Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin sentenced to 2 years in prison for protest coverage
New York, January 19, 2022 – In response to the sentencing of Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin to two years imprisonment on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin and let all members of the press work freely and safely,” said…
Exiled Bangladeshi journalist Kanak Sarwar says sister’s detention won’t silence him
For years, exiled Bangladeshi journalist Kanak Sarwar advised his family members not to keep public profiles on Facebook, fearing his critical reporting would lead to harassment by supporters of the Awami League-led government. So he was alarmed when his sister, Nusrat Shahrin Raka, told him in September that someone had created a fake Facebook account…
Why the UN’s push for a cybercrime treaty could imperil journalists simply for using the internet
Cybercrime is on the global agenda as a United Nations committee appointed to develop a treaty on the topic plans for its first meeting amid pandemic-related delays. The process is slated to take at least two years, but experts warn that such a treaty – initially proposed by Russia – could hand new tools to…
Three Afghan journalists detained following coverage of anti-Taliban protests
New York, January 11, 2022— Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalists Faisal Modaris, Idris Rahimi, and Milad Azizi, and cease detaining members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 6, armed Taliban authorities detained the three journalists, all of whom work at the Kabul Lovers…
Journalists detained, news crew attacked, as Kazakhstan state of emergency continues
Stockholm, January 10, 2022 – Kazakh authorities should ensure the ability of the country’s media to work freely and release detained journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov. They should also fully investigate assaults on the country’s press, including an attack on a convoy that killed one Almaty TV employee and injured another and an arson attack on the…
Yemeni journalist Hala Fuad Badhawi detained in Hadramout
New York, January 5, 2022 – Authorities in Hadramout, Yemen, should immediately and unconditionally release freelance journalist Hala Fuad Badhawi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 30, 2021, military intelligence forces in Hadramout province detained Badhawi in the provincial capital, Mokalla, according to reports by the privately owned Yemeni newspapers Al-Masdar and…
Vietnam sentences journalist Le Trong Hung to 5 years in prison
Bangkok, January 5, 2022 – Vietnamese authorities should release journalist Le Trong Hung immediately and unconditionally, and stop imprisoning independent reporters for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 31, 2021, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Hung, a reporter with the independent social-media based outlet Chen Hung Nuoc Viet (CHTV), to…
Algerian journalist Merzoug Touati sentenced to 1 year in prison
New York, January 4, 2022 – Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Merzoug Touati and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 28, 2021, police arrested Touati, editor of the independent news website Al-Hogra, after he appeared at a police station in the northern city of…
Somaliland authorities arrest three journalists for critical reporting
Nairobi, December 31, 2021—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland to unconditionally release three journalists detained for reporting critically on the administration of the Sool region, and to guarantee that the media can cover politics without retaliation. On December 26, police in Las Anod, the capital of…
Hong Kong authorities file new charges against Jimmy Lai and six other Apple Daily executives in fresh media crackdown
Taipei, December 29, 2021 – Hong Kong authorities must immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Jimmy Lai, founder of the Next Digital Limited media company and the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, as well as six former Next Digital and Apple Daily staff, and release them immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On…