Indian journalist named on hit list as threats against critical voices escalate
“These people will kill you,” Nikhil Wagle, a prominent journalist in India, told me as we discussed reports of him being named as a target by a member of a hard-line Hindu group who is being questioned by police over the murder of a writer.
As world leaders take to UNGA stage, CPJ highlights countries of concern
Press freedom records of Egypt, Russia, Iran, China, Nigeria, Mexico, Ecuador New York, September 25, 2015–Each year, the world’s leaders are invited to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where they are given a platform to speak freely and openly. But while the leaders of many countries enjoy this privilege, their journalists back…
CPJ welcomes arrests in 2011 murder of Philippine journalist
Bangkok, September 21, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the arrest in Thailand of two former Philippine politicians wanted in the 2011 murder of environmental journalist Gerardo Ortega. Joel Reyes, a former governor of Palawan province, and his brother, Mario Reyes, a former municipal mayor in the same province, were arrested on Sunday by Thai…
Shooting of freelance reporter increases fear for South Sudan’s press
Freelance journalist Peter Julius Moi used to ride a motorbike without wearing a helmet, despite warnings from one of his colleagues to be more careful. Moi would just shrug off those concerns, saying that as a South Sudanese journalist “risk was simply part of life.” Last month, the reporter was shot dead as he walked…
Reporter killed in third attack on Pakistani journalists in 24 hours
New York, September 9, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the violence against journalists and media workers in Pakistan after three separate attacks in 24 hours. Former Geo News business reporter Aftab Alam was killed outside his home in Karachi today by two gunmen, according to media reports. The shooting came less than…
Indonesia should pursue justice in 1996 murder of journalist Udin
This past month marked 19 years since Indonesian journalist Fuad Mohammad Syfruddin was murdered. On August 16, 1996, Udin, as he was popularly known, died from injuries he sustained during an attack by unidentified assailants in his home. Udin, a correspondent for the Yogyakarta daily Bernas, had written articles on land disputes and local government…
Gunmen open fire on Geo TV broadcast van in Karachi, killing one
New York, September 8, 2015–A Geo TV technician was killed and a driver for the privately owned Pakistani station was injured today in a shooting in Karachi, according to media reports. Arshad Ali Jafri, the technician, was shot seven times in the attack, and the driver was shot twice in the shoulder but managed to…
Case will test Bangladesh and its commitment to justice for bloggers
Murder charges filed this week against five suspected Islamist militants in the killing of a Bangladesh blogger give the government a chance to prove it’s serious about protecting the nation’s bloggers. The formal charges, filed in connection with the March killing of Washiqur Rahman Babu, mark the first time charges have been brought in any…
In the Philippines, three journalists killed in two weeks
Bangkok, August 31, 2015–A radio anchor was shot dead on Thursday in the Philippines, the third journalist to be killed in the country in unclear circumstances in two weeks. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Philippine authorities to thoroughly investigate the killings, identify the motives, and bring the perpetrators to justice.