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…
Zambian columnist Sishuwa Sishuwa could face sedition charge for opinion piece on election
Lusaka, Zambia, May 12, 2021 — Zambian authorities should drop an investigation into newspaper columnist and academic Sishuwa Sishuwa, who is accused of sedition, and should reaffirm the right to media freedom ahead of the August 12 general elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Sishuwa, a lecturer at the University of Zambia, wrote…
Hong Kong police arrest internet radio host Wan Yiu-sing on sedition charges
Taipei, February 8, 2021 — Hong Kong authorities should release journalist Wan Yiu-sing immediately, drop all charges against him, and allow members of the press to work freely and without fear of retaliatory legal actions, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, national security officers of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested Wan on…
Indian authorities in Manipur investigate editors for sedition, conspiracy, terrorism
New Delhi, January 22, 2021 – Authorities in the Indian state of Manipur should drop their investigations into The Frontier Manipur and its editors, Sadokpam Dhiren and Paojel Chaoba, and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 17, police in Imphal, the Manipur state capital, summoned and detained…
Daily Sangram reporter arrested in Bangladesh sedition case
New York, October 22, 2020— Bangladeshi authorities should immediately release reporter Ruhul Amin Gazi and let him work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday evening, police officers in the Hatirjheel neighborhood of Dhaka, the capital, arrested Gazi, a reporter with the Daily Sangram newspaper, according to news reports. The arrest came after…
Police investigate Indian journalist Vinod Dua for alleged sedition
New Delhi, June 16, 2020 – Indian authorities should immediately drop all criminal investigations into journalist Vinod Dua, and officials of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party must stop harassing him over his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 12, Himachal Pradesh police arrived at Dua’s home in Delhi and issued him…
Tanzania imposes 7-day publication ban on The Citizen
Nairobi, March 1, 2019–Authorities in Tanzania should lift a seven-day publication ban on the privately owned newspaper The Citizen and allow journalists to report on matters of public interest freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Information Services Department, which oversees newspaper licenses, temporarily suspended the publication license of The Citizen on February…
Chhattisgarh’s plan for journalist safety law could be template for all India
Every day for two years, freelance journalist Santosh Yadav must walk the 50 or so yards from his home to the Darbha village police station in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, to sign a register. Just one missed day could immediately land him back in prison as he awaits trial on anti-terror charges. A police commander said that…
Malaysia withdraws sedition charges against cartoonist Zunar
New York, July 31, 2018–A Kuala Lumpur court yesterday dropped nine sedition charges against Malaysia’s political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, according to news reports. If convicted, Zunar, who was honored with CPJ’s 2015 International Press Freedom Award, could have been jailed for up to 43 years.