Gunman sentenced in murder of Brazilian journalist
New York, August 9, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s conviction for the 2010 murder of Brazilian radio journalist and blogger Francisco Gomes de Medeiros. João Francisco dos Santos was sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges of shooting and killing the journalist in the northeastern city of Caicó, according to news reports.
Mexico’s special prosecutor hesitates over early cases
Organized crime capos and corrupt politicians have been getting away with murdering journalists in Mexico for so long that there isn’t a reliable count on the number of the dead or a useful way to measure the crushing effects on a democracy when a country’s press is afraid to tell the truth. CPJ research shows…
Gunman kills freelance photographer in Philippines
Bangkok, August 2, 2013–A photographer was fatally shot in his home in southern General Santos City on Thursday, the third journalist to be killed in the Philippines in less than a week. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate the murder of Mario Sy, identify the motive in the attack, and…
Two journalists shot dead in the Philippines
Bangkok, July 31, 2013–Authorities in the Philippines must identify the motive behind the murders of two journalists on Tuesday and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Both reporters were columnists for the Aksyon Ngayon weekly tabloid newspaper.
Attacks on Orient News illustrate Syria’s many threats
It is increasingly difficult to document violations against the press in Syria, let alone hold those responsible to account. It has always been hard to verify facts within the country. But now, the sheer number of violations and the expanding list of violators have become admittedly overwhelming.
Mexican crime reporter shot to death in Oaxaca
Mexico City, July 18, 2013–Mexican authorities should conduct an open and thorough investigation into the murder of a crime reporter whose body was found on Wednesday in Oaxaca City, the capital of Oaxaca state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Alberto López Bello had been badly beaten and shot, government officials told CPJ.
Anniversaries of Russian journalist murders pile up
Last week, I was preparing to write a column about the anniversary of Paul Klebnikov’s murder. The American editor of Forbes-Russia was murdered contract-style nine years ago in Moscow at the age of 41. He had investigated connections between Russian business and organized crime, as well as ethnic and political tensions in Chechnya. Despite numerous…
JPK’s disappearance becomes murder case in Tahiti
Since Jean-Pascal Couraud’s disappearance in mid-December 1997 his friends had been fighting to debunk the notion that he had committed suicide. In 2004 they had thought they could prove that the 37-year-old muckraker had been a victim of foul play. Vetea Guilloux, a member of the local militia Groupe d’intervention de Polynésie (GIP), had alleged…
Kidnapped reporter found dead in Honduras
New York, July 11, 2013–The body of Honduran radio journalist Aníbal Barrow was found on Tuesday on the riverbank of a lagoon near the city of San Pedro Sula, according to news reports. Barrow had been kidnapped from his car on June 24, the reports said.”We are saddened by the death of journalist Aníbal Barrow…