Italian police increase protection of journalist Sigfrido Ranucci after assassination plot revealed
In August 2021, Italian police placed Sigfrido Ranucci, host and deputy director of the Rome-based TV program “Report” on Italian public broadcaster RAI3, under 24-hour protection due to an alleged assassination plot by the ´Ndrangheta organized crime group, according to his employer and Ranucci, who communicated with CPJ via email. Police learned about the plot by…
Unidentified attackers shoot at car of Mexican journalist Beatriz Flores after she received threatening call
Mexico City, November 17, 2021 – Mexican authorities must immediately and transparently investigate the threats against journalist Beatriz Flores and the shooting attack on her car in Tepeji del Río, in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, and federal authorities must provide her with protection, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Flores told CPJ…
Nigerian police assault, detain journalists covering memorials marking Lekki Toll Gate killings
Abuja, Nigeria, November 1, 2021 — Authorities in Nigeria must prioritize the safety of journalists covering protests and hold officers responsible for abuses accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 20, in three separate incidents, police officers arrested, harassed, or beat up three journalists–Sikiru Obarayese, Abisola Alawode, and Adefemi Akinsanya—as they covered…
RFE/RL’s staff receive death threats ahead of Uzbekistan presidential election
New York, October 21, 2021 – Authorities in Uzbekistan should swiftly investigate threats received by employees of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and ensure that they can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 16, anonymous users of the Telegram messaging app sent dozens of death threats to…
Polish police search journalist’s home, seize equipment over alleged threats to legislator
Berlin, October 6, 2021 — Polish authorities should stop harassing journalist Piotr Bakselerowicz, return his equipment, and respect the confidentiality of his sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 2, four officers from the Warsaw Police Department, two of whom carried guns, searched the apartment of Bakselerowicz, a reporter for the independent…
Syrian journalists fear for their lives despite the end of the siege of Daraa al-Balad
On September 9, the Syrian Army and its allies lifted their two-and-a half-month siege of the district of Daraa al-Balad in southern Syria under a Russian-brokered ceasefire with local rebels. The deal is the latest chapter in the long saga of the district, a cradle of the 2011 revolution that was recaptured by Syrian Army…
Mob in Uttar Pradesh locked journalists in room with plan to light them on fire
On August 28, 2021, a mob locked journalists Sarfaraz Warsi, Nitin Srivastava, Razi Siddiqui, and Fakhar-e-Alam in a room and discussed setting them on fire in Barabanki district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, according to news website News18, a partnership between CNN International and Indian broadcaster TV18, and Warsi and Srivastava, who spoke…
BBC news crew threatened by COVID-19 protesters in UK
Berlin, September 14, 2021 — United Kingdom authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the threats against journalist Phillip Norton and his crew and ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 28, demonstrators protesting the government’s measures to curb COVID-19 in Scarborough, a resort town on England’s North…
Ecuadorian journalist Virginia Suárez receives death threats
Bogotá, September 2, 2021 – Ecuadorian authorities must investigate death threats made against journalist Virginia Suárez and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Suárez, who covers politics in the central town of Ventanas for her twice-weekly live news program called “Tus noches con Virginia” (Your nights with Virginia) on…