Mozambican journalist Omardine Omar convicted of civil disobedience, fined
New York, July 2, 2020 – Mozambican authorities should not contest journalist Omardine Omar’s appeal and should allow him and all members of the press to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 30, the Ka Mpfumo court in Maputo, the capital, convicted Omar, a reporter for the privately owned news…
Belarusian authorities detain at least 6 bloggers since June 15
Vilnius, Lithuania, July 1, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should immediately release all journalists held for their work, and allow the press to cover the country’s upcoming elections without fear of prosecution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since June 15, authorities throughout the country have arrested at least six bloggers, according to news reports. Speaking…
Cambodian journalist Ros Sokhet detained, charged with incitement
Bangkok, June 30, 2020 — Cambodian authorities should immediately release journalist Ros Sokhet and drop all pending charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 25, police in Kampong Chhnang province’s Toek Phos district arrested Sokhet, publisher of the privately owned Cheat Khmer (Khmer Nation) newspaper, and then transferred him to the Phnom Penh…
Journalists arrested, charged with ‘nuisance’ in Botswana
New York, June 29, 2020 — Authorities in Botswana should drop all charges against journalists David Baaitse and Kenneth Mosekiemang, and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 2:30 p.m. on June 18, intelligence agents arrested Baaitse, a reporter for the privately owned Weekend Post weekly, and Mosekiemang,…
At least 4 Egyptian journalists remain in detention since arrests in March and April
As of June 29, 2020, at least four Egyptian journalists who covered the COVID-19 pandemic remain in prison following their arrests in March and April, according to news reports and local journalists and lawyers who spoke to CPJ. On March 15, state security officers arrested Atef Hassaballah el-Sayed, editor-in-chief of local newspaper al-Qarar al-Dawly, at…
Two Zimbabwean journalists charged with violating COVID-19 lockdown
New York, June 23, 2020 — Zimbabwean prosecutors should drop the charges filed against two journalists for violating the country’s COVID-19 lockdown regulations and ensure that they can report freely about alleged abuses by security forces, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Frank Chikowore, a freelance journalist, and Samuel Takawira, a reporter for the…
Turkish courts to resume journalists’ trials after COVID-19 freeze
Istanbul, June 23, 2020 – Turkey should stop prosecuting journalists and ensure that necessary safety measures are taken for trials held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 16, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül wrote on Twitter that trials would resume in the country, following a three-month suspension due to…
Bangladeshi authorities investigate 5 journalists, detain 2 under Digital Security Act for COVID-19 reporting
New York, June 22, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release political cartoonist Kabir Kishore and writer and commentator Mushtaq Ahmed and to stop using the Digital Security Act to silence critical reporting on the coronavirus pandemic. On May 6, Kishore, Ahmed, and three…
Police detain journalists covering protests in Belarus, charge 3
Vilnius, Lithuania, June 22, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should stop prosecuting and harassing journalists covering protests, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. On June 19, police officers detained at least 14 journalists covering protests in Minsk, the capital, and other cities against the reelection of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and today, local courts convicted three…
Sierra Leone journalist Sylvia Olayinka Blyden detained, charged over social media posts
Abuja, June 18, 2020 — Authorities in Sierra Leone should release journalist Sylvia Olayinka Blyden immediately and drop the charges against her, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 1, police arrested Blyden, publisher of the Awareness Times newspaper, at her home in Freetown for alleged “cyber-related” offenses, according to Messeh Leone, a…