2018

Journalists are as vulnerable to psychological trauma as they are to physical and digital threats. Approaching these threats holistically and preparing accordingly not only enhances your overall safety, but helps to protect your colleagues and sources.

Journalists should be aware of the dangers of digital attacks, including through hacking, phishing, and surveillance, and should take steps to protect themselves, their sources, and their work.

The dynamics of a natural disaster or extreme weather event are fluid and threats can materialize quickly. Journalists should research potential threats associated with the event they are covering and prepare accordingly.

Journalists face the risk of serious injuries while on both dangerous and routine assignments. In situations when emergencies lead to severe injury, journalists should be prepared to deal with medical complications in order reduce the severity of injuries and to save both their lives and the lives of their colleagues.

Washington, D.C., September 8, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned an Egyptian court’s sentencing of photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as “Shawkan,” to five years in prison, and called on authorities to release him immediately and remove any restriction on his release on appeal.

New York, September 7, 2018–Venezuelan authorities should immediately release and drop all charges against freelance photographer Jesus Medina Ezaine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court in the capital Caracas on August 31 ordered Medina to military prison; he was detained August 29 after working on a reporting project at a hospital and…

Taipei, September 7, 2018–Chinese authorities should immediately release Ilham Weli, Xinjiang Daily’s deputy editor-in-chief, Memtimin Obul and Juret Haji, directors at the newspaper, and Mirkamil Ablimit, the head of the newspaper’s subsidiary Xinjiang Farmer’s Daily, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

In its report released late last month, the U.N. Human Rights Council found that all groups involved in the Yemen conflict–from the government-controlled south, with its militias propped up by the UAE-led coalition and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, and areas held by the rebel Ansar Allah or Houthi movement–were responsible for widespread…

Journalists in court The prosecutor in the trial of imprisoned journalist Nazlı Ilıcak, who is charged with “revealing information regarding state security that is supposed to be secret for espionage proposes,” asked the 26th Istanbul Court of Serious Crimes for a life sentence, the daily Evrensel reported on September 6. Ilıcak attended the hearing via…

New York, September 6, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Uzbek authorities to end their harassment of bloggers covering religious issues, and to release at least four individuals arrested for their writing. Police in several Uzbek cities made arrests between August 28 and September 4, according to media reports.