Four Afghan journalists arrested after reporting from border area seized by Taliban
Washington, D.C., July 27, 2021 — Afghan authorities must immediately release journalists Bismillah Watandoost, Qudrat Soltani, Moheb Obaidi, and Sanaullah Siam, drop their investigation into their work, and allow members of the press to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, officials with Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, the country’s national intelligence…
U.S. reclassifies 5 Chinese state media organizations as ‘foreign missions’
On February 18, 2020, the U.S. State Department said in an official press briefing that five Chinese state-funded news agencies–Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA–are controlled by the Chinese government and will be treated as “foreign missions,” a designation typically used for…
Israeli forces injure 3 journalists at West Bank and Gaza protests
At least three journalists covering protests in the Gaza Strip and West Bank on August 2, 2019 were injured as Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and rubber bullets, and, in one case, allegedly assaulted a photojournalist working for the Associated Press, according to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, news reports, and videos and pictures shared by…
Egyptian photojournalist sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison
A Cairo criminal court on July 18, 2016, sentenced Egyptian freelance photojournalist Belal Darder Mohamed to 15 years in prison in absentia on charges of participating in an unlicensed protest and membership in a terrorist organization, according to press reports. The charges were in connection with his work documenting a December 2014 protest by students…
After Charlie Hebdo attack, vigils, protests and publishing bans
Protests against the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo were held in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East and parts of Africa over the weekend, as crowds demonstrated against the magazine’s portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad, according to news reports.
Anti-press abuses on third anniversary of Egypt uprising
New York, January 28, 2014–Several local and international journalists have been attacked and detained in Egypt while covering deadly clashes between police and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, according to news reports. The clashes erupted on Saturday, the third anniversary of the uprising in Egypt.
Don’t punish Chinese restrictions with more restrictions
The Committee to Protect Journalists is watching with concern the progress of H.R. 2899, the Chinese Media Reciprocity Act of 2011, which is under discussion Wednesday in front of the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement. The bill seeks to reduce the number of visas available to journalists (and their families) working in the United…