Maldives jails 2 journalists over documentary about President Muizzu
New Delhi, May 12, 2026—Maldivian authorities must immediately release journalists Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Nasir and end judicial harassment of their news outlet, Adhadhu, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. According to a report by Adhadhu and a post on X by the Maldives Journalists Association, a court in the capital Malé sentenced…
Beyond Decree 54: Tunisia’s latest measures to silence the press
New York, May 12, 2026 — For years, Tunisia was viewed as one of the few post-Arab Spring success stories for press freedom in the region. In the decade following the 2011 revolution, journalists gained greater space to investigate corruption, criticize authorities, and report more openly than anywhere else in North Africa. Those gains, while…
CPJ urges Trump to prioritize Jimmy Lai’s release in meeting with Xi Jinping
New York, May 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges U.S. President Donald Trump to do everything possible to secure the release of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai during his meeting this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lai, a British citizen and founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was sentenced to…
Tunisia court sentences journalist Zied el-Heni to 1 year in prison
New York, May 8, 2026 – Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Zied el-Heni and stop prosecuting journalists under repressive laws for their reporting and commentary, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday after a Tunis court sentenced him to one year in prison. On May 7, authorities convicted El-Heni, founder of the…
Rwandan YouTuber dies of alleged overdose on day of release from prison
Nairobi, May 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an independent and credible investigation into the death of Rwandan YouTube commentator Aimable Karasira Uzaramba on Wednesday, the day of his scheduled release from prison at the end of his five-year sentence. In a statement, the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) said that 48-year-old Karasira died…
Tumor found in jailed Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu’s lung after hospitalization
New York, May 5, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Chinese authorities to grant medical parole to jailed journalist Dong Yuyu so he can receive urgent treatment for a potentially dangerous lung tumor. “Dong Yuyu requires immediate attention for a fast-growing lung tumor and a host of other medical concerns,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director…
New CPJ podcast reveals torture, coerced testimony in case of jailed Senegalese journalist René Capain Bassène
Dakar, May 4, 2026—A new podcast released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) presents extensive new testimony and reporting on the conviction of Senegalese journalist and author René Capain Bassène, raising serious questions about the integrity of a case that has become one of West Africa’s most emblematic press freedom concerns. The six-part series,…
Senegal rebel leader rejects prosecution claims against journalist René Capain Bassène
A key Senegalese rebel leader, César Atoute Badiate, has broken his silence on jailed journalist René Capain Bassène, refuting the prosecution’s claim that Bassène was a militant fighting for independence of the Casamance region who incited him to murder 14 illegal loggers in 2018. “René Capain Bassène is neither an MFDC representative nor a leader…
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, subjected to ‘grave violations’ of fundamental rights, has Kuwaiti citizenship revoked
Washington, D.C., April 29, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Kuwaiti government’s decision to revoke the citizenship of U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and his two sisters, just days after his release from two months of wrongful detention. “Stripping Shihab-Eldin of his citizenship is not just punitive, it is a dangerous escalation in the use…
Bahrain sentences photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel to 10 years in prison
Washington, D.C., April 28, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by the 10-year prison sentence handed down to Bahraini photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel after reportedly posting a video of the aftermath of an Iranian attack on the Gulf nation. The photojournalist was convicted on charges including allegedly promoting content deemed supportive of…