2015
Colombia releases suspect in attack on journalist Jineth Bedoya
Bogotá, June 4, 2015–The Colombian attorney general’s office announced Monday that charges have been dropped against Alejandro Cárdenas Orozco, a paramilitary fighter who confessed to taking part in the 2000 kidnapping of Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya, who was also raped in the attack, according to news reports. Cárdenas later retracted his confession, according to reports.
India denies public exhibition of film on life of Tamil journalist Shoba
India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which regulates the public exhibition of films in the country, declined to certify the film Porkalathil Oru Poo on May 27, 2015, citing the possibility that it could harm “friendly relations with foreign States,” the English-language daily The Hindu reported.
CPJ urges Nigerian president to prioritize press freedom
President Buhari: The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to congratulate you on your recent victory in Nigeria’s presidential election. As Nigeria prepares to enter a new chapter in its history, we urge you and your administration to take steps to ensure that journalists are able to work freely and openly in the country without fear of reprisal of any form.
CPJ condemns attack on investigative journalist in Croatia
New York, June 2, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack on investigative reporter Zeljko Peratovic who, according to news reports, was beaten in his home in Luka Pokupska, near the city of Karlovac, and calls on Croatian authorities to investigate if journalism was the motive.
Erdoğan threatens Cumhuriyet, editor-in-chief over arms smuggling report
Istanbul, June 1, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s legal threats against pro-opposition daily newspaper Cumhuriyet and Can Dündar, its editor-in-chief, whom the president accused of espionage during a live broadcast Sunday night on state-run television.
Freelance journalist Casey Coombs released by Yemen rebels
New York, June 1, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release today of American freelance journalist Casey Coombs, who had been held by Houthi rebels for two weeks. Coombs, who has written for publications including Time and The Intercept, has arrived safely in Oman, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. Details of…
In Venezuela, online news helps journalists get their voices back
When Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was rumored to be gravely ill four years ago, his socialist government was tightlipped about the diagnosis. Then in June 2011 a source in Havana, Cuba, where Chávez was being treated, told Nelson Bocaranda, a veteran columnist for the Caracas daily El Universal, that the president had cancer.
CPJ welcomes Facebook move to add PGP encryption features
San Francisco, June 1, 2015–Facebook today announced that it would offer users a field to post PGP encryption keys on their profiles, and that it will use the encryption standard to protect the contents of notification emails. The improvements were announced on the social network’s security blog and will gradually be rolled out to all…
Chinese cartoonist Rebel Pepper struggles to survive in self-imposed exile
When calls for Wang Liming to be arrested were made on a forum hosted by China’s state-controlled press last year, the satirical cartoonist who lampooned the Communist Party leadership decided it would be safer to stay in Japan, where he had been traveling. But while he may have avoided possible arrest, the cartoonist, known as…