Syrian journalists fear for their lives despite the end of the siege of Daraa al-Balad
On September 9, the Syrian Army and its allies lifted their two-and-a half-month siege of the district of Daraa al-Balad in southern Syria under a Russian-brokered ceasefire with local rebels. The deal is the latest chapter in the long saga of the district, a cradle of the 2011 revolution that was recaptured by Syrian Army…
Congolese authorities detain AFP correspondent Pierre Sosthène Kambidi without charge
New York, September 24, 2021 — Congolese authorities should immediately release journalist Pierre Sosthène Kambidi and ensure the press across the country can work without fear or intimidation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 20, plainclothes military officers arrested Kambidi, a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and the local news website Actualite.cd, at…
Mob in Uttar Pradesh locked journalists in room with plan to light them on fire
On August 28, 2021, a mob locked journalists Sarfaraz Warsi, Nitin Srivastava, Razi Siddiqui, and Fakhar-e-Alam in a room and discussed setting them on fire in Barabanki district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, according to news website News18, a partnership between CNN International and Indian broadcaster TV18, and Warsi and Srivastava, who spoke…
Turkish government official sues 3 newspapers for covering corruption allegations made in parliament
In late August and early September 2021, Turkish Deputy Health Minister Selahattin Aydın filed civil defamation lawsuits against the leftist opposition dailies Cumhuriyet, BirGün, and Evrensel seeking damages over their coverage of corruption allegations made against him in the country’s parliament, according to reports by the independent news website Bianet and by each outlet targeted…
‘A lot of uncertainty and a lot of fear’: CPJ’s María Salazar Ferro on evacuating Afghan journalists
In Afghanistan, the situation is worsening for local journalists as Taliban fighters attack and detain journalists in the field and news outlets are shuttering amid restrictions and economic woes, according to local TV station TOLO News. As The New York Times has reported new details about the Biden administration’s mixed record on evacuating journalists, CPJ…
Hong Kong police arrest, charge journalist with disorderly conduct after anniversary of Prince Edward metro station ‘831 incident’
On August 31, 2021, at around 9 p.m., Hong Kong police arrested Leung Chi-Hung, a reporter for the online news outlet Egg Egg Club, while dispersing crowds outside of the Prince Edward metro station, according to news reports. Leung, who was filming police operations at the station on the two-year anniversary of the “831 incident,”…
Iraqi Kurdish court extends journalist Omed Baroshky’s prison sentence by 1 year
New York, September 23, 2021 — In response to an Erbil court’s ruling today to extend the imprisonment of Iraqi Kurdish journalist Omed Baroshky by one year, the Committee to Protect Journalists has called on authorities drop the charges against him and end harassment of reporters. “Today’s sentencing of freelance journalist Omed Baroshky to an…
Democratic Republic of Congo journalist Daniel Michombero’s home raided by armed men
On June 21, 2021 at least 10 armed men, some of whom wore military uniforms, forced their way into the home of Daniel Michombero, a freelance reporter based in the DRC’s eastern Goma city, by breaking the windows of his doors, according to the journalist, who spoke with CPJ over the phone and messaging app…
Turkish court sentences 5 journalists to prison over alleged role in 2016 coup
Istanbul, September 22, 2021 – Turkish authorities should not contest the appeals of five journalists recently sentenced to prison for their alleged involvement with a banned group, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Second Antalya Court of Serious Crimes convicted Cihat Ünal, Ömer Özdemir, Serhat Şeftali, Olgun Matur, and Osman Yakut on…
‘There is no private life’: Three Togolese journalists react to being selected for spyware surveillance
When Komlanvi Ketohou fled Togo in early 2021, he left behind his home, his family, and his cell phone that the gendarmerie seized when they arrested and detained him over a report published by his newspaper, L’Independant Express. In July, Ketohou, who goes by Carlos, learned that the phone number connected to the device they…