Legal Action

New York, June 17, 2009–Authorities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan should immediately halt efforts to shut the Makhachkala-based independent weekly Chernovik and should drop extremism charges against editor Nadira Isayeva and four reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

New York, June 17, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an Israeli court decision to sentence two television journalists on charges of breaching the military censorship law during the offensive in Gaza in December and January.

New York, June 15, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by defamation charges filed against a Moroccan editor by a group that represents close relatives of King Mohammed VI. A Casablanca court has summoned the editor to appear on Tuesday.

New York, June 11, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists commends the Uruguayan Congress’ approval on Wednesday of a bill that repeals criminal defamation on issues of public interest involving officials. The bill is now under consideration of President Tabaré Vázquez for signing it into law.

New York, June 11, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the ‎passage of a Sudanese press law on Monday that falls short of ‎international standards for freedom of expression‎. 

Dear Prime Minister al-Maliki: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO) would like to bring to your attention several issues that harm press freedom in Iraq. In recent months, our organizations have documented a number of assaults and instances of harassment committed by government officials against journalists in various parts of the country under the control of Iraq’s central government.

New York, June 4, 2009–The opening of two government investigations into private television network Teleamazonas and threats of legal action by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa against critical media outlets are an attempt by the government to stifle dissent, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On April 24, 2009, journalist El Malick Seck, who was serving a three-year prison sentence over an editorial implicating President Abdoulaye Wade and his son in an alleged money laundering scandal, was released on presidential pardon, according to local journalists and news reports. The sentence had been upheld in February. He was first imprisoned on…

New York, May 29, 2009–Sudanese media have suffered multiple blows in recent months as parliament considers a harshly repressive press bill and authorities impose an exceptional level of censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

New York, May 29, 2009–President Hugo Chávez Frías is damaging Venezuelan democracy by continuing to threaten private media with reprisals and making unwarranted accusations against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.