false news

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A police officer is seen in Mogadishu, Somalia, on March 23, 2019. Somali authorities recently shut down local broadcaster City FM and briefly detained its staffers. (Reuters/Feisal Omar)

Somali authorities shut down radio station City FM, seek to question owner

Nairobi, December 23, 2019 — Somali authorities should immediately allow local broadcaster City FM to reopen and let its staffers work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Algerian demonstrators chant and wave their country's national flag as they take part in an anti-government protest in the capital Algiers on October 15, 2019. Authorities have detained at least three more journalists in recent days. (AFP)

Algeria detains three journalists who covered protests, alleged corruption

Washington, D.C., October 17, 2019–Algerian authorities should immediately release journalists Said Boudour, Abdelmoundji Kheladi, and Adel Azeb Chikh from pretrial detention and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A police van is seen in Alexandria, Egypt, on September 27, 2019. Security forces recently arrested and allegedly tortured journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Egyptian journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah arrested on false news charges, allegedly tortured

Washington, D.C., October 15, 2019 — Egyptian authorities must immediately release imprisoned journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah, drop all charges against her, and investigate allegations that she was physically abused in state custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A Tanzanian police officer is seen in Dar es Salaam on October 28, 2015. Tanzanian authorities recently arrested Sebastian Atilio on false news charges. (AP/Khalfan Said)

Tanzanian authorities charge Sebastian Atilio with false news over WhatsApp posts

Nairobi, September 16, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over Tanzania’s use of false news and journalist accreditation laws to arrest Sebastian Atilio.

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A protester uses her phone to film during protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September 2016. CPJ's safety survey found 85 percent of respondents believe journalism is becoming a less safe job. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

Why going solo is a risk for female reporters in the US and Canada

In June 2016, an attacker was terrorizing women on a jogging path in Edmonton, Canada. A video journalist at a large Canadian broadcaster was assigned to cover the story on the night shift. Multiple sexual assaults had been reported and the man was still at-large.

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Protesters from two of Benin's unions take part in a demonstration after the parliament approved a law restricting to 10 days public sector employees’ right to strike, on September 13, 2018, in Cotonou. Journalist Ignace Sossou convicted of false news in Benin on August 12, 2019. (AFP/Yanick Folly)

Journalist Ignace Sossou convicted of false news in Benin

New York, August 23, 2019–The government of Benin should act to decriminalize press offenses, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today, after journalist Ignace Sossou was convicted of false news for reporting on corporate finances.

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Employees of a regional TV company work during the broadcast of an annual nationwide televised phone-in show attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia June 20, 2019. Journalist Mikhail Romanov found guilty of "abuse of freedom of information" and "false" news in the city of Yakutsk on July 25. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin)

Russian journalist Mikhail Romanov found guilty of ‘abuse of freedom of information’ and ‘false’ news

Washington, D.C., August 2, 2019–Journalist Mikhail Romanov, a correspondent with the weekly Yakutsk Vecherniy, was found guilty on July 25 by the city court of Yakutsk, in eastern Russia, on charges of “abuse of freedom of information by publishing false information that poses a threat to the public,” according to news reports. He was fined…

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Burkina Faso's presidential palace is seen in Ouagadougou on March 20, 2019. The president and Constitutional Council have the power to prevent the enactment of revisions of the country's penal code that could result in jail time for reporters. (AFP/Olympia de Maismont)

Burkina Faso parliament passes legal revisions criminalizing false news, reporting on terrorism

New York, July 3, 2019 — Burkina Faso authorities should prevent the enactment of revisions of the penal code that criminalize false news and reporting on terrorism or security operations, and ensure laws do not permit jail time for reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Cameroonian police officers are seen on October 3, 2018. Police recently arrested journalist Paul Chouta on criminal defamation and false news charges. (AFP/Marco Longari)

Cameroonian journalist detained on criminal defamation and false news charges

Abidjan, June 20, 2019 — Cameroonian authorities should immediately release journalist Paul Chouta and drop criminal defamation and false news charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Anar Mammadov, editor-in-chief of independent news website Criminal.az, is set to appeal his conviction on false news, anti-state, and other charges on June 4. (Anar Mammadov)

Azerbaijani journalist to appeal 5.5 year suspended prison sentence

Washington, D.C., May 29, 2019 — Azerbaijani authorities should drop the charges against journalist Anar Mammadov and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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