Assange indictment marks alarming new stage in US war on leaks
May 24, 2019 12:00 PM ET
Mexico City, May 24, 2019 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the U.S. Justice Department's indictment yesterday of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The administration of President Donald Trump disclosed 17 charges against Assange under the Espionage...
US charges Julian Assange with 17 counts under Espionage Act
May 23, 2019 5:01 PM ET
New York, May 23, 2019--The Trump administration today disclosed 17 new criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act for unlawfully obtaining and disclosing national defense information....
Leak prosecutions under Trump chill national security beat
March 6, 2019 3:08 PM ET
When President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, was asked at his confirmation hearing in January whether he would ever consider jailing a journalist, Barr paused for about eight seconds, then said he could "conceive of a...
Nothing to declare: Why U.S. border agency's vast stop and search powers undermine press freedom
October 22, 2018 10:00 AM ET
Secondary screenings of journalists crossing U.S. borders risk undermining press freedom as Custom and Border Protection agents search devices such as laptops or phones without warrant and question journalists about their reporting and contacts. As the government ramps up...
New US Espionage Act prosecution has troubling implications for press freedom
March 29, 2018 5:11 PM ET
New York, March 29, 2018-- The Committee to Protect Journalists today said it is concerned by the U.S. Department of Justice's use of the Espionage Act to charge an FBI agent for allegedly leaking information to a reporter....
US Senate report on leaks and national security is deeply flawed
July 10, 2017 12:39 PM ET
Last week, Republicans on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs released a report on leaks to the media. The report, which was led by Chairman Ron Johnson, asserts that "an avalanche" of leaks under the Trump...
How US Espionage Act can be used against journalists covering leaks
May 20, 2017 8:30 AM ET
Earlier this week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly joked about Trump using a saber on the press and U.S. Senator Jim Risch told CNN the press should be questioning the Washington Post about its sources. Then, on...
UK's proposed Espionage Act will treat journalists like spies
March 17, 2017 11:41 AM ET
Journalists in Britain are becoming increasingly alarmed by the government's apparent determination to prevent them from fulfilling their mission to hold power to account. The latest manifestation of this assault on civil liberties is the so-called Espionage Act. If...