CPJ condemns harsh prison sentences for journalists in Egypt
New York, June 23, 2014–A Cairo court today sentenced three Al-Jazeera journalists to lengthy prison terms on terrorism-related charges, according to news reports. Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Peter Greste were given seven-year terms, while Baher Mohamed was given 10 years in prison. Three other international journalists–Sue Turton and Dominic Kane of Al-Jazeera and Rena Netjes,…
CPJ concerned by new restrictions on journalists in China
New York, June 18, 2014–China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television issued a circular today that, if fully implemented, will curtail Chinese journalists’ ability to report. News of the directive came via the official state news agency, Xinhua.
CPJ welcomes release of two Egyptian journalists, calls for others to be freed
New York, June 18, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release from prison this week of two Egyptian journalists and calls on authorities to release at least 14 journalists still behind bars, including three Al-Jazeera journalists whose trial continues on Monday. Abdullah al-Shami, reporter for Al-Jazeera who was jailed without charge, was released on…
CPJ calls for a renewed investigation in Askarov’s case
New York, June 12, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by Bishkek City Court’s refusal to open a new investigation into the case of Azimjon Askarov, a journalist and human rights defender who has been imprisoned in Kyrgyzstan since 2010 in retaliation for his work exposing wrongdoing. The court scrapped today an earlier decision…
Harsh sentence in Egypt daunting for the press
New York, June 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the 15-year jail sentence given today to Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd el-Fattah, and at least 24 other defendants, on charges of attacking a police officer and protesting the government’s ban on unsanctioned protests. Dozens of critical voices, including journalists and political and human…
CPJ welcomes release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen in China
New York, June 5, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of Tibetan documentary filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, who was jailed in China in 2008 for shooting the film, “Leaving Fear Behind,” which documents conditions faced by Tibetans under Chinese rule. Wangchen was released from prison in Qinghai’s provincial capital, Xining, today, but faces…
Q&A: Indian journalist Sudhir Dhawale discusses his release from prison
After languishing in jail for 40 months, Mumbai-based journalist and activist Sudhir Dhawale has walked free. Dhawale was the only journalist in jail in India in late 2013, according to CPJ’s annual prison census. With his release, there are currently no other journalists behind bars in the country for work-related reasons.
Press freedom is now el-Sisi’s choice
Egypt’s newly elected leader, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, will have to face many challenges as president, including the real crisis that confronts freedom of the press in the country. Things were never good for the press in Egypt, but they have worsened significantly since former President Mohamed Morsi was ousted last summer. As CPJ wrote in a…