Kazakh journalist Amangeldy Batyrbekov sentenced to 20 days’ detention for defamation
Stockholm, July 10, 2023—Kazakhstan authorities should release journalist Amangeldy Batyrbekov and reform the country’s laws to remove prison sentences for defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On July 3, the Saryagash District Specialized Administrative Court in Kazakhstan’s southern Turkestan region sentenced Batyrbekov, chief editor of local independent newspaper S-Inform, to 20 days’ administrative…
Iranian journalist Hossein Yazdi held at Isfahan Central Prison
Washington, D.C., July 6, 2023 — Iranian authorities must release journalist Hossein Yazdi from prison immediately and cease jailing members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, July 4, Yazdi responded to a summons at a court in his hometown of Isfahan. When he arrived, authorities arrested…
Azerbaijan police detain, beat journalists covering environmental protest
Stockholm, June 30, 2023—Azerbaijan authorities must ensure journalists can cover protests without obstruction and should investigate reports of police violence against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Since June 22, Azerbaijani police have detained, beaten, threatened, or otherwise obstructed the work of at least six journalists reporting on environmental protests…
Two French journalists flee Yemeni island of Socotra after questioning, house arrest
On May 28, 2023, five armed soldiers and three police chiefs on the Yemeni island of Socotra arrested freelance journalist Quentin Müller and Sylvain Mercadier, co-founder and director of the independent Iraqi news website The Red Line, at their apartment, according to tweets by Müller and Mercadier, who communicated with CPJ via email. The authorities…
Senegalese authorities release 2 journalists, reporter Maty Sarr Niang remains in detention
New York, June 22, 2023—Senegalese authorities should release journalist Ndèye Maty Niang, also known as Maty Sarr Niang, halt the prosecutions against Pape Ndiaye and Serigne Saliou Gueye, and drop the restrictions placed on the two journalists following their release, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Authorities arrested Gueye, publication director of the privately…
Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani detained on undisclosed charges
New York, June 8, 2023—Iranian authorities must release cartoonist Atena Farghadani and stop their unabated efforts to silence commentators and members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, June 7, authorities arrested Farghadani at Evin Prison in the capital city of Tehran after she responded to a summons to appear…
Mahoney: The lingering legacy of China’s COVID-19 censorship
One time she drew flowers on a letter to her ailing mother from her Chinese prison cell. Another time it was pictures of penguins. The drawings were a good sign. Zhang Zhan, the journalist jailed for her COVID-19 reporting from Wuhan, is maybe doing better. The 39-year-old Shanghai lawyer-turned social media reporter was one of…
Russian soldiers detain former journalist Iryna Levchenko in southeastern Ukraine
Paris, June 2, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release Iryna Levchenko and stop detaining current and former members of the press in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In early May, Russian forces detained Levchenko and her husband, Oleksandr, in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, in southeast Ukraine, according…
Sudanese paramilitary soldiers detain journalist Nader Shulkawi
New York, June 1, 2023—The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group must immediately release journalist Nader Shulkawi, and all parties to the conflict in the country must stop harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, May 30, RSF soldiers detained Shulkawi in the city of Omdurman, northwest of…
Journalists attacked, critical outlets investigated in Turkey election aftermath
Istanbul, May 30, 2023–Turkish authorities should investigate multiple incidents of journalists being attacked or obstructed from reporting during the country’s recent election, and the media watchdog RTÜK should treat all outlets equally regardless of political stance, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. During the second round of presidential elections on Sunday, May 28, at…