Burkina Faso conscripts 2 journalists critical of junta, another fears kidnapping
Dakar, November 22, 2023—Burkinabe authorities must revoke the military conscription of journalists Issaka Lingani and Yacouba Ladji Bama and ensure the safety of journalist Boureima Ouedraogo in the face of kidnap threats, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. In early November, the army ordered Lingani and Bama to report for military training and…
CPJ expresses grave concern over 4th communications blackout in Gaza
Update: Communications in Gaza were partially restored over the weekend after a limited amount of fuel was allowed into the region to power generators. Journalists are still reporting to CPJ that they are having difficulty with communications. New York, November 16, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is highly alarmed by widespread reports of a communications blackout…
In Ecuador, threats force 9 journalists to flee their homes in 7 months
At least five journalists fled into exile and at least four others had to relocate within Ecuador between April and October 2023, amid political turmoil and a deepening security crisis that have put reporters and press freedom at increasing risk and led to self-censorship. One journalist—who asked CPJ not to disclose his name for safety…
In Haiti, murders of journalists go unpunished amid instability and gang violence
Dumesky Kersaint never flinched when it came to investigating violence in his gang-controlled suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. On the morning of April 16, the 31-year-old radio reporter left before dawn to cover a previous night’s shooting near his home in Carrefour-Feuilles. He never came back. Several hours after setting out, Kersaint’s body was found…
Georgian parliament reinstates controversial powers to sanction broadcast media
Stockholm, October 30, 2023—Georgia’s president should veto legislation bolstering the state regulatory body’s powers to sanction broadcast media, and authorities should work with stakeholders to devise a regulatory framework that enjoys broad industry support, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On October 19, Georgia’s parliament passed amendments to the country’s broadcasting law extending the…
CPJ statement on news blackout in Gaza
Update: News reports late Saturday, October 28, indicated the blackout was easing, but communications have yet to be fully restored. New York, October 27, 2023 – The Israel-Gaza war has entered a new stage with intensified bombing and ground operations by Israeli forces. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is highly alarmed by widespread reports of…
Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting during the Israel-Gaza war
Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, journalists and news outlets across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging. In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while…
CPJ joins call for Turkey to ensure safety of threatened journalist Alican Uludağ
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined five press freedom groups on Friday in a joint statement calling on the authorities in Turkey to ensure that journalist Alican Uludağ is safe, as he has been receiving online threats since he was publicly targeted by two politicians from the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) because of his…
Tipping the scales: Journalists’ lawyers face retaliation around the globe
The smears began the day Christian Ulate began representing jailed Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora: tweets accusing the lawyer of being a leftist or questioning his legal credentials. He began to fear he was being surveilled. Ulate had taken over the case in August 2022 from two other lawyers, Romeo Montoya García and Mario Castañeda,…
Two Prague-based Russian journalists threatened, fear surveillance
New York, September 21, 2023—Czech authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into recent threats received by journalists at the independent investigative news website IStories and ensure the journalists’ safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Between March and September 2023, IStories received four threatening messages via the feedback form on the outlet’s…