Sri Lanka’s Black January: Year two
Black January commemorations in Colombo have become an annual event. Tuesday’s demonstration was the second. The protest aims to recall the series of killings and attacks on journalists in Sri Lanka in recent years, many of them occurring in Januaries past. All of them have gone untried and unpunished, sustaining the country’s perfect record of…
Iran arrests journalists in largest crackdown since 2009
New York, January 28, 2013–At least 14 journalists affiliated with reformist news outlets were arrested in Iran on Saturday and Sunday in the largest crackdown on the press since 2009, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release all journalists in custody and halt their practice of…
Lukashenko can unshackle Khalip, a ‘victim of the regime’
Is Irina Khalip, the prominent Belarusian journalist, free to travel? President Aleksandr Lukashenko, whose government prosecuted her on bogus charges of creating mass disorder, says that she is. That Khalip has not, the president said, shows that she would prefer to be known as a “victim of the regime.” Of course, this all seems strange…
Numerous Nepali journalists flee after receiving threats
New York, January 28, 2013–Authorities in Nepal should ensure the safety of more than 20 journalists who fled the western district of Dailekh on Thursday after receiving death threats from individuals they said were supporters of the ruling Maoist party, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At least five news outlets have been forced…
Will Israel respond to query on targeting Gaza journalists?
On December 2, CPJ sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requesting an explanation for airstrikes on media facilities during the November 2012 military action in Gaza. The strikes damaged two media buildings and killed and injured a number of journalists. Israeli officials said the military targeted terrorist infrastructure, but provided no explanation…
CPJ condemns journalist arrests in Iran
New York, January 28, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrests in Iran of at least 11 journalists in the largest crackdown on the media since 2009. “With this wave of arrests, the authorities appear to be attempting to pre-emptively silence independent news coverage ahead of the presidential election in June,” said Sherif Mansour,…
Journalists back petition against privacy law
CPJ called on Hong Kong’s government to withdraw a proposal that would limit journalists’ access to information about business leaders. The proposal would obstruct investigative reporting and affect the transparency of businesses, CPJ found. Bob Dietz, CPJ Program Coordinator for Asia, speaks to China’s South China Morning Post, on the downward trend for media with the proposed law. Click…
Somalia should free jailed reporter, solve press murders
Dear President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud: We are writing to express our concern about a Somali journalist who has been imprisoned since January 10 for interviewing a woman who claimed she was raped by government soldiers. We are also concerned by recent statements you made in Washington indicating your administration will not tolerate negative coverage by the local press. We urge you to ensure the journalist is released immediately and to follow up on your commitment to create a task force to investigate Somalia’s unsolved journalist murders.
Two years on, Mubarak’s tactics still haunt Egypt media
On the second anniversary of Egypt’s January 25 revolution, Hosni Mubarak’s footprints are still present in many areas of the public sphere–and media are no exception. President Mohamed Morsi needs to cease using Mubarak-era tactics of silencing his critics with criminal charges such as defamation.
Benin TV director convicted for offending president
Abuja, Nigeria, January 24, 2013–An appellate court in Benin should overturn the conviction and toss out a prison sentence handed to the director of a private television station last week in connection with a broadcast of a press conference in September in which a former presidential adviser criticized President Boni Yayi, the Committee to Protect…