CPJ condemns Russian court’s 3-month extension of detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich
New York, August 24, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Russian court’s decision on Thursday to extend the pretrial detention of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich until November 30. “Every new extension of Evan Gershkovich’s detention is a blow to the freedom of the press in Russia and an attack on the work of foreign…
Peru’s Manuel Calloquispe faces threats and assaults to expose environmental damage from illegal Amazon mining
Manuel Calloquispe has had to face an angry mob laying siege to his house. He’s been called a traitor. He’s been punched and kicked by miners and had his equipment stolen. He once had to duck for cover when someone threw a machete at him. The reason: His decade reporting on the environmental havoc caused…
CPJ joins call for investigation into police treatment of Brazilian journalist Danielle Zampollo
CPJ has joined three press freedom groups in calling for the São Paulo state government to investigate the case of an unidentified police officer who harassed and pointed a rifle at TV Globo reporter Danielle Zampollo while she was covering an August 3 police operation in the Prainha community in the city of Guarujá, about 52 miles (84 kms) from São Paulo. Zampollo was in Prainha following…
India blocks social media accounts of Gaon Savera news outlet ahead of workers’ convention
New Delhi, August 23, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the social media accounts of the independent news website Gaon Savera, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, August 21, Gaon Savera’s Facebook page became inaccessible in India, and its account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was also blocked the following day,…
Egyptian authorities arrest father of freelance journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada
New York, August 23, 2023 – Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Gamal Abdelhamid Ziada and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, August 22, plainclothes state security forces arrested Ziada, the father of Belgium-based freelance Egyptian journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, on a street in Giza, according…
CPJ calls for protection of journalists in Bangladesh ahead of UN human rights review
Bangladesh authorities are increasingly attempting to silence the media through arbitrary detention, legal harassment, and censorship, according to a joint submission to the United Nations by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Asian Legal Resource Centre. The submission, sent for the 44th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group…
Algerian prosecutor requests 3-year sentence for journalist Mustapha Bendjama
New York, August 23, 2023 – The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Algerian authorities to immediately release journalist Mustapha Bendjama on Wednesday, after a prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to three years in prison. “By requesting a three-year prison sentence for journalist Mustapha Bendjama, the Algerian government is demonstrating its brutal intolerance for…
Two Somali journalists arrested for reporting on police, 1 remains in custody
Nairobi, August 23, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called on Somali authorities to unconditionally release journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul and stop intimidating media covering the security sector. On August 17, four plain-clothed security personnel arrested Mohamed, a reporter with the privately owned broadcaster Kaab TV, at Mogadishu University, where he studies part-time,…
Kazakh journalist Diana Saparkyzy assaulted while covering mining deaths
Stockholm, August 22, 2023 – Kazakh authorities should swiftly investigate the recent use of force against journalist Diana Saparkyzy, prosecute those involved, and ensure that members of the press can cover events of public importance without obstruction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Friday, August 18, Saparkyzy, a correspondent for independent news agency…
Chinese publisher Lü Hua charged with extortion after reporting on alleged corruption
Washington, D.C., August 22, 2023—Chinese authorities should immediately release Lü Hua, founder and publisher of the independent news website Hubei Xinshidianwang (Hubei New Perspective Site), and respect media organizations’ right to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 19, police arrested Lü in the city of Huanggang, in central Hubei province,…