CPJ welcomes decision to drop criminal charges against Guatemalan journalist Anastasia Mejía
Miami, September 10, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed a Guatemala court decision dismissing all criminal charges against journalist Anastasia Mejía. “While we are delighted that Guatemalan journalist Anastasia Mejía’s legal ordeal has come to an end, she never should have been detained, charged, and subjected to such harassment over her reporting,” said…
Singapore High Court rules that The Online Citizen bloggers defamed prime minister
Bangkok, September 3, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed alarm at the Singapore High Court’s ruling awarding Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong more than US$156,500 in damages in defamation suits against bloggers Terry Xu and Rubaashini Shunmuganathan. The High Court on September 1 ruled that Xu, chief editor of The Online Citizen news blog,…
Russian authorities open court case against journalist Yury Dud for distributing ‘drug propaganda’
New York, June 17, 2021 – Russian authorities should drop all court proceedings against journalist Yury Dud and ensure that he can work freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 10, the Zyuzinsky District Court in Moscow accepted a lawsuit filed against Dud, who runs the YouTube channel vDud, for…
Salvadoran court orders Revista Factum to take down reporting on murder case
Guatemala City, June 17, 2021 – Salvadoran authorities should immediately rescind a court order requiring the independent news website Revista Factum to take down an article, and should allow the media to report freely on issues of public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 14, the First Peace Court in the…
Indian police open criminal investigation into The Wire and 3 journalists
New Delhi, June 16, 2021 — Authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh state must immediately drop their criminal investigation into journalists Rana Ayyub, Saba Naqvi, and Mohammed Zubair, and the independent news website The Wire, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, Uttar Pradesh police filed a criminal complaint stating that they were opening a…
Algerian authorities revoke accreditation of France 24
New York, June 15, 2021 – In response to Algerian authorities’ recent decision to revoke the accreditation of French public broadcaster France 24, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Instead of responding to Algerian citizens’ demands, authorities are instead resorting to petty retaliation against the messengers,” said CPJ Senior Middle East and…
Guatemalan ex-official’s family members sue 2 journalists under violence against women law
Guatemala City, June 4, 2021 — Guatemala authorities should drop the criminal charges against journalists Sonny Figueroa and Marvin del Cid, and ensure that former public officials do not abuse the country’s laws to harass members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In May 21, two relatives of Miguel Martínez, the…
Journalist Asad Ali Toor summoned for alleged defamation of Pakistan government
Washington, D.C., June 1, 2021 — Pakistan should authorities stop harassing journalist Asad Ali Toor and let him work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Cyber Crime Reporting Center of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency in Rawalpindi issued a summons addressed to Toor’s home, ordering him to appear for questioning on June…
Malaysian cartoonist Zunar investigated over criticism of state official
Bangkok, May 17, 2021 – Malaysian authorities must cease their legal harassment of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, and drop any pending charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 7, police in the northern state of Kedah summoned Zunar, who publishes his political cartoons on the Malaysiakini news website, and questioned him…
Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel charged with ‘degrading’ the country
Istanbul, May 13, 2021 – Turkish authorities must cease their legal harassment of journalist Deniz Yücel and drop all of the charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, Turkish prosecutors charged Yücel, the former Turkey correspondent for the German newspaper Die Welt, with “publicly degrading the Turkish nation and the State…