Egypt extends pretrial detention of photographer Sayed Abd Ellah by filing new terrorism charge
New York, November 30, 2020 – Yesterday, the Egyptian state prosecutor’s office charged imprisoned Egyptian freelance photographer Sayed Abd Ellah with membership in a terrorist group and extended his pretrial detention by 15 days, according to a family member who spoke with CPJ via messaging app on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal,…
Bangladesh prosecutors block bail of journalist Jamal Mir
On November 10, 2020, the Dhaka High Court granted the bail of Jamal Mir, a freelance journalist who had been detained since May, but on November 15, a chamber judge in the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s appellate division blocked that order, keeping the journalist in detention, according to court documents reviewed by CPJ and Rezaur Rehman…
Indian Supreme Court to hold bail hearing on case of imprisoned journalist Siddique Kappan
New York, November 17, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Uttar Pradesh authorities to not oppose bail for imprisoned journalist Siddique Kappan and to grant him access to his lawyers immediately. Yesterday, the Indian Supreme Court set a hearing for November 20 for a bail petition for Kappan, according to The Telegraph. Kappan,…
Algerian Ennahar TV director Anis Rahmani sentenced to 5 years in prison
New York, November 17, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed disappointment at the conviction and sentencing of Algerian journalist Anis Rahmani for his work as director of Ennahar TV. On November 15, the Bir Mourad Rais First Instance Court in Algiers sentenced Rahmani, director of the privately owned news broadcaster Ennahar TV, to five…
Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov sentenced to 16 years on treason charges
New York, November 16, 2020 – The Grave Crimes Court in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, today sentenced Polad Aslanov, the chief editor of the independent news websites Xeberman and Press-az, to 16 years in jail on the charge of high treason, his wife Gulmira Aslanova told the Committee to Protect Journalists via messaging app and the…
Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono denied bail in obstruction case
New York, November 12, 2020 – Zimbabwean authorities should stop their relentless victimization of award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and ensure that the charges against him are dropped, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Today in the capital, Harare, magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa denied Chin’ono bail on a charge of defeating or obstructing justice, claiming that the…
Egyptian blogger Mohamed Oxygen’s detention extended as authorities file new charge
New York, November 11, 2020 – Egyptian authorities must immediately release blogger Mohamed Ibrahim, also known as Mohamed Oxygen, and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ibrahim has been held in pretrial detention since September 21, 2019, when he was arrested and charged with membership of a banned group,…
Belarus authorities arrest journalists, issue jail sentences, launch investigation
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 6, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should stop arresting and prosecuting journalists and allow news media to report on the country’s political situation freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the capital Minsk detained Nasta Zacharevich of internet news portal Zeleny, according to the Belarusian Association of…
Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov sentenced to seven years in prison
New York, November 4, 2020 – Azerbaijani authorities should release journalist Afgan Sadygov and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Sadygov, chief editor of the independent news website Azel.tv, to seven years in prison, according to news reports, his wife Sevinch Sadygova, and his lawyer Elchin Sadygov, both…
Nigeria journalist Oga Tom Uhia detained for weeks on defamation complaint
Abuja, November 4, 2020–Authorities in Nigeria should immediately release Oga Tom Uhia, the publisher of local monthly magazine Power Steering, which covers the electrical power sector, and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 13, police arrested Uhia at his residence in Gwarimpa, a suburb of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja,…