Conflict and murder drive sharp increase in journalist deaths
New York, December 18, 2012–Combat-related deaths in Syria and targeted murders in Somalia, Pakistan, and Brazil are the driving forces behind a sharp rise in press fatalities in 2012, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ year-end analysis of journalists killed in the line of duty.
Iraqi broadcaster and radio station forced off the air
New York, December 17, 2012–Iraqi security forces shut down two broadcast outlets on Friday for alleged administrative violations, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi authorities to allow the stations to resume broadcasting immediately.
More can be done to get justice for Deyda Hydara
In the eight years since unidentified assailants shot and killed Deyda Hydara of the Gambia, no one has been held to account. The late 2004 murder of Hydara, an immensely respected editor, columnist, and press freedom advocate known for his criticism of President Yahya Jammeh’s repressive media policies, became a rallying point for Gambian journalists…
Four Palestinian journalists assaulted by Israeli soldiers
New York, December 14, 2012–Israeli soldiers assaulted four Palestinian journalists and forced them to strip naked at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday, according to news reports. Two of the journalists worked for Reuters, and two for local Palestinian news outlets, the reports said.
Number of killed journalists in 2012 spikes
New York, December 14, 2012–Reporting has turned deadly for too many journalists around the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ annual census of press fatalities to be released on December 18. An accompanying analysis details the circumstances of each case together with a breakdown of the census by medium and region, as well…
In Cameroon, journalist threatened with defamation charge
Abuja, Nigeria, December 12, 2012–A state prosecutor in the city of Bamenda in Cameroon has threatened to file defamation charges against an editor if he does not reveal his sources for a series of articles, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to immediately stop the harassment against Aaron Kah…
Journalists in prison reach record high: Turkey, Iran, and China among leading jailers
New York, December 11, 2012–The number of journalists imprisoned worldwide reached a record high this year, a trend driven primarily by terrorism and other anti-state charges levied against critical reporters and editors, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists.