Qatar detains international journalists for the second time this year
New York, May 18, 2015–For the second time in two months, an international news crew was arrested and interrogated by Qatari security officials while they were reporting on the human rights situation in Qatar in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention and…
Venezuelan court bars media executives from leaving country
Bogotá, May 15, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by a Venezuelan judge that prohibits 22 news executives from three independent media outlets from leaving the country due to a defamation lawsuit filed by one of Venezuela’s most powerful politicians. According to news reports, the lawsuit and travel ban came after three outlets…
Moscow court closes case against accused mastermind in Domnikov murder
New York, May 14, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed that the statute of limitations in the case of the 2000 killing of a Russian journalist ran out with authorities failing to take timely action against the individual accused of being the mastermind.
Vietnamese editor faces anti-state charges for reporting on corruption
Bangkok, May 13, 2015–Authorities in Vietnam today levied anti-state charges against a former news editor who published reports on official corruption, according to news reports. The accusations mark a trend of legal harassment against journalists who probe sensitive corruption issues in Vietnam, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
Why Spain’s new gag law is threat to free flow of information
On July 1 a public security law is due to come into force in Spain amid an increasingly vocal chorus of concern among the media and press freedom groups. The bill–dubbed the “ley mordaza,” or “gag law,” by opposition groups–would define protests in front of parliament and other government buildings as a “disturbance of public…
CPJ calls on European Olympic Committees to engage with Azerbaijan on press freedom
Dear President Patrick Hickey: I am writing on behalf of the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent international press freedom organization, to call your attention to the dismal climate for press freedom in Azerbaijan, which is scheduled to host the first-ever European Games on June 12.
Burundian authorities crack down on press ahead of elections
Nairobi, April 29, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harassment of journalists and news outlets in Burundi and calls on authorities to allow them to cover protests ahead of scheduled elections in May and June. Police cut the transmission of at least three radio stations, and telecommunications companies have been ordered to suspend mobile…
Authorities shut TV news station in Thailand
Bangkok, April 29, 2015–Thai authorities on Monday revoked the operating license of Peace TV, a news station aligned with the elected government ousted in last year’s military coup, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the move and calls for Thai authorities to stop harassing and censoring the media.
Reporter who broke LuxLeaks story faces charges in Luxembourg
The French journalist who helped break the LuxLeaks scandal, which exposed a large-scale, state-blessed system of tax avoidance in placid Luxembourg late last year, was indicted on April 23. A statement from the Luxembourg prosecutor’s office accused Edouard Perrin of “being the co-author, if not an accomplice, in the infractions committed by a former PricewaterhouseCoopers…