Iran frees hikers, many journalists remain imprisoned
New York, September 21, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the news that U.S. journalist Shane Bauer and his friend Josh Fattal were released today on US$1 million bail by the Iranian government after two years in Tehran’s Evin Prison, according to news reports.
CPJ welcomes Malaysian reform vow
Bangkok, September 16, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s vow to abolish the Printing Presses and Publishing Act, and urges his administration to follow through with additional press freedom-related reforms.On Thursday, during an Independence Day national address, Najib vowed to dismantle two harsh security-related laws–the Internal Security Act and the…
In Russia, new suspect detained in Politkovskaya’s slaying
New York, August 24, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the detention of a new suspect in the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, left, who was shot in her apartment building in 2006. The suspect, retired Lt. Col. Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, is said to have formed a criminal group tasked with killing her, and the journalist’s…
A ray of hope for the embattled press in Belarus?
In a rare development, the Belarusian general prosecutor, Grigory Vasilevich, stepped up for journalists and defended their right to report on ongoing political protests. According to a statement issued by his press office on Friday, Vasilevich sent a letter to Interior Minister Anatoly Kuleshov in which he reminded his colleague of journalists’ rights under the…
BBC reporter released in Tajikistan
New York, July 14, 2001–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of Urinboy Usmonov, a BBC World Service correspondent, detained in June in Tajikistan and calls on authorities to fully exonerate him and remove restrictions on travel. Tajik authorities released Usmonov on bail but continue to charge him with extremism while imposing a…
Beketov back on his feet, and a long road awaits
Mikhail Beketov can walk now–using an artificial leg and propping himself on crutches. He’s moving around his house in the Moscow suburb of Khimki. It was here, in his front yard, where the newspaper editor was attacked two years and seven months ago. It was in this yard where assailants left him for dead. The…
Playboy Indonesia editor acquitted of indecency
New York, June 23, 2011–Jailed Indonesian publisher Erwin Arnada was acquitted by the Supreme Court Wednesday of the public indecency charges against him, according to local and international media reports. Arnada was also the editor of the now-dormant Playboy Indonesia, which had appeared for six issues on Indonesia’s newsstands in 2006.
Suspected gunman indicted in Anna Politkovskaya’s murder
New York, June 2, 2011–Rustam Makhmudov, the suspected gunman in the 2006 murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was indicted in Moscow today, according to Russian press reports. The charges follow Makhmudov’s arrest in Chechnya on Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed these developments and called on investigators to continue their efforts to solve the killing.
Journalist freed in Burundi vows to keep reporting, carefully
As recently as April, the state prosecutor in Burundi demanded journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu be put away for life. But just a month later, Africa’s only jailed online journalist was a free man. A relentless international campaign by press freedom groups, human rights activists and Western governments had paid off.