false news

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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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A supporter of Gambia's President Adama Barrow waves an ECOWAS flag at his swearing-in ceremony in February 2017. An ECOWAS court ruling calls on Gambia to repeal its criminal libel and false news laws. (Reuters/Thierry Gouegnon)

ECOWAS court rules Gambia violated rights of journalists

New York, February 14, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Gambian government to act on a judgment passed today by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to immediately repeal its laws on criminal libel, sedition, and false news.

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A cell phone is used to film a homelessness protest in Sao Paulo in December 2017. Ahead of October elections, police are tasked with combating the spread of fake news. (Reuters/Nacho Doce)

Ahead of elections, Brazil’s police announce plan to crackdown on ‘fake news’

In November last year, Brazilian police stopped a truck on a highway in the center of the country and, after a thorough search, discovered more than six tons of marijuana stashed in false compartments. The truck had the name Romanelli on the side, but police said it was a label designed to confuse and that…

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A poster, pictured in Cairo in October 2017, calls for President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to run in elections. Egypt's March vote will be held while the state of emergency is still in place. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Ahead of March elections, Egypt extends state of emergency and tightens censorship

The New York Times reported this week that Egypt ordered a criminal investigation into the paper over its report alleging that an intelligence officer told several TV hosts they should persuade viewers to accept President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The investigation comes in the same week that Egypt’s parliament voted…

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