Two Turkish journalists believed detained in Syria
New York, March 15, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists holds Syrian authorities responsible for the safety and well-being of Turkish journalists Adem Özköse and Hamit Coşkun, who are believed to be in government custody, and calls for their immediate release. The journalists were last heard from five days ago, according to news reports.
Belarus must lift travel ban against journalists
New York, March 15, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by the illegal foreign travel ban on at least four independent journalists in Belarus, and calls on the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko to immediately restore their freedom of movement.
Journalism organization outraged at number of journalists killed, detained in Syria
Syria holds the highest record of killed journalists in any country swept by the Arab Spring. In the one year, after the Syrian uprisings, CPJ has found eight local and international journalists killed. The Associated Press reports on CPJ’s findings and outrage. Click here for the full story
Azerbaijan must halt smear campaign against reporter
New York, March 14, 2012–Azerbaijani authorities must carry out a swift investigation into the ongoing smear campaign against journalist Khadija Ismailova, ensure her safety, and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
In Syria, killing the messenger hasn’t killed the message
A report on the first anniversary of the Syrian uprisingWeeks of sporadic protests seeking government reform burst into full-fledged unrest on March 15, 2011, when thousands of demonstrators gathered in four Syrian cities. Within days, authorities had cut off news media access to Daraa, a center of the unrest, beginning a sustained effort to shut…
Who knew? Senegalese arrest, prosecution can be swift
Last week, a judge in Senegal convicted a man of assaulting three journalists outside their newspaper’s office in the capital Dakar last month. The attack was not related to journalism, but the quick arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator serves as an instructive contrast between the handling of an ordinary crime and the handling of…
A bad weekend for Malawian journalists
No media outlet critical of President Bingu Wa Mutharika or the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was spared by the government this past weekend — whether print, broadcast, or online. The broadside included a public campaign to discredit the media as well as threats of fines and arrests of critical journalists.
China’s new law sanctions covert detentions
New York, March 14, 2012–China has approved revisions to its criminal code that grants police broad powers to hold journalists and others who discuss sensitive national issues without charge in secret detention for up to six months, according to news reports.
CPJ urges Liberia to protect threatened journalist
Dear President Johnson Sirleaf: The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by threats made against Liberian journalist Mae Azango, who has been in hiding since last week after she reported on the practice of female genital mutilation. We urge you, Madam President, as Africa’s first and only female head of state and a champion of women’s rights, to direct the Liberian authorities to ensure her safety and fully investigate the threats made against her.