Cuba passes regulations criminalizing online content, further restricting internet access
Miami, August 19, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the enactment of new telecommunications regulations in Cuba that will further censor information on the island, and called for their immediate repeal. On August 17, the Cuban government enacted new regulations that criminalize the sharing of “false” and “offensive” information online, and grant…
Journalists detained and harassed, internet disrupted amid Cuban protests
Miami, July 14, 2021 — Cuban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all detained journalists, stop disrupting internet access in the country, and allow the press to cover protests freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since July 11, protests have erupted in several Cuban cities, with demonstrators calling for the end of the country’s…
Eswatini police detain, abuse 2 reporters from South African outlet New Frame
Lusaka, Zambia, July 8, 2021 – Eswatini authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the recent arrests and abuse in custody of journalists Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 9 a.m. on July 4, soldiers on the MR3 highway near…
CPJ joins call urging Ethiopia to maintain internet access during elections
The Committee to Protect Journalists recently joined 46 other human rights, free expression, and technology organizations in a letter calling on Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to guarantee secure and reliable internet access during and following the country’s elections. In the letter, sent on June 18, members of the #KeepItOn Coalition against internet shutdowns also…
Ethiopia elections 2021: Journalist safety kit
Ethiopia is scheduled to hold general elections later this year amid heightened tensions across the country. Military conflict broke out in the Tigray region in November 2020, and is ongoing; over the past year, several other regions have witnessed significant levels of violence and fatalities as a result of protests and inter-ethnic clashes, according to…
Journalists struggle to work amid extended internet shutdowns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, Kashmir
By CPJ Africa and Asia Program Staff Even a brief shutdown of the internet impedes the press from doing its job. But some disruptions last for months, severely undermining safety and access to information, CPJ has found. Recently, authorities have imposed such measures in Myanmar and Ethiopia amid serious crises. India leads the world in internet…
Myanmar’s military should lift Facebook, WhatsApp censorship, enable news broadcasts following coup
Bangkok, February 4, 2021 – Myanmar’s military should rescind an order to block social media platforms being used to share information about this week’s coup and lift ongoing restrictions on broadcasters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The military obstructed news stations and temporarily shuttered phone and internet access when it seized power from…
Indian police arrest, investigate journalists covering farmers’ protests
New Delhi, February 1, 2021 – Indian authorities must immediately release journalist Mandeep Punia and refrain from detaining and investigating members of the press covering protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the evening of January 30, Delhi police detained Mandeep Punia, a contributor to The Caravan magazine and Junputh news website, and…
CPJ calls for press freedom to be upheld as Myanmar military takes power, imposes emergency rule
Bangkok, February 1, 2021 – Myanmar’s military must fully restore all blocked TV stations, phone lines, and internet services and refrain from imposing any orders that restrict the media’s ability to freely report the news amid emergency rule, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The military seized power from Myanmar’s elected government today, detaining…
Internet access cut, social media banned during Uganda elections
Nairobi, January 14, 2021 – Ugandan authorities should immediately cease all efforts to disrupt internet access in the country and allow the press to cover the country’s elections freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Uganda Communications Commission, the country’s broadcasting and telecommunication regulator, ordered telecommunications providers to suspend internet services in…