false news

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The Nile River in Cairo, Egypt on April 25, 2018. Egyptian authorities on May 23, 2018, detained prominent Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas, according to news reports. (Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Egyptian authorities detain blogger Wael Abbas

New York, May 23, 2018–Egyptian authorities should release immediately Wael Abbas, a blogger who has documented Egyptian police abuse, and end their senseless campaign against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police at dawn today detained Abbas at his Cairo home and took him to an undisclosed location, according to news reports,…

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Military forces in North Sinai, Egypt, in December 2017. A military court has sentenced freelancer Ismail Alexandrani, who reported on unrest in the region, to 10 years in prison. (Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Military court in Egypt sentences journalist to 10 years in jail

New York, May 22, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the sentencing today of Egyptian freelancer Ismail Alexandrani. A military court in Cairo found Alexandrani guilty of being a member of a banned organization and spreading false news, and sentenced the journalist to 10 years in prison, according to news reports.

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A Kazakh soldier stands in front of the national flag at the presidential palace in Astana, in 2014. CPJ is joining calls for the country to revise its repressive press laws. (AFP/Alain Jocard)

CPJ joins calls for Kazakhstan to revise false news law and drop charges against critical media

The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined a coalition of 25 other international press freedom organizations to call on Kazakh authorities to drop criminal defamation cases against media outlets Forbes Kazakhstan and Ratel and revise the law on dissemination of “false information” often used to silence critical media outlets and journalists.

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A man fixes Gambia's flag on Feburary 16, 2017, during preparations for the swearing-in ceremony for Gambia's new president, Adama Barrow. Gambia's Supreme Court decided on May 9, 2018, to declare criminal defamation unconstitutional, but upheld segments of the country's criminal code on sedition and false news, according to reports. (Reuters/Thierry Gouegnon)

Gambia declares criminal defamation unconstitutional, keeps some laws on sedition, false news

Nairobi, May 10, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the Gambian Supreme Court’s decision yesterday to declare criminal defamation unconstitutional, but is dismayed that segments of the country’s criminal code on sedition and false news were upheld.

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Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta inspects an honor guard in Nairobi on May 2, 2018. CPJ calls on Kenyatta not to sign a cybercrime bill passed by Parliament. (Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)

Kenyan president should not sign cybercrime bill into law

Nairobi, May 10, 2018 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta not to sign into law a cybercrimes bill that was recently passed by the National Assembly because it will stifle press freedom.

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Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Tahrir Square after presidential election results in Cairo, Egypt on April 2, 2018. Since Egypt's presidential elections, authorities have stepped up their campaign against critical and independent journalists and have cracked down on those conducting man-on-the-street interviews, according to CPJ research. (Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

CPJ alarmed by Egypt’s detention of video blogger Shadi Abu Zaid

New York, May 8, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over the detention of Shadi Abu Zaid, a video blogger who produces and anchors his own satirical news show.

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Malaysia's landmark Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur in March 2015. A Malaysian court on April 30, 2018, handed down the nation's first conviction under its recently enacted

Malaysia issues first ‘fake news’ conviction

Bangkok, April 30, 2018–In a verdict with grave implications for press freedom, a Malaysian court today handed down the nation’s first conviction under its recently enacted “fake news” law, according to press reports.

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Maria Ressa, the founder of Rappler, arrives at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila on January 22, 2018. Ressa says she believes the news website is being harassed because of its critical coverage of the President of the Philippines. (AFP/Noel Celis)

Rappler fights to survive amid rising threats to journalists in the Philippines

On January 15, the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission ruled that online news group Rappler had violated laws barring foreign ownership and control of local media, and moved to revoke its registration.

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Students carry Sudan's national flag during celebrations to mark Sudan's 59th Independence Day, in Khartoum January 1, 2015. Sudanese authorities sentenced two journalists to prison on "false news" charges on March 22, 2018, according to reports. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Sudan sentences 2 journalists for “false news,” 2 others for defamation

New York, March 28, 2018–Sudanese authorities should stop harassing journalists and allow them to report on matters of public interest without fear of government reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Stormy weather hits the Egyptian port city of Alexandria in January 2018. Police in the city are detaining two journalists for allegedly filming without a license. (AFP/Stringer)

In Egypt, police arrest two journalists for ‘filming without a license’

Washington, D.C., March 2, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Egyptian authorities to release reporter Mai El-Sabagh and cameraman Ahmad Mustafa, of the local news website Raseef22, who were arrested in Alexandria on February 28.

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