Iranian authorities arrest Kurdish journalist Siamand Mohtadi
Washington, D.C., February 13, 2023 – Iranian authorities must drop any charges against freelance Kurdish journalist Siamand Mohtadi and release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Saturday, February 11, authorities arrested Mohtadi after raiding his home in the Kurdish city of Bukan, in West Azerbaijan province, and took him to an…
Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama arrested
New York, February 8, 2023 – In response to news reports that Algerian police arrested journalist Mustapha Bendjama on Wednesday, February 8, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The recent arrest of Algerian journalist and press freedom advocate Mustapha Bendjama from his place of work is shocking, and authorities must free him…
Belarusian authorities sentence journalist Andrzej Poczobut to 8 years in prison, detain journalist Anastasia Sharkevich
Paris, February 8, 2023 – Belarusian authorities must immediately release journalists Andrzej Poczobut and Anastasia Sharkevich, and stop retaliating against journalists for their reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, February 6, Sharkevich, who manages the Telegram channel of the independent newspaper Narodnaya Volya, appeared in a video published by a pro-government…
Journalist Mortaza Behboudi detained by Taliban since January 7
New York, February 8, 2023 – Taliban authorities must immediately release journalist Mortaza Behboudi and stop intimidating and arbitrarily detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 7, members of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence detained Behboudi, a reporter and cofounder of the independent news website Guiti News,…
Russian authorities seek 9-year prison term for journalist Maria Ponomarenko, detain RFE/RL columnist Iskander Yasaveyev
Paris, February 7, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release journalist Maria Ponomarenko and columnist Iskander Yasaveyev and stop prosecuting members of the press over their reporting and commentary on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, February 6, authorities in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, arrested…
Dutch police detain, forcibly remove journalists covering climate protests
Berlin, February 7, 2023 — Dutch authorities should stop harassing, detaining, and removing journalists from protests, and allow them to cover events of public interest without police interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Since January 21, Dutch police have detained two journalists and forcibly removed another while they reported on climate protests, according…
Journalist Elnaz Mohammadi arrested at Evin Prison in Iran
Washington, D.C., February 6, 2023 – Iranian authorities must drop any charges against journalist Elnaz Mohammadi and release her immediately and unconditionally, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On February 5, authorities arrested Mohammadi, head of the social issues desk at the reformist Ham-Mihan newspaper, after she responded to a summons to answer questions…
Iraqi border guards briefly detain 3 Shar Press journalists
On January 30, 2023, Iraqi border guards in Halabja province, near the border with Iran, detained a three-person video crew from the independent Shar Press media agency for about three hours, according to a report by the agency and Shar Press correspondent Hawraz Ahmed, who spoke to CPJ by phone. The team, which consisted of…
Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan arrested for alleged hate speech
New York, February 2, 2023 – Pakistan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Imran Riaz Khan and cease targeting journalists in retaliation for their commentary on the military, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In the early hours of Thursday, February 2, officers with Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency arrested Khan, an anchor with…
On 2-year anniversary of military coup, Myanmar’s junta must stop persecuting journalists
Bangkok, February 1, 2023 — On the second anniversary of the military’s seizure of power in Myanmar, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement demanding the junta regime immediately and unconditionally release all of the journalists targeted in the post-coup crackdown: “Over the last two years, press freedom conditions in Myanmar have deteriorated…