Iranian journalist Manoochehr Aghaei begins 8-month prison sentence
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2021 — Iranian authorities must release journalist Manoochehr Aghaei immediately and unconditionally, and cease jailing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 27, Aghaei, the editor-in-chief of the independent, social media-based news outlet MiandoabPress and a reporter for the state-run news website Young Journalists’ Club,…
Iran’s parliament moves forward with troubling bill to further restrict internet
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today that Iran’s parliament is moving ahead with a restrictive internet bill, despite objections from citizens and international observers. The legislation, the Cyberspace Users Rights Protection and Regulation of Key Online Services Bill, was undergoing review by a parliamentary subcommittee in…
Nigerian police assault, detain journalists covering memorials marking Lekki Toll Gate killings
Abuja, Nigeria, November 1, 2021 — Authorities in Nigeria must prioritize the safety of journalists covering protests and hold officers responsible for abuses accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 20, in three separate incidents, police officers arrested, harassed, or beat up three journalists–Sikiru Obarayese, Abisola Alawode, and Adefemi Akinsanya—as they covered…
Journalist Orlando Dinoy shot and killed in the Philippines
Bangkok, November 1, 2021 – Philippine authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Orlando “Dondon” Dinoy, determine if the attack was related to journalism, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 30, in Bansalan, a town in the southern province of…
CPJ condemns harsh prison sentences handed to 5 journalists in Vietnam
Bangkok, November 1, 2021 – Vietnamese authorities should immediately release five journalists recently sentenced to prison terms for alleged anti-state crimes, and cease persecuting members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 28, a court in the southern city of Can Tho convicted Truong Chau Huu Danh, Doan Kien Giang,…
Peter Lattman joins CPJ board of directors
New York, November 1, 2021—The Committee to Protect Journalists announced today that Peter Lattman, managing director of media at Emerson Collective, has joined the organization’s board of directors. “We are delighted to welcome Peter Lattman to CPJ’s board. He is smart, collegial and deeply committed to our mission – protecting journalists,” said Kathleen Carroll, chair…
Rimma Maksimova died seven years ago. Her fight to bring her son’s killers to justice lives on.
Rimma Maksimova spent the final decade of her life fighting two battles: one against the bone cancer that would eventually kill her and another for justice in her son’s murder. A few years before her death in 2014, she filed a case against Russia with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). She would not…
Guatemalan police harass, raid homes of journalists covering protests in El Estor
New York, October 28, 2021 — Guatemalan authorities must stop harassing journalists covering protests and ensure the independent press can safely cover events of national interest without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since October 22, police officers have confronted protesters in El Estor, in the eastern coastal department of Izabal, who have…
India Today parent company sues media watchdog Newslaundry
New Delhi, October 28, 2021 — The Indian media conglomerate TV Today Network must respect the journalistic right to freedom of expression and should immediately drop its lawsuit against the news website and media watchdog Newslaundry, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 19, TV Today Network filed a civil defamation and copyright…
Justice remains elusive in the vast majority of journalist murders
Sustained impunity in Afghanistan a concern as attacks against journalists rise New York, October 28, 2021 – Over the past decade, 226 of the 278 journalists killed in a nexus of corruption, organized crime, extremist groups, and government retaliation, have been murdered with impunity, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2021 Impunity Index, published today. The annual Index…