In Iran, series of arrests and prosecutions target journalists
In the first few months of 2014, multiple journalists were arrested, interrogated, and prosecuted in Iran. Authorities pursued a revolving-door policy in imprisoning journalists, freeing some detainees on short-term furloughs even as they make new arrests.
Zone 9 blogger urges world to call for freedom in Ethiopia
In April, the Ethiopian government imprisoned nine journalists, including six bloggers from Zone 9, in one of the worst crackdowns against free expression in the country. Ethiopia is the second worst jailer of journalists in Africa, trailing only Eritrea, according to CPJ research.
Hungary’s independent media struggle against economic pressure, intimidation
“This is a new wave of clampdowns by the government–they want to have another four-year term with even less critical media than before,” said Szabolcs, a 21-year-old economics student, one of thousands of people who marched in the streets of Budapest in June, chanting “Free Country, Free Press!” The demonstrations were in reaction to several…
Worrisome curbs on free speech emerge since Modi’s election
Earlier this month, Indian authorities arrested seven people for publishing a photo of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, alongside figures such as George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, and Adolf Hitler, under the headline, “Negative Faces.” The seven, who could face lengthy prison terms if convicted, are but the latest Indians facing criminal proceedings…
Conditions for international reporters deteriorating in China
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China released at the end of May its annual report on conditions for international journalists working in the country. As we have done in the past, we’re posting this year’s report as a PDF. The takeaway is that conditions have certainly not gotten better and many feel they have gotten…
Journalist killed, another injured amid Iraq clashes
New York, June 16, 2014–At least one journalist was killed and another injured Sunday in an attack in northern Diyala province, the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate and Iraqi news outlets reported. The killing comes amid escalating clashes between the Iraqi government and its allies against an insurgency spearheaded by the Al-Qaeda splinter group Islamic State of…
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…
EU ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling will corrupt history
Google has taken its first public steps to comply with a troubling ruling by the European Court of Justice establishing a so-called “right to be forgotten” throughout the European Union. The ruling, on May 13, requires that search companies consider individuals’ demands to remove Internet links that reference them, and to give those requests priority…
Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez launches independent news site
Late last October, as I accompanied Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez in a cab ride from LaGuardia Airport to her hotel in Manhattan, we talked nonstop about what had changed in Cuba during 2013 and about her plans for 2014. Two things she told me then were particularly striking.