Belarusian authorities raid news outlets, detain journalists amid nationwide crackdown
New York, July 8, 2021 – Belarusian authorities must release all journalists held in custody for their work and drop all investigations into independent news outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Starting this morning, authorities raided at least three news outlets and arrested at least seven journalists nationwide amid a crackdown on the…
Sudanese authorities block news websites, briefly detain Al-Jazeera reporter covering protests
New York, July 7, 2021 – Sudanese authorities should immediately allow access to all news websites in the country, and stop harassing and intimidating journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Starting June 30, authorities blocked dozens of news and other websites in response to anti-government protests that began the previous day, according to…
Iceland fishing company goes ‘guerilla’ on journalists who uncovered alleged corruption
When in March of this year a neighbor alerted Helgi Seljan, an investigative reporter for Iceland’s public broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), that she had seen someone lurking around his house, he was alarmed, he told CPJ in a video interview. Seljan said that the neighbor recognized the alleged lurker as Jón Óttar Ólafsson, a former police…
Angola charges 2 more journalists with criminal defamation over corruption reporting
New York, July 1, 2021—Angolan authorities should drop criminal defamation charges against journalists Coque Mukuta and Escrivão José, stop pursuing such cases against the press, and ensure that journalism is not criminalized, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 17, Angolan judicial authorities charged Coque Mukuta, editor of privately owned news website O Decreto and…
Liberian journalist Aryee Davis threatened, harassed online over reporting on alleged fraud
Abuja, July 1, 2021 – Liberian authorities should investigate the threats received by journalist Aryee Davis and ensure that she can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In mid-June, a Facebook user named “Gedeh Eagleeyes” sent multiple threatening messages to Davis, founder of the Facebook-based news outlet GrainCost TV, and posted threatening…
Palestinian security forces assault at least 5 journalists covering protests in Ramallah
New York, June 30, 2021 – Authorities in the West Bank should conduct a thorough investigation into security forces’ recent attacks on members of the press covering protests, and ensure that those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 26 and 27, security forces affiliated with the Palestinian…
‘The most dangerous situation’: Serbian journalists accused of links to organized crime
In March, when a reporter at Serbian investigative news site KRIK asked President Aleksandar Vučić at a press conference about the government’s alleged links to organized crime, governing party politicians and pro-government media outlets turned the claim back on KRIK. They accused the journalists of being part of a criminal network, which KRIK has forcefully denied, as CPJ…
In five Latin American countries, COVID-19 responses restrict press freedom, CPJ, TrustLaw find
In Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, and Peru, emergency measures in response to COVID-19 restricted the media’s capacity to report freely and the public’s ability to access information, including critical information about public health interventions and the pandemic itself, a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Thomson Reuters Foundation’s TrustLaw program found. The report,…
South African EFF party supporters block journalists from covering protest
On June 10, 2021, a group of supporters of the South African Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party harassed and threatened reporter Ayesha Ismail and camera operator Mario Pedro, with the privately owned broadcaster eNCA, while they tried to cover an anti-racism protest in Cape Town, according to video of the incident shared on social media…
Ecuadorian journalist Luis Eduardo Vivanco receives death threats
Bogotá, June 29, 2020 – Ecuadorian authorities should investigate threats made to journalist Luis Eduardo Vivanco and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 24, Vivanco, founder of the satirical news website La Posta, was walking his dog in Quito, the capital, when an unidentified man began screaming…