Chilean journalist Felipe Soto Cortés convicted of criminal defamation
Bogotá, January 27, 2023 – Chilean authorities should not contest journalist Felipe Soto Cortés’ appeal of a recent criminal defamation conviction and should stop using criminal defamation laws against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 11, a criminal court judge in the southern city of Concepción convicted Soto,…
Turkish court issues suspended prison term to journalist Nazan Sala
Istanbul, January 7, 2022 – Turkish authorities should vacate the suspended prison term issued to journalist Nazan Sala and stop harassing reporters for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Fifth Van Court of Serious Crimes convicted Sala, a freelance reporter, of making propaganda for a terrorist organization and issued her…
Turkish court issues suspended prison terms to 5 over reporting on leaked emails
Istanbul, January 4, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned a Turkish court’s recent sentencing of four journalists and one media worker to suspended prison terms relating to the 2016 coverage of the president’s son-in-law’s leaked emails. On December 31, 2021, the 29th Istanbul Court of Serious Crimes convicted the five of “illegally…
Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama given 2-month suspended prison sentence
On June 27, 2021, an appeals court in Annaba, in northeast Algeria, issued Mustapha Bedjama, editor-in-chief of the local independent news website Le Provincial, a two-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 20,000 dinars (US $150), according to news reports and Bendjama, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. The case stemmed from “harming…
Peruvian journalist Erick Osores convicted of criminal defamation, given 1-year suspended prison term
On January 14, 2021, a Peruvian criminal court convicted journalist Erick Iván Osores Patiño of defamation and sentenced him to a one-year suspended prison term, according to news reports and Osores, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Osores, a sports reporter for the Lima-based TV stations América Televisión and Canal N, told CPJ that…
Russian journalist Aleksandr Pichugin awaiting verdict, sentencing in false news trial
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 10, 2020 — Russian authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalist Aleksandr Pichugin and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Tomorrow, a court in the central Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod is scheduled to announce the verdict and sentence in the trial of Pichugin, the chief…
Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis handed suspended prison sentence for tweeting meme
Berlin, January 31, 2020 — Greek authorities should overturn the conviction of journalist Kostas Vaxevanis on appeal and reform the country’s outdated criminal defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Russian blogger Yegor Zhukov handed suspended sentence for 2017 protest coverage
Vilnius, Lithuania, December 12, 2019 — Russian authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist Yegor Zhukov and should allow him to work without fear of prosecution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Brazilian electoral court sentences 2 journalists to suspended jail time for defamation
On November 21, 2019, Brazilian regional news website Planeta Folha published a report uncovering a previously unreported criminal defamation lawsuit against journalists Donizete Bernardo dos Santos and Josias Brito da Silva.
Iranian court sentences 2 journalists to jail on propaganda charges
In October 2019, the Tehran Appeals Court sentenced Pouria Alami, a political columnist and satirist with the reformist Shargh Daily, to one year in prison and Tahereh Riahi, the former social affairs editor of the government-funded Borna News Agency, to two and a half years in prison, according to news reports and a person close…