2017
Gabonese radio journalist, union leader convicted of defamation
An appeals court in Gabon on July 26, 2017, upheld a lower court’s conviction of Gildas Biviga, a journalist for Radio Gabon, on defamation charges, but reduced his sentence to time served and ordered his release, according to media reports.
Seven Cumhuriyet journalists and managers released pending trial
New York, July 28, 2017–Turkish authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all employees and directors of the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, and all journalists jailed for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court in Istanbul today ordered seven Cumhuriyet employees and managers released pending the conclusion of their trial, according to press…
Morocco deports Spanish journalists
New York, July 27, 2017–Moroccan authorities should lift any restriction on the ability of journalists José Luis Navazo and Fernando Sanz to enter the country and should allow journalists to report freely on matters of public interest, including protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Journalists detained covering Maldives protest
New York, July 27, 2017–Police in the Maldives should cease detaining journalists covering events of significant public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police yesterday briefly detained seven journalists from the private television channels Sangu TV and Raajje TV as they covered an opposition party protest, according to police and media reports.
Palestinian journalists injured covering West Bank protests
Beirut, July 25, 2017–Israeli authorities should independently and credibly investigate reports that Israeli security forces injured journalists covering protests in the West Bank last weekend, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At least six Palestinian journalists were injured while covering protests in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron on July 20 and 21, according to…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of July 23, 2017
Journalists to stand trial on charges of obtaining secret information Hatay’s Second Court of Penal Peace yesterday ordered Dihaber journalist Erdoğan Alayumat jailed pending trial on charges “obtaining secret information of the Republic of Turkey with the means of political and military espionage” and ordered Nuri Akman released on probation pending trial, their employer reported.…
Vietnamese blogger sentenced to nine years in prison
Bangkok, July 25, 2017–A Vietnamese court today sentenced blogger Tran Thi Nga to nine years in prison and five years’ probation on charges of “spreading propaganda against the state,” according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdict and called on Vietnamese authorities to cease jailing journalists.