Legal Action

2523 results arranged by date

Police officers are seen in Buea, Cameroon, on October 3, 2018. Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo has been jailed since January. (AFP/Marco Longari)

Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo jailed since January on defamation charges

New York, February 18, 2020 — Authorities in Cameroon should immediately release journalist Martinez Zogo, drop all charges against him, and reform the country’s penal code to decriminalize defamation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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New York City police vehicles are seen on February 9, 2020. The NYPD recently cited anti-terrorism legislation in a subpoena seeking a journalist's data from Twitter. (AP/John Minchillo)

NYPD subpoenaed journalist’s Twitter data, citing anti-terrorism law

Washington, D.C., February 14, 2020 — The New York Police Department should not use anti-terror laws in an attempt to access journalists’ data, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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People using computers are seen in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 20, 2017. The country secretly passed regulations that restrict social media activity. (Reuters/Caren Firouz)

Pakistan government secretly passes strict social media regulations

Washington, D.C., February 13, 2020 — The Pakistan government should immediately roll back a set of social media regulatory measures that were passed in secret, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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People walk at the premises of Lagos State High Court on January 29, 2019. Nigerian journalist Fejiro Oliver faces cybercrime charges in Lagos for a corruption report. (AFP/Pius Utomi Ekpei)

Nigerian journalist Fejiro Oliver charged with cybercrime for corruption report

Fejiro Oliver, the publisher of the privately owned Secret Reporters news site, is scheduled to appear in court in Nigeria’s southwestern Lagos city on May 28, 2020, after years of adjourned legal proceedings, he told CPJ. Department of State Services (DSS) agents separately questioned him three times about his reporting in 2019, he said. Oliver’s…

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Alfred Olufemi (left) and Gidado Yushau (right) at court on January 13, 2020. (Photo: Adejumo Kabir/Premium Times)

Nigerian police detain News Digest web developer, charge journalists

Nigerian police charged Gidado Yushau, the publisher of the privately owned News Digest news website, and freelance journalist Alfred Olufemi with criminal conspiracy and defamation on November 12, 2019, according to a copy of the charge sheet seen by CPJ. The next court date is scheduled for March 4, 2020, Olufemi told CPJ. If convicted,…

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A woman vendor waits for customers as she uses her phone at the 'Computer Village' in Ikeja district in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos on May 31, 2017. Nigeria’s police have used telecom surveillance to lure and arrest journalists. (Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye)

How Nigeria’s police used telecom surveillance to lure and arrest journalists

As reporters for Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper, Samuel Ogundipe and Azeezat Adedigba told CPJ they spoke often over the phone. They had no idea that their regular conversations about work and their personal lives were creating a record of their friendship.

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Columnist Gul Bukhari is seen in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 22, 2018. Pakistani authorities recently threatened to file terrorism charges against Bukhari. (Reuters/Mohsin Raza)

Pakistan threatens journalist Gul Bukhari with terrorism charges, extradition from UK

Washington, D.C., February 12, 2020 — Pakistani authorities should withdraw their threats to bring terrorism charges against journalist Gul Bukhari, and should stop harassing journalists at home and abroad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Demonstrators march on Las Americas highway demanding the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 22, 2019. Rossello resigned in early August, but first signed two laws that obstruct the work of investigative journalists in Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

New laws obstruct work of investigative journalists in Puerto Rico

In July 2019, anti-government protesters gathered on the streets of Puerto Rico, motivated in part by the work of investigative journalists who had obtained and published over 900 messages exchanged by then Governor Ricardo Rosselló and his allies that disparaged political opponents and the island’s citizens. Before Rosselló gave in to public pressure to resign…

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People attends a protest in support of broadcaster ABS-CBN in Manila, the Philippines, on February 10, 2020. Philippine Solicitor General Jose Calida recently filed a petition against the broadcaster with the Supreme Court. (AFP/Ted Aljibe)

Philippines solicitor general petitions to strip news broadcaster ABS-CBN of its franchise

Bangkok, February 11, 2020 — Philippine Solicitor General Jose Calida should withdraw a petition asking the Supreme Court to cancel television news broadcaster ABS-CBN’s franchise agreement and should stop all legal harassment of the media organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A police car is seen in Velka Maca, Slovakia, on February 27, 2018. Slovak authorities recently charged journalist Michal Havran with criminal defamation and slander. (AP/Michal Smrcok/News and Media Holding)

Slovak authorities file criminal defamation charges against columnist Michal Havran

Berlin, February 10, 2020 — Slovak authorities should immediately drop criminal defamation and slander charges against journalist Michal Havran and stop using the country’s criminal code to prosecute journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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