Indian journalist jailed in Assam state for alleged links to militants
New York, September 8, 2014–An Indian journalist who has been held in police custody for six days was denied bail in court today and faces possible anti-state charges over accusations that he promoted an outlawed separatist group after interviewing its commander, according to news reports.
CPJ joins call to free Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression staff
Today, CPJ joined 78 human rights and press freedom organizations in calling on the Syrian government to immediately and unconditionally release three imprisoned members of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. The center’s director, Mazen Darwish, has been imprisoned since 2012 along with his colleagues Hussein Ghrer and Hani al-Zitani.
CPJ calls on Indonesian authorities to release jailed French journalists
Dear President Yudhoyono: The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide, is writing to express its concern about two international journalists who have been imprisoned in Indonesia since early August.
CPJ signs joint letter to Bahrain calling for Ahmed Humaidan’s release
Today, CPJ joined 10 local and international organizations in sending an open letter calling on King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and the Bahraini government to release photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan and dismiss all charges against him. The letter calls on the government to fulfill Bahrain’s obligations under international law and its commitments under the 2012 Universal…
CongoNews editor held without charge after criticizing archbishop
Nairobi, August 28, 2014–An editor from the Democratic Republic of Congo has been held by police without charge for a week in connection with libel allegations over a column published in the privately owned bi-weekly CongoNews, according to local journalists and news reports.
Solidarity in wake of Foley’s murder inspires jailed Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy
Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy has been languishing in an Egyptian prison since December. He is waiting for an appeal hearing on his seven-year sentence for “conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood,” but it is the murder of American freelancer James Foley, rather than his own unjust sentence, that has made the Cairo bureau chief furious.…
Public outcry can make big difference for Washington Post journalist jailed in Iran
I met Jason Rezaian in 2003, at Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. We were among the handful of Iranian-American journalists then freelancing in the country, and we were both motivated by the desire to help improve the understanding between Iran and the U.S. Over the years, I have followed Rezaian’s reports. His work…
Bahrain court should overturn Ahmed Humaidan’s conviction
New York, August 22, 2014 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Bahrain High Court of Appeals to overturn the baseless conviction of freelance photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan. The court is expected to rule on Humaidan’s appeal on August 25, according to news reports.
James Foley – a journalist’s journalist
Amid the tributes and war stories that followed the brutal beheading of James Foley this week, one memory from a fellow hostage shone a light on a side of his character that his audience might not have seen: his empathy not only for the people he covered but also for the journalists he encountered.
Somali authorities detain three journalists and shutter radio station
Nairobi, August 21, 2014 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the detention of three Shabelle Media Network journalists and the closure of their station. Security agents arrested 19 individuals at the network’s offices in the capital Mogadishu on August 15, and removed the transmitters of Radio Shabelle and Sky FM, two…