Vietnam sentences journalist Pham Chi Thanh to 5.5 years in prison
Bangkok, July 15, 2021 – Vietnamese authorities should release journalist Pham Chi Thanh immediately and unconditionally, and cease imprisoning members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 9, a Hanoi court sentenced Thanh, a journalist who blogs under the pseudonym Pham Thanh, to five years and six…
Moroccan journalist Soulaiman Raissouni sentenced to 5 years in prison
New York, July 12, 2021 – In response to the July 9 sentencing of journalist Soulaiman Raissouni to five years in prison on sexual assault charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Moroccan authorities should release journalist Soulaiman Raissouni immediately and refrain from filing trumped-up sexual assault charges against members of the…
Imprisoned Belarusian journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau charged with treason
New York, July 7, 2021 – Belarusian authorities should immediately release journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau, drop all charges against him, and ensure that journalists can work freely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 30, authorities charged Aliaksandrau, founder and chief editor of the news website Belaruski Zhurnal, with treason, according…
American journalist Nathan Maung describes alleged abuse during Myanmar imprisonment
When armed authorities raided the office of news website Kamayut Media in downtown Yangon, Myanmar on March 8, editor Nathan Maung’s initial reaction was to plead not to be shot. The American journalist and his Myanmar colleague Hanthar Nyein were arrested, blindfolded, and taken to a military interrogation center, where for more two weeks they were interrogated,…
Turkish journalist and press freedom advocate Hakkı Boltan sentenced to 2 years in prison for insulting president and prime minister
Istanbul, June 29, 2021 – Turkey must not contest journalist Hakkı Boltan’s appeal, and should ensure that all members of the press can work freely and without fear of imprisonment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Earlier today, the 12th Diyarbakır Court of First Instance, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır, convicted Boltan of…
Iraqi Kurdish court sentences photojournalist Qaraman Shukri to 7 years in prison in secret trial
New York, June 28, 2021 — In response to the sentencing of Iraqi Kurdish photojournalist Qaraman Shukri to seven years in prison in a secret trial, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq are making an appalling habit of sentencing journalists to prison without any regard for due…
Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich’s parents on their efforts to find and free their son
“It felt like a horror movie.” That is how Dmitry Pratasevich describes learning that his son, Raman Pratasevich, was arrested after Belarusian authorities diverted Raman’s commercial flight from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk on May 23. Raman was the co-founder of NEXTA and the chief editor of Belarus of the Brain, two Telegram channels that rankled authorities…
Cuban journalist Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca held by police since June 15
Miami, June 22, 2021 — Cuban authorities must immediately release journalist Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca, drop any charges against him, and allow the press to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 15, agents from the Cuban Revolutionary Police detained Valle when he presented himself at the Zapata y C police…
Iraqi Kurdish court sentences freelance journalist Omed Baroshky to one year in prison
New York, June 22, 2021 — In response to today’s sentencing of Iraqi Kurdish journalist Omed Baroshky to one year in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “With today’s sentencing of freelance journalist Omed Baroshky, Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq have again displayed their unhindered determination to shrink the space in…
At-risk journalists who must flee home countries often find few quick and safe options
In 2018, journalist Mohammad Shubaat was in Daraa, Syria, caught between advancing forces aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the closed borders of Israel and Jordan. Despite the dire threat to Shubaat and many of his colleagues, it would take over a year of intense negotiations with some 20 countries by the Committee to…