As al-Sisi promises freedom of speech, TV host Youssef is put under investigation
The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was given a great platform for his country last week, with a speech at the United Nation’s General Assembly in which he said that his “new Egypt” would “guarantee freedom of speech,” and his first ever meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Australia’s national security bills threaten press freedom
New York, September 30, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists said it is gravely concerned by a national security-related bill in Australia, which could result in prison time of up to 10 years for journalists who report on intelligence. The National Security Reform Bill One was passed in the upper house on Thursday and would become…
Republic of Congo expels another journalist from the country
Abuja, Nigeria, September 30, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Congolese authorities’ decision to expel a Cameroonian journalist from the country. Elie Smith, who was attacked in his home in September, is the second journalist whom authorities have expelled from the Republic of Congo in a week.
Undercover in Vietnam: Reporters become martyrs for their paper’s cause
In the second of CPJ’s four-part “Undercover in Vietnam” series on press freedom in Vietnam, CPJ Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin reveals the persecution faced by Redemptorist News journalists, who have been jailed, harassed, and had their passports revoked for reporting on human rights. In part three, due to be published Monday, Crispin interviews a…
Congo expels critical female journalist
Abuja, Nigeria, September 25, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Congolese authorities’ decision to expel a freelance journalist from the country and calls on them to allow her to enter the country and report freely. Before her expulsion, Sadio Kante reported receiving threats in connection with a series of stories she published on the attack…
Undercover in Vietnam: Bloggers play risky game of cat-and-mouse to report
In the first of a four-part “Undercover in Vietnam” series on press freedom in Vietnam, CPJ Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin explores the risks bloggers take so they can cover news events and protests. Under near-constant surveillance and with the threat of arbitrary detention hanging over them, the desire for an independent press drives Vietnam’s…
CPJ joins call for Rouhani to improve press freedom and human rights in Iran
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 25 human rights and civil society groups today in signing an open letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday about steps toward an open and effective relationship with the United Nations Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Uighur blogger Ilham Tohti sentenced to life in prison on separatism charges
New York, September 23, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the life term handed down by a Chinese court today to Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur blogger and academic, and calls for his unconditional release. Tohti was found guilty of separatism by a court in the western Xinjiang region, according to news reports.
Burundi’s journalist union takes repressive press law to court
If the state decides that a journalist’s article in Burundi jeopardizes someone’s “moral integrity” under the country’s Media Law it can demand that the journalist reveals sources, and it can suspend the publication. “It’s a backwards, freedom-killing law,” said Alexandre Niyungeko, the founder and head of the 300-member Burundi Union of Journalists. Despite the press…
Journalists released from prison in Egypt, but others remain
New York, September 17, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release on bail of two journalists in Egypt and calls on authorities to free the 11 other journalists still behind bars. The move comes days before Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is set to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according…