Rwandan journalist Théoneste Nsengimana detained since October 13
Nairobi, November 3, 2021 — Rwandan authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Théoneste Nsengimana and cease harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 13, security personnel arrested Nsengimana, who runs the YouTube channel Umubavu TV Online, according to tweets by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), a law-enforcement…
Lawyer Apar Gupta: With Pegasus probe, India’s Supreme Court is pushing the government to answer to journalists
On October 27, India’s Supreme Court ordered a “thorough inquiry” into the government’s alleged use of Pegasus spyware to monitor journalists and others by secretly surveilling their cell phones. The Israeli company NSO Group, which created Pegasus, says it sells only to official law enforcement agencies. Journalists in India have been aware of the threat…
Finland charges 3 investigative journalists with revealing state secrets
Berlin, November 3, 2021 – Finnish authorities should drop all criminal charges filed against three journalists working for the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, and ensure that members of the press can cover sensitive issues without facing government retaliation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 29, Finnish prosecutors announced that three Helsingin Sanomat…
US blacklisting of NSO Group a welcome first step to curb spyware abuse
Washington, D.C., November 3, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the U.S. Department of Commerce’s addition of the Israel-based technology company NSO Group to the Entity List for Malicious Cyber Activities today. “CPJ welcomes the Department of Commerce’s decision to impose export controls on NSO Group for developing and supplying Pegasus spyware to…
Mexican journalist Fredy López shot and killed in San Cristobal de las Casas
Mexico City, November 3, 2021 – Mexican authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of reporter Fredy Fernando López Arévalo, determine whether he was targeted for his work, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 8 p.m. on October 28, an unidentified man…
CPJ, other groups call on Turkey to release imprisoned journalist Nedim Türfent
CPJ joined PEN International, the International Press Institute, the Media and Law Studies Association, and 50 other Turkish and international groups in a statement today calling for Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release imprisoned journalist Nedim Türfent, a former reporter for the shuttered pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency (DİHA) on the 2,000th day of his…
Hamas security forces arrest journalist Alaa al-Mashrawi in Gaza
New York, November 2, 2021 – Authorities with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, should immediately release Palestinian journalist Alaa al-Mashrawi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At 4 p.m. on October 31, Hamas’ Internal Security Forces arrested al-Mashrawi, director of the local news website Al-Mashreq News and the Al-Mashreq Foundation…
Ethiopian authorities detain two broadcast journalists
Nairobi, November 2, 2021 — Authorities in Ethiopia must immediately release Ahadu Radio and Television journalists Luwam Atikilti and Kibrom Worku and stop retaliating against members of the press for their coverage of the ongoing war in northern Ethiopia, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 22, at approximately 4:00 p.m., police in…
Journalists shot, beaten, and detained in Afghanistan
Washington, D.C., November 2, 2021– The Taliban must thoroughly and swiftly investigate the attacks on Afghan journalists Abdul Khaliq Hussaini and Alireza Sharifi and the beating and detention of Zahidullah Husainkhil, and do everything in its power to ensure the safety of members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October…
Tribunal for murdered journalists to open in The Hague
The Hague, November 2, 2021 – In an unprecedented effort to achieve justice in the killing of journalists, three leading press freedom groups have launched a People’s Tribunal to hold governments accountable. The Tribunal, a form of grassroots justice, relies on investigations and high-quality legal analysis involving specific cases in three countries. The launch takes…