2 French journalists, Togolese fixer detained 26 days following arrest while documentary filming in northern Togo
Dakar, August 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls on Togolese authorities to drop the charges against French journalists Sebastian Perez Pezzani and Gaël Mocaër, and their Togolese fixer, Komi Mawufemo Vedomey, and to release Mocaër and Vedomey who have spent 26 days in detention since they were arrested July 27 while filming a documentary in northern Togo. On August 20, 2026,…
CPJ joins call to extend UN fact-finding mission on Sudan
New York, August 21, 2026 – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined 67 other civil society organizations in calling on the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan (FFM) for two years and provide it with adequate resources to investigate grave violations and support…
From prosecutions to bans and spurious copyright claims: how Kazakhstan’s journalists are being silenced
Ahead of this month’s parliamentary election, independent journalists in Kazakhstan have faced “unprecedented” pressure, ranging from criminal prosecutions to professional bans, and this crackdown warrants heightened international scrutiny to ensure the country upholds its obligations on media freedom. Voters go to the polls on August 23 to elect a unicameral parliament established under a new…
CPJ, partners call for Congressional action on visa changes for international journalists working in the US
The Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organizations issued a joint letter on Wednesday urging members of the United States Congress to act on new visa restrictions for international correspondents. Under a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) final rule that will take effect on September 15, I visas for foreign media representatives will be limited…
Kazakhstan sentences journalist Gulnara Bazhkenova to eight years in prison as pre-election press crackdown intensifies
New York, August 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is shocked by the eight-year prison sentence handed down to Gulnara Bazhkenova, former editor-in-chief of independent outlet Orda, in Kazakhstan on August 18, and warns that this latest prosecution appears to be part of an escalating crackdown on the media ahead of elections this month. An Almaty…
Mexican journalist Carlitos Ricardo Parias shot by US immigration authorities, without medical care after 300 days in detention
Miami, August 18, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities to ensure that Mexican journalist and TikTok streamer Carlitos Ricardo Parias receives adequate medical care after spending 300 days in immigration detention at California’s Adelanto Detention Facility. Parias, 45, who reports independently under TikTok handle Richard Noticias LA, was shot in the left…
Bangladesh war crimes tribunal issues fresh warrants for 3 journalists over press conference questions
New Delhi, August 18, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Bangladeshi authorities to drop their new crimes against humanity case against journalists Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu, and Farzana Rupa, and stop criminalizing news reporting. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday ordered prison authorities to produce the journalists, who have been detained since 2024…
DRC shutdown of internet, mobile networks in east extends for over a month amid war
Kinshasa, August 17, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to restore mobile telecommunications and internet services that have been cut off for more than a month in the Fizi Territory, which includes the city of Baraka, in the eastern province of South Kivu. “The intensification of…
Journalism coalition calls on Brazilian Supreme Court to reaffirm source confidentiality protection
The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine other international and local organizations, as part of the Brazilian Coalition in Defense of Journalism, in a joint statement condemned the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF) for its decision to violate a journalist’s constitutional right of source confidentiality. “Like any other citizen, journalists are subject to the law and may…
Cameroon journalist held incommunicado for photo of Anglophone unrest
Update: After publication on August 14, George Atabong Lekeaka was released, according to his lawyer Emmanuel Aleambong Nkea. Dakar, August 14, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Cameroonian authorities to release George Atabong Lekeaka, who has been held incommunicado since Monday for publishing a photo of security officers on patrol during clashes with separatist…