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CPJ condemns Ethiopian internet shutdown and Oromia Media Network raid

June 30, 2020 3:23 PM EDT

Nairobi, June 30, 2020 – In response to a nationwide internet shutdown in Ethiopia and a police raid on the Oromia Media Network, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Ethiopian authorities’ persistence of old patterns of censorship in response to crises, when the public most needs access to timely news and information,…

African regional court rules Togo 2017 internet shutdown was illegal

June 25, 2020 11:44 AM EDT

New York, June 25, 2020 — In response to the Economic Community of West African States Community Court of Justice’s ruling today that Togolese authorities illegally shut down the country’s internet in September 2017, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Today’s court decision is a welcome reaffirmation that internet shutdowns pose a…

A man casts his ballot in Giheta, central Burundi, on May 20, 2020. Authorities disrupted access to social media networks during the election. (AFP)

Burundi blocks social media access during presidential elections

May 20, 2020 2:20 PM EDT

Nairobi, May 20, 2020 — In response to Burundian authorities’ blocking of social media networks during today’s presidential elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

Supporters of the ruling party are seen in Bugendana, Burundi, on April 27, 2020. CPJ recently joined a letter calling on Burundi to maintain internet access during the elections. (AP/Berthier Mugiraneza)

CPJ joins call urging Burundi to maintain internet access during elections

May 19, 2020 12:10 PM EDT

The Committee to Protect Journalists yesterday joined 30 other rights organizations in a joint letter urging the government of Burundi to ensure that the internet remains accessible before, during, and after the presidential elections scheduled for tomorrow.

The ABS-CBN network headquarters, where candles are lit following government orders to cease its operations, is seen in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on May 5, 2020. (AP/Eloisa Lopez)

Philippines orders ABS-CBN news network off the air

May 5, 2020 10:25 AM EDT

Bangkok, May 5, 2020 — Philippine authorities should allow the ABS-CBN network to resume broadcasting and should not let political considerations affect administrative decisions regarding media outlets’ licenses, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Rohingya refugees are seen in a camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on December 11, 2019. CPJ recently spoke with refugee and journalist Ro Sawyeddollah about working in the camp. (AFP/Munir Uz Zamin)

Journalist in Rohingya refugee camp describes bracing for coronavirus without access to internet

May 4, 2020 4:55 PM EDT

Ro Sawyeddollah has lived in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, since he fled Myanmar along with thousands of other ethnic Rohingya in 2017, where the U.N. found that Rohingya live under threat of genocide.

An antenna is seen in Bogota, Colombia, on December 19, 2019. The Global Network Initiative, a coalition of groups including CPJ, recently called on govermnents to maintain internet connectivity during the COVID-19 crisis. (Reuters/Luis Jaime Acosta)

Network shutdowns restrict reporting during COVID-19 crisis

May 4, 2020 1:15 PM EDT

The Global Network Initiative, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations of which CPJ is a member, issued a statement yesterday calling on governments to refrain from shutting down internet access amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An internet cafe manager works on his computer in Tehran, Iran on July 25, 2019. Iranian journalists say monitored connections and technology companies' concerns about U.S. government sanctions are making it harder for them to bypass censorship. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

To cement internet control, Iran helps journalists get online

March 2, 2020 1:21 PM EST

In early 2020, a journalist in Iran received a form from Iran’s National E-commerce Union, a nominally independent group that is close to the government, requesting their name, the news website they work for, and their IP address. “With all due respect,” it read, “provide the following information to prevent any potential problem during future…

A billboard of President Faure Gnassingbe is seen in Lome, Togo, on February 19, 2020. CPJ recently joined a letter calling for the Togolese government to maintain internet access throughout the upcoming election. (Reuters/Luc Gnago)

CPJ joins letter calling on Togo government not to shut down internet

February 21, 2020 2:30 PM EST

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 27 other press freedom and human rights organizations in a letter dated February 19 calling for authorities in Togo to maintain the stability and openness of the internet and social media platforms.

Indian security forces personnel patrol a street in Srinagar on January 10, 2020. Press freedom concerns persist in Jammu and Kashmir, where internet has been only partially restored after a months-long shutdown. (Reuters/Danish Ismail)

Lawyer Mishi Choudhury on what India shutdowns ruling means for journalists

January 16, 2020 3:46 PM EST

On January 14, the Jammu and Kashmir administration partially restored mobile internet in a handful of districts, according to news reports. The administration, which is directly controlled by the Indian government, had imposed a complete communication ban in the restive region after withdrawing its special status under the Indian constitution in August 2019, as CPJ…