The Torch is a weekly newsletter from the Committee to Protect Journalists that brings you the latest press freedom and journalist safety news from around the world. Subscribe here.
In Mexico, reporter Israel Vázquez was shot and killed in the state of Guanajuato on Monday. He was the third journalist killed in the country in the last two weeks. So far in 2020, Mexico is the deadliest country for journalists with at least four journalists killed in direct relation for their work. Freelancer Lizbeth Hernández spoke to CPJ about the particular risks faced by women journalists in the country while covering feminist protests, including police harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention.
Authorities in Belarus continue to arrest and detain journalists during the country’s third month of protests. “The political crisis in Belarus persists and journalists will, rightfully, persist in covering it,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said.
This week, CPJ called on the Council of the Europe to withdraw a proposed draft resolution that calls for authorities across the European Union to have access to encrypted messages as part of investigations into terrorism and organized crime. This could have implications for journalists who rely on encryption to evade surveillance and protect their sources. See CPJ’s factsheet for more about why journalists need encryption.
Global press freedom updates
- Los Angeles police arrest, charge two reporters documenting social justice protest
- Egyptian blogger Mohamed Oxygen’s detention extended
- Journalists harassed, detained, and sentenced to jail in South Sudan
- Ethiopian journalist arrested, accused of disseminating false news
- Demonstrators attack RFE/RL office in Armenia, assault two journalists
- Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov sentenced to seven years in prison
Spotlight
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Save the date! Join us next Thursday as CPJ and media luminaries come together to celebrate the resiliency of the press at the 30th annual International Press Freedom Awards. During the program, CPJ will honor four journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, and Russia who have persisted despite facing significant legal threats and physical danger. Learn more about their inspiring stories here.
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney will receive the 2020 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award, presented by actor Meryl Streep. The virtual celebration, hosted by NBC’s Lester Holt and featuring several documentary-style profiles, will be streamed on news networks around the world at 8 p.m. EST, as well as on ipfa2020.org and our Twitter and Facebook pages. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #IPFA.
What we are reading
- State of Press Freedom Report: Trends and Reflections — Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism
- ‘Climate of fear’ in eSwatini media — Vuyisile Hlatshwayo, The Mail & Guardian
- Chinese Journalists Sought Freedom in the U.S. Now They’re in Limbo. — Javier C. Hernández, The New York Times
- The Ghosts of Newspaper Row — Elizabeth Mitchell, The Paris Review
- Working Group on Infodemics: Policy framework — Forum on Information & Democracy
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