Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye sentenced to 10 years in prison
Nairobi, January 20, 2023 – Burundian authorities must not contest the appeal of journalist Floriane Irangabiye and ensure that members of the press are not imprisoned for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 2, the Mukaza High Court in Bujumbura, the capital, convicted Irangabiye of undermining the integrity of the…
Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo abducted by unidentified men
Dakar, January 19, 2023 – In response to news reports that unidentified individuals kidnapped Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo Tuesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for a fast and thorough investigation into his whereabouts: “The recent abduction of Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo is deeply concerning, and authorities must do everything in…
Armenian draft legislation would give government sweeping wartime censorship powers
Stockholm, January 19, 2023 – Armenian authorities should not use military conflicts as an excuse to curtail press freedom and should rework clauses in a draft bill that would threaten press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 6, the public comment period closed for a bill drafted by the Ministry of…
German police search office of independent broadcaster and 2 journalists’ homes, seize equipment and documents
Berlin, January 19, 2023 – German authorities must immediately stop harassing journalists affiliated with the independent nonprofit radio station Radio Dreyeckland, return all equipment and documents seized in raids on its editors’ homes, and ensure that members of the press are not threatened with criminal charges over their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said…
Belarusian journalist Yulia Mudreuskaya sentenced to 1.5 years in prison colony
New York, January 18, 2023 – In response to reports that Belarusian authorities sentenced journalist Yulia Mudreuskaya to 1.5 years in a prison colony for her alleged participation in protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Belarusian journalist Yuliya Mudreuskaya should never have been detained by authorities in the first…
Zambian journalist Evans Liyali assaulted by soccer players, team employees
Lusaka, January 18, 2023 — Zambian authorities should thoroughly investigate the recent assault of journalist Evans Liyali and ensure that members of the press can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 14, members of the Green Eagles Football Club attacked Liyali, a sports reporter for the privately owned broadcaster Byta…
Turkish journalist Sezgin Kartal arrested for alleged PKK membership
Istanbul, January 18, 2023 – Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist Sezgin Kartal and stop filing terrorism charges against members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 10, police raided Kartal’s Istanbul home and took him into custody; on January 13, a local court ordered him to be held in…
DRC broadcaster Radio Tokomi Wapi suspended, police shutter station
On January 9, 2023, Congolese authorities ordered the suspension of the broadcaster Radio Tokomi Wapi, according to news reports, a copy of that order, which CPJ reviewed, and people familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Pascal Ernest Mulumba Kalende, the minister of communication and media for Lomami province, ordered Radio…
Hold The Line Coalition welcomes acquittal of Maria Ressa and Rappler, calls for all remaining cases to be closed
January 18, 2023 – The Hold the Line Coalition (HTL) welcomes Wednesday’s Philippine Court of Tax Appeals verdict, which has acquitted Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler, the news organization she founded, of tax evasion in four of seven cases brought by the government. If they had failed to defend the charges, Ressa could have…
Authorities in Tigray release 3 journalists, 2 others remain in detention
Nairobi, January 17, 2023—In response to news reports that authorities in the northern Ethiopian state of Tigray recently released three employees of the broadcaster Tigrai TV but continue to hold two more in custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for the remaining staffers’ release: “While it is a great relief…