Legal Action

New York, October 22, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by a U.S. District Court’s decision to dismiss a civil lawsuit against former Sri Lankan Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa over his alleged involvement in the 2009 killing of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga.

Vilnius, October 4, 2019 — Russian authorities should drop the charges against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva and stop harassing reporters covering her case, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Washington, D.C., October 3, 2019 — Kyrgyzstan should conduct an open and thorough reinvestigation into the killing of journalist Alisher Saipov, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Bangkok, October 3, 2019 — Cambodian authorities should drop all charges against Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin and stop their campaign of harassment against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On September 12, 2019, Lebanese judge Ziad Abu Haidar filed a criminal defamation suit against the Nida al-Watan newspaper as well as its editor-in-chief Beshara Charbel and managing director George Barbari, according to news reports and a report by regional press freedom group Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom.

The Committee to Protect Journalists filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia yesterday asking the court to release documents regarding Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, which the U.S. government claimed in court documents are exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.

Dakar, September 25, 2019 — Authorities in Chad should not challenge the appeals of journalists Martin Inoua Doulguet and Abdramane Boukar Koyon, and should take immediate action to repeal legislation that criminalizes acts of journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Rio de Janeiro, September 25, 2019 — Brazilian authorities should investigate harassment against AzMina magazine and its journalists, and should refrain from prosecuting the outlet or its journalists for their reporting on abortion, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

When Pablo Ortiz, a veteran reporter for El Deber, the main daily in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, set off to cover massive forest fires, he didn’t realize how dangerous the assignment would be.

Washington, D.C., September 18, 2019 — Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved an initiative to establish specialized courts aimed at resolving media-related issues, the government announced yesterday, according to news reports. The proposal drew swift condemnation on social media from human rights and press freedom organizations.