Two Estonian journalists fined over article on money laundering
On April 14, 2022, a court in Estonia fined journalists Tarmo Vahter and Sulev Vedler, of the weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress, 1,000 euros (US$1,040) each for an article about alleged money laundering at one of the country’s largest banks, Swedbank, according to a report by Estonian public broadcaster ERR News and the journalists, who communicated…
Proposed Russian legislation threatens to shut down all independent media
Paris, May 18, 2022 – The Russian State Duma should withdraw a draft law that would facilitate the arbitrary shutdown of media outlets and increase the number of journalists prosecuted for sharing information, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. The State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s legislature, is set to consider legislation that…
Mekong News Agency journalist Maung Maung Myo jailed on terrorism charges in Myanmar
Bangkok, May 18, 2022 – Myanmar authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Maung Maung Myo and stop jailing members of the press for reporting the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Around 6 p.m. on May 10, Maung Myo, a contributor to the local Mekong News Agency, was traveling by train to report…
Journalists stabbed, assaulted in Bangladesh
New York, May 18, 2022– Bangladesh authorities must conduct a swift and transparent investigation into two separate attacks on journalist Md Rashid Chowdhury and bystander Jashim Uddin, and on journalists Azim Nihad, Rahul Mahajan, and Lokman Halim, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On the evening of Friday, May 13, a group of teenagers…
Senegal broadcasters Sen TV and ZIK FM suspended 72 hours over alleged breach of ethics
On March 31, 2022, Senegal’s official broadcast media regulator, the National Council for Audiovisual Regulation (known by its French acronym, CNRA), announced a 72-hour suspension of all programing by local broadcasters ZIK FM and Sen TV for “repeated breaches of ethics” that violated “principles of objectivity, neutrality, fairness, and balance,” according to a press release…
Two Congolese journalists detained for 5 months after covering a protest
Kinshasa, May 17, 2022 – Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must ensure the immediate release of journalists Patrick Lola and Christian Bofaya, who have been arbitrarily detained without charge for five months in the central prison of Mbandaka, the provincial capital of Equateur, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On January…
Hezbollah supporters beat Lebanese video journalist covering elections
Beirut, May 17, 2022 – Lebanese authorities must conduct a transparent investigation into the assault of video journalist Hussein Bassal by Hezbollah supporters while he was covering Sunday’s elections and allow all journalists to work freely without any fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, May 15, Bassal, who works…
Some Ukrainian journalists are leaving the media for the military in the name of patriotism
Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its third month, has already claimed an alarming number of journalists’ lives: at least seven killed in crossfire while reporting and at least six more who died in circumstances that CPJ continues to investigate. There are at least 10 more names that do not appear on CPJ’s list of journalists killed…
Iran detains female photojournalist, four female documentary filmmakers
Washington, D.C., May 16, 2022 — Iranian authorities must stop imprisoning and harassing female journalists and should allow all members of the press to cover the news freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Since May, Iranian authorities have arrested at least one female photojournalist and four female documentary filmmakers, according to news reports and two…
Ethiopia expels Economist correspondent Tom Gardner
Nairobi, May 16, 2022–The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday condemned Ethiopia’s expulsion of Economist correspondent Tom Gardner, following the revocation of his press accreditation on Friday, May 13. Gardner’s expulsion came almost a year after Ethiopian authorities similarly expelled New York Times reporter Simon Marks and within the context of a deteriorating press freedom…