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…
New charges against Ethiopian publications further diminish critical voices
Five independent magazines and a weekly newspaper have been charged by Ethiopia’s Justice Ministry, a move that may add to the long lists of shuttered publications and Ethiopian journalists in exile. In a press release issued August 4, the ministry accused the journals of publishing false information, inciting violence, and undermining public confidence in the…
Yemeni journalist shot dead in series of attacks on state-run media
New York, August 19, 2014 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a string of attacks on Yemeni journalists working for state-run outlets in the past week. At least one journalist has been killed and another survived an assassination attempt, according to the Ministry of Information and news reports.
Police officer convicted in death of imprisoned Iranian blogger
New York, August 7, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s conviction of a police officer in the death of Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti and calls on Iranian authorities to disclose details of the investigation and trial. The police officer was given three years in jail, two years in exile, and 74 lashes for assaulting…