Vietnamese blogger ‘Mother Mushroom’ fears arrest for Facebook activity
New York, November 7, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is greatly concerned about the safety of Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, who has been repeatedly questioned by local police in Nha Trang about her activity on Facebook, and says that she fears arrest. Vietnam currently imprisons 17 journalists, most of them bloggers, according to…
How Facebook’s Tor hidden service improves safety for journalists
Facebook announced on October 31 that it has made it easier and safer for users to gain access to its social network by using a dedicated Tor hidden service at https://facebookcorewwwi.onion. A dedicated hidden service access point is a powerful move to protect journalists and anyone else who uses Tor to protect privacy or circumvent…
CPJ welcomes Facebook move to enable access via Tor hidden service
San Francisco, November 3, 2014 – The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Facebook’s move to enable access via a Tor hidden service, which came into effect on Friday. The step protects journalists and other users who are at risk of surveillance, censorship, or online attack.
Reporter on trial in Azerbaijan on criminal libel charges
New York, October 10, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the criminal libel charges filed against Khadija Ismayilova, an award-winning investigative journalist in Azerbaijan, and calls on authorities to drop the charges immediately.
Thai junta expands media controls
Bangkok, July 21, 2014–In a mounting clampdown on press, Internet, and social media freedoms, a new military directive in Thailand has barred any critical reporting or commentary about the ruling National Council for Peace and Order junta. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an immediate reversal of the freedom-curbing edict and all other measures…
Thai editor held for four days, accused of violating martial law
Thanapol Eawsakul, editor and founder of Fah Diew Gahn (Same Sky) news magazine, a tri-monthly Thai-language publication, was arrested on July 5, 2014, in a Bangkok café, according to news reports. He was held on a seven-day detention order, the maximum period allowable without a trial under martial law, and released on July 9, 2014.
The 2009 Iran crackdown continues today
Five years ago on Monday, CPJ announced that Iran had officially become the world’s leading jailer of journalists in the world. The announcement came on the heels of an unprecedented crackdown on the press that began on June 12, 2009, the day of Iran’s tumultuous presidential election that sparked a mass protest movement.
In Iran, series of arrests and prosecutions target journalists
In the first few months of 2014, multiple journalists were arrested, interrogated, and prosecuted in Iran. Authorities pursued a revolving-door policy in imprisoning journalists, freeing some detainees on short-term furloughs even as they make new arrests.