters. “Today’s sentencing of freelance journalist Omed Baroshky to an…