Russian authorities request 19-year prison term for journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev
New York, June 29, 2023—Russian authorities should release journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev and stop prosecuting reporters for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On June 22, during a hearing in the Yuzhniy Military Court in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, a prosecutor requested a 19-year prison term for Gadzhiev, the religion editor of…
Committee to Protect Journalists to recognize distinguished media advocates at 2023 International Press Freedom Awards
Esteemed awardees from Georgia, India, Mexico, and Togo to be honored New York, June 29, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists will celebrate four extraordinary journalists from Georgia, India, Mexico, and Togo with its 2023 International Press Freedom Awards. In the face of a stark decline in press freedom worldwide, this year’s awardees have continued to…
Gambian party security guards attack 3 journalists for filming politician
On May 31, 2023, four security guards working for Gambia’s ruling National People’s Party grabbed, repeatedly punched, and poured water on Malick D. Cham, a presenter with the online broadcaster Jamano Media and Products, after the journalist tried to film an NPP politician and another man arguing at a mayor’s swearing-in ceremony in the capital…
CPJ joins statement calling for EU to prioritize media freedom and human rights in relations with Turkey
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 19 other journalists organizations and press freedom, human rights, and freedom of expression groups in a joint statement on June 28, 2023, urging the European Union to prioritize media freedom and human rights in dealings with Turkey, following May elections in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice…
Turkish journalist Merdan Yanardağ arrested over political commentary
Istanbul, June 28, 2023—Turkish authorities should release journalist Merdan Yanardağ and stop hindering free speech and commentary in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, June 26, police detained Yanardağ, chief editor for the critical online outlet and TV broadcaster TELE1, at the Istanbul studios of his outlet, after he criticized…
CPJ report finds press freedom in Ecuador on the edge amid escalating security crisis and political inertia
Public-interest reporting under threat ahead of critical 2023 elections Quito, June 27, 2023—Political paralysis and spiking crime pose grave threats to press freedom in Ecuador, finds a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published today. CPJ’s report, “Ecuador on edge,” found the country’s journalists face the prospect of acute violence amid a…
Liberian journalist Winston Blyden attacked by politician’s bodyguards
On June 6, 2023, Hanson Kaizolu, a member of Liberia’s opposition Unity Party, ordered two of his bodyguards to “flog” and “beat up” Winston Blyden, a producer and director with the privately owned broadcaster Bana FM, after he covered daily legislative proceedings at the Capitol building in Monrovia, according to a statement by the local…
Ecuadorian journalist run off road, threatened with death after critical reporting
Bogotá, June 27, 2023—Ecuadorian authorities must thoroughly investigate the recent death threats issued to journalist Lissette Ormaza and hold those responsible to account, Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On June 20, Ormaza, a reporter and newscaster for the privately owned broadcaster Majestad Televisión, was driving from her home in La Concordia to her outlet’s…
Mozambican journalist Leonardo Gimo investigated for criminal defamation over report on alleged police corruption
On June 5, 2023, Mozambique authorities called Leonardo Gimo, a reporter for the privately owned broadcaster TV Sucesso, and asked him to appear before investigators on June 8, according to a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ….
Two French journalists flee Yemeni island of Socotra after questioning, house arrest
On May 28, 2023, five armed soldiers and three police chiefs on the Yemeni island of Socotra arrested freelance journalist Quentin Müller and Sylvain Mercadier, co-founder and director of the independent Iraqi news website The Red Line, at their apartment, according to tweets by Müller and Mercadier, who communicated with CPJ via email. The authorities…