Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of January 29
Columnist investigated for referendum comments Prosecutors in Istanbul opened an investigation into Bekir Coşkun, a columnist for the pro-opposition daily newspaper Sözcü, regarding remarks he made in a column about a coming referendum on whether the constitution should be amended to increase the president’s powers, Dogan News Agency reported.
Libyan TV journalist arrested without charge
Washington, D.C., January 25, 2017–Libyan security forces should charge or release Wiem Ben Zabia, a cameraman for the Libya Panorama Channel (LPC), the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Security forces detained Ben Zabia at a checkpoint near the eastern Libyan city of Derna on January 14, according to his employer, sister, and a video…
Journalists charged with rioting in Washington
New York, January 24, 2017–Authorities in Washington D.C. should drop rioting charges against at least three journalists arrested while covering protests on the day of the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Maldives journalists face prison
New York, January 20, 2017–Authorities in the Maldives should cease pursuing all criminal charges against journalists from Raajje TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court is expected to sentence Raajje TV journalists Mohamed Wisam and Leevaan Ali Nasir on January 24, according to press reports. Both intend to appeal “the baseless charges,”…
Greek police raid newspaper office
Roughly 10 police officers on January 10, 2017, raided the Athens headquarters of the Greek daily newspaper Parapolitika and arrested the newspaper’s director, Panagiotis Tzenos, Greek and regional media reported. The newspaper’s publisher, Yiannis Kourtakis, was taken into custody later that day, according to Greek media reports.
Nigerian police raid investigative news website’s office
Lagos, Nigeria, January 19, 2017–Nigerian authorities should drop all charges against Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of the news website Premium Times, and Evelyn Okakwu, who covers the judiciary for the website, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Plainclothes police officers raided the website’s office in the capital Abuja and arrested the two today, holding them…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of January 15
Newspaper distributor says security officers abducted, beat him Barış Boyraz, a former distributor for the shuttered Kurdish-language daily Azadiya Welat, told the daily newspaper Evrensel that men he believes to be plainclothes police on December 17, 2016, abducted him from the streets of Ankara and beat him.
Blogger jailed in Belarus faces extradition to Azerbaijan
New York, January 13, 2017–Belarussian authorities should unconditionally release Aleksandr Lapshin, a Russian-Israeli blogger detained in the capital Minsk on an extradition request from Azerbaijan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Mexican police attack journalists covering protests
Mexico City, January 12, 2017–Mexican police should quickly and credibly investigate reports that police threatened and attacked journalists covering protests last week and should swiftly bring to justice officers found to have assaulted reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.