CPJ dismayed by 22-year sentence for Russian journalist Ivan Safronov
Paris, September 5, 2022 — In response to a Russian court’s sentencing on Monday of journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison on trumped-up charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement strongly condemning the decision: “The 22-year prison sentence for Ivan Safronov, guilty of no other crime than doing his job…
Israel finds Shireen Abu Akleh likely killed by unintentional Israeli fire
Washington, D.C., September 5, 2022—In response to news reports that an internal Israeli investigation released Monday found that Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely killed by unintentional Israel Defense Forces fire, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for accountability: “The Israel Defense Forces’ admission of guilt is late and incomplete….
Iranian freelance journalist Hadi Pourbeheshti arrested in Kerman
Washington, D.C., September 2, 2022—Iranian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Hadi Pourbeheshti, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Sunday, August 28, security forces raided Pourbeheshti’s home in the city of Kerman in the southeastern Kerman province, and arrested him while ransacking his house in the presence of his family, according to…
DRC police detain, beat 3 journalists covering protest
Kinshasa, September 2, 2022 – Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should thoroughly investigate the arrest, assault, and detention of journalists Jojo Jibikilayi, Emmanuel Tujibikila, and Achède Milantesa and hold the police officers responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Monday, August 29, DRC national police officers arrested Jibikilayi,…
US reporters wary of online, legal threats in the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade
In May, editors at the pro-abortion rights news website Rewire took the extraordinary step of removing reporters’ biographies from the web site. The move was a safety precaution: After the leak of a draft of a majority Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, reporters at Rewire grew concerned about…
Hong Kong judge upholds police request to search Jimmy Lai’s phones
Taipei, September 1, 2022–Hong Kong authorities should drop their efforts to search the cellphones of media owner Jimmy Lai, which would violate basic tenets of press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, August 30, a High Court judge ruled that police could search two phones with journalistic information owned by Lai,…
Iraqi security forces assault, detain journalists covering Baghdad protests
New York, August 31, 2022 – Iraqi authorities should stop assaulting and detaining journalists and take all necessary measures to ensure their safety while reporting on mass political protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, August 29, Iraqi security forces arrested, assaulted, or confiscated equipment from journalists with local and international outlets…
In 2022, journalist killings continue unabated in Mexico amid a climate of impunity
At least 13 journalists have been killed in Mexico in the first eight months of 2022, the highest number the Committee to Protect Journalists has ever documented in the country in a single year. In a country characterized by corruption and organized crime, it’s unclear how many were targeted directly because of their work. CPJ…
Punjab authorities open blasphemy and defamation investigation into Pakistani journalist Waqar Satti
New York, August 30, 2022– Authorities in Pakistan’s northeast Punjab province must immediately drop their investigation into journalist Waqar Satti, allow him to report freely, and investigate threats he received in retaliation for his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Saturday, August 27, police in the Punjab city of Rawalpindi filed a…
Russian prosecutor requests 24 years in prison for journalist Ivan Safronov
Paris, August 30, 2022–In response to media reports that a Russian prosecutor on Tuesday asked that journalist Ivan Safronov be sentenced to 24 years in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “The Russian prosecutor’s request that journalist Ivan Safronov be jailed for 24 years is shocking even by the…