Women journalists in India feel more at risk after ‘auction’ apps worsen online abuse
Fatima Khan had just returned home from a reporting assignment when she discovered she’d become of more than 100 women listed as being “for sale” in the notorious app Bulli Bai. The site, named by combining a vulgar, derogatory slang for Muslim women (bulli) with the Hindi word for female servant (bai), operated by pulling…
Proposed internet bill in Myanmar imposes 3-year prison sentences for VPN use
Bangkok, January 31, 2022 – Myanmar authorities should scrap proposed cybersecurity legislation that would severely threaten press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. In a letter dated January 13, Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, controlled by the country’s military since the February 2021 coup, stated that a decision had been made to…
Armed men attack Ghana broadcaster Radio Ada FM over coverage of mining deal
Abuja, January 31, 2022 — Ghanaian authorities should swiftly identify and hold to account the people behind the recent attack on the Radio Ada FM broadcaster, and ensure that journalists can work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. At about 11:30 a.m. on January 13, ten masked men forced open a studio door…
Seven Somali journalists detained, radio station raided after interview with opposition group
Lusaka, January 28, 2022 – Authorities in Somalia’s south-central Hirshabelle state must stop intimidating and censoring the press through arbitrary arrests and station closures because they disagree with reported content, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Friday afternoon, January 21, 2022, heavily armed police in Beledweyne, a city in Somalia’s Hirshabelle state, raided…
Taliban blocks press conference by Afghanistan Journalists Federation
New York, January 27, 2022 — The Taliban must allow journalists and press groups to work freely and without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, about 60 armed members of the Taliban-controlled Kabul police and the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban’s intelligence agency, blocked a planned press conference by the…
Syrian journalist Amer Matar on facing his torturer in court
Syrian journalist Amer Matar was regularly blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten with cables, whips, and fists during the eight months he was held in a Syrian prison. When a German court sentenced one of his torturers – Syrian army colonel Anwar Raslan – to life in prison earlier this month, Matar finally felt that at least…
Digital and Physical Safety: Reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022
Throughout the pandemic journalists have played a crucial role informing the public about the risks of COVID-19. The global situation continues to evolve, and many countries are increasing or relaxing travel restrictions and safety measures as coronavirus variants of concern are identified, and as the COVID-19 vaccination program gathers pace. Basic COVID-19 mitigation Consider getting…
Indian journalist Rana Ayyub receives rape, death threats
New Delhi, January 27, 2022 – Indian authorities must immediately conduct a swift and thorough investigation into threats made to Mumbai-based Washington Post columnist and freelance journalist Rana Ayyub, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Ayyub, who has long been a victim of online trolling and threats, told CPJ that she began receiving an…
Amid pervasive culture of impunity, the quest for justice for Central African Republic journalist Elisabeth Blanche Olofio persists
Amsterdam, January 27, 2022 – A new investigation by A Safer World For The Truth into the attack on Central African Republic journalist Elisabeth Blanche Olofio reveals how local journalists reporting in conflict zones are vulnerable to brutal and sometimes lethal violence, and shows how such attacks are rarely investigated, leaving justice unserved. “Telling The…