Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye detained for over two months without formal charge
Nairobi, November 4, 2022—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called for the immediate and unconditional release of Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye, who has been detained for over two months without being formally charged. Irangabiye is a commentator and debate program host on Radio Igicaniro, a Rwanda-based outlet that publishes critical commentary and debate on…
CPJ renews call for Iran to release all jailed journalists amid anti-government protests
New York, November 1, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday renewed its call for Iran to release all journalists behind bars in the country, at least 37 of whom were detained over the past six weeks of anti-government protests, and urged the U.N. Security Council to hold Iran accountable by implementing investigation…
DRC military detains, beats journalist Christophe Katembo Muthahinga
Kinshasa, October 31, 2022 — Authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo should thoroughly investigate and hold accountable the military officials and soldiers who detained and assaulted journalist Christophe Katembo Muthahinga over his traffic coverage in eastern North Kivu province, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On October 19, four Congolese military intelligence…
Nigerian police detain, charge two journalists for WhatsApp messages
On October 13, 2022, police officers at Ilorin, the capital of the southern Kwara State, detained Abdulrasheed Akogun with his brother Dare Akogun on criminal charges for comments they posted in a popular WhatsApp group titled “Kwara Commission,” according to a copy of the charge sheet reviewed by CPJ and Ibrahim Sheriff Gold, a Fresh…
Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Lyubyanchuk sentenced to 3 years in prison
Paris, October 27, 2022 – Belarusian authorities must immediately release Aliaksandr Lyubyanchuk, who was sentenced today to three years in prison, and stop retaliating against journalists for their work with banned Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Thursday, October 27, a court in Minsk, the capital, convicted Lyubyanchuk…
Nigerian journalist Ayodeji Adebayo detained for 6 days over report about local politician
On September 29, 2022, two police officers arrested journalist Ayodeji Adebayo at the office of the privately owned newspaper The Nation in Wuse, a commercial hub in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, according to Adebayo, who spoke to CPJ by phone, and a report by privately owned Sahara Reporters news website. Adebayo is the publisher of the…
At least 11 journalists in custody after police raids in Turkey
Istanbul, October 25, 2022—Turkish authorities should immediately release the Kurdish journalists in police custody and stop harassing them with secret investigations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. Early Tuesday morning, Turkish police simultaneously raided several homes and one newsroom in the cities of Ankara, Diyarbakır, Istanbul, Mardin, Urfa, and Van, as part of…
Jailed Tajik journalist Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda describes severe physical abuse, forced confession in letter
Stockholm, October 25, 2022 – Tajikistan authorities must provide a complete and convincing response to allegations that jailed journalist Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda has been subjected to severe physical abuse and mistreatment, and that he and other jailed journalists were forced to record false confessions, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Friday, October 21, the…
CPJ condemns harassment, bomb threat against Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi
New York, October 20, 2022 — In response to news reports that the University of Chicago received an anonymous bomb threat on Tuesday for hosting an event featuring Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The bomb threat against journalist Negar Mortazavi was a crude attempt at censorship….
CPJ submits reports on Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco to United Nations Universal Periodic Review
The human rights records of Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco are under review by the United Nations Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This U.N. mechanism is a peer-review process that surveys the human rights performance of member states, monitoring progress from previous review cycles, and presents a list of recommendations on how a…