2016
UN review of Hungary shows country ‘treats human rights as a public enemy’
On May 9, a stern review of Hungary’s conduct in human rights issues and press freedom was released at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The report, drafted by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, listed concerns from U.N. member states about the controversial policies of Viktor Orbán’s government on asylum seekers and…
Tanzania cuts live parliamentary coverage, ending vital news source for citizens
On April 19, the live coverage of proceedings in the Tanzanian parliament ended as a government decision to halt the service went into effect. The move, announced by Information Minister Nape Nnauye in January, has led to protests from the opposition party and journalists’ groups, who said they view the decision to stop live broadcasts…
Uganda blocks social media sites for presidential inauguration
Nairobi, May 12, 2016 – Ugandan authorities should immediately restore access to social media websites and refrain from censoring any websites in the future, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Regulators blocked access to Twitter and Facebook, and to the messaging service WhatsApp today, according to press reports.
Mexican newspaper faces harassment
Mexico City, May 12, 2016 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the increasing harassment of the Mexican daily newspaper Vanguardia and its staff. In recent weeks, Vanguardia’s website was attacked, police raided its owner’s ranch, a former local official sued the newspaper, and unknown men followed one of its reporters home, according…
Sudanese journalist held without charge for a month after covering protests
New York, May 12, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Sudanese authorities to release Ahmed Zuheir Daoud, a journalist who has been detained for nearly a month without charge. Daoud was arrested on April 13 while reporting on student protests for Al-Midan, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Iman Othman Ali, told CPJ yesterday.
Egyptian court recommends death penalty for three journalists
Washington, May 11, 2016 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today strongly condemned an Egyptian court’s recommendation to sentence three journalists to death. They were convicted of helping to smuggle secret documents to Qatari intelligence officers and the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera. The journalists include two Al-Jazeera employees.
Nigerian military bars journalists from covering court-martial
Nigerian military authorities on Monday May 9, 2016 barred journalists from covering the trial of Patrick Falola and Ibrahim Sani, both army major-generals, who are being tried by a court-martial in the capital Abuja, according to news reports.