French intelligence agency summons 3 journalists for questioning
Berlin, December 12, 2022 — The General Directorate for Internal Security, France’s domestic intelligence agency, should immediately withdraw summonses issued to journalists Benoît Collombat, Jacques Monin, and Geoffrey Livolsi, and refrain from questioning members of the press over their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On December 7, the agency issued summonses for…
CPJ joins call for Somali authorities to drop all charges against journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined six other press freedom and human rights groups in a letter Monday calling on Somali authorities to drop the criminal charges filed against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, a press freedom advocate and freelance journalist. Authorities arrested Abdalle, secretary-general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate press freedom group, on October 11, after…
CPJ condemns ‘harsh’ Jimmy Lai jail sentence in Hong Kong fraud case
Taipei, December 10, 2022 – In response to news reports that a Hong Kong court on Saturday sentenced Jimmy Lai, founder of the Next Digital media company and the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, to five years and nine months imprisonment on fraud charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentencing and called for Lai’s…
Former Belsat TV contributor Larysa Shchyrakova detained in Belarus on undisclosed charges
Paris, December 9, 2022 — Belarusian authorities should publicly disclose the reason for former Belsat TV journalist Larysa Shchyrakova’s arrest or release her immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Tuesday, December 6, authorities in the southeastern city of Homel detained Shchyrakova, a former journalist with the banned Poland-based independent broadcaster Belsat TV,…
CPJ joins letter calling on incoming Brazilian government to address press freedom concerns
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined this week eight civil society groups and press freedom organizations in a letter to the communications working group of the Brazilian transitional government, urging the incoming federal administration to adopt measures to protect press freedom and the safety of journalists. In a meeting with representatives of the working group…
Latvian regulator cancels broadcasting permit for exiled Russian broadcaster Dozhd TV
Paris, December 8, 2022 — Latvian authorities must reverse their decision to cancel the broadcasting permit of independent broadcaster Dozhd TV (TV Rain), the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, December 6, the Latvian National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), the country’s media regulator, canceled the outlet’s broadcasting authorization “due to a threat…
Pakistan authorities detain brother of slain journalist Hayatullah Khan
On November 19, 2022, Pakistan army officials detained Zameer Khan, brother of slain journalist Hayatullah Khan, in the town of Mir Ali, in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a statement by the Pakistan Press Foundation, a local press freedom group, and Ahsan Ahmad Khan, Zameer and Hayatullah Khan’s brother, who spoke with CPJ by…
Cypriot journalist Başaran Düzgün denied entry into Turkey
On November 16, 2022, Cypriot journalist Başaran Düzgün, chief editor for the Cyprus newspaper Havadis, was denied entry to Turkey, reports said. Düzgün told CPJ via messaging app on November 21 that he had been stopped at customs at the Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul by the passport police, who told him that he was…
Indonesia adopts new criminal code that undermines press freedom
New York, December 6, 2022 – In response to news reports that Indonesian lawmakers passed a new criminal code with provisions that restrict press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement Tuesday calling for authorities to rescind the legislation: “President Joko Widodo and the Indonesian legislature must reverse course and revise the country’s new criminal…