Tunisia’s media regulator shuts down Nessma TV and al-Quran al-Kareem radio station over licensing issues
New York, October 27, 2021 – Tunisian authorities should allow Nessma TV and al-Quran al-Kareem radio station to resume broadcasting immediately and stop using the country’s licensing procedures as a means of censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 11, the High Independent Authority of Audiovisual Communication (HAICA), Tunisia’s media regulatory…
Eight press freedom threats to watch ahead of Nicaragua’s presidential elections
On November 7, Nicaraguans are set to go to the polls to vote for president, the culmination of a campaign that has included the detention of opposition candidates, the banning of civil society organizations, and continued suppression of the country’s independent press. Nicaragua’s press freedom environment sharply deteriorated in 2018, when journalists covering protests against…
Sudanese military forces arrest state television manager, pro-military protesters assault journalists amid unrest
New York, October 26, 2021 – Sudanese military authorities must immediately release journalist Maher Abugoukh, cease raiding media outlets, investigate pro-military protesters’ attacks on journalists, and ensure that telecommunications function in the wake of yesterday’s military coup in which military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and dissolved the government, the Committee to…
Spanish judge demands journalist Ignacio Escolar reveal his sources in a leak investigation
Berlin, October 26, 2021 — Spanish authorities must drop their demand for journalist Ignacio Escolar to reveal his news site’s sources in a leak investigation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 5, 2021, the first instance investigative criminal court No. 29 of Madrid, presided by investigating judge María Cristina Díaz, gave Ignacio…
CPJ joins letter calling for release of Vietnamese journalist Pham Doan Trang
The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 27 other free speech and human rights organizations in an open letter urging Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Pham Doan Trang. The letter is timed to coincide with the start of her trial on November 4; Trang has been held in pretrial detention for over…
CPJ calls on Sudanese military to respect press freedom and journalists’ safety as coup unfolds
New York, October 25, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is watching the press freedom environment in Sudan with grave concern as it works to get independent confirmation of news reports of military raids on media outlets and internet and telecommunications outages after the country’s military seized power in a coup earlier today. The…
Taliban fighter beats freelance journalist Sadaqat Ghorzang at Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing
Washington, D.C., October 25, 2021– The Taliban must thoroughly investigate the beating of Sadaqat Ghorzang, ensure its forces do not attack members of the press, and commit to allowing the media to operate freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, a Taliban fighter patrolling the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and…
Myanmar prison release falls short with over 20 journalists still behind bars
Bangkok, October 25, 2021 – Myanmar’s military junta should immediately follow up its recent release of at least 15 jailed journalists by freeing all those still wrongfully held in detention, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 18, the country’s military government announced the release of over 5,600 prisoners in an amnesty on…
Mozambique police assault, repeatedly detain reporter Armando Nenane
On October 2, 2021, a group of police officers in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, detained and assaulted Armando Nenane, a reporter with the privately owned Imprensa Paralegal news agency, which distributes content to other news outlets, while he covered a road accident, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview and posted…
China’s Olympic press freedom pledges: Worthless in 2008, absent in 2022
Prospects for free-wheeling media coverage of the February Beijing Winter Olympics seem increasingly dim, not least because of the attitude of the International Olympic Committee. On October 13, John Coates, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, dismissed out of hand calls from CPJ, human rights groups, and US lawmakers to pressure Beijing over its…