Cambodian journalist Hem Vanna arrested after cyberscam report
Bangkok, February 6, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Cambodian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Hem Vanna, who was arrested after publishing a report about a suspected cyberscam compound. On February 3, Vanna, a journalist with the local independent HVNN TV Online, was summoned by military police in the western border town…
CPJ calls for release of 2 Chinese journalists held after reporting on corruption
New York, February 6, 2026—Chinese authorities must immediately release independent journalists Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao, who were detained days after publishing a report accusing a local official of corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday. Liu, 50, and Wu, 34, were detained on February 1, news reports said. The following day police in the southwestern city of…
New emergency fund supports US journalists at risk
New York, February 5, 2026—Following escalating threats to the safety of journalists nationwide, two international press freedom organizations – the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) – today announced the launch of the U.S. Journalist Rapid Response Fund (JRRF). The fund, operating in the United States, will debut in Minnesota…
Pakistani journalist Sohrab Barkat detained for more than 60 days as employer shuts Islamabad office
New York, February 5, 2026—Pakistani authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Sohrab Barkat and ensure that his employer Siasat can continue to report the news freely, the Committee to Protect Journalist said on Thursday. Barkat was detained on November 26 on his way to attend a United Nations conference and is facing three separate…
Mexican reporter threatened after covering construction project in Sinaloa
Mexico City, February 4, 2026—Authorities in the Mexican state of Sinaloa should immediately and comprehensively investigate threats against independent investigative journalist Sheila Arias and take all appropriate steps to ensure her safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Arias, based in the coastal resort city of Mazatlán, told CPJ that she had received threats…
Namibian journalist ‘shaken’ by arrest threat for asking the president a question
Lusaka, February 4, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Namibian authorities to respect and safeguard reporters, following Jemima Beukes expulsion from the president’s official residence and online threats against Tracy Tafirenyika after a minister made xenophobic comments about her. “Namibian authorities’ mistreatment of journalists Jemima Beukes and Tracy Tafirenyika raises concerns about their willingness…
CPJ Board: The First Amendment is in peril
New York, February 3, 2026 – Free speech and a free press are the bedrock of American democracy. Over the past year, those liberties have come under threat in ways not seen in generations. The events of recent weeks – including the arrest of two journalists for covering protests in Minnesota, and the raid on…
Masked protesters attack Italian RAI TV crew during clashes with police
Berlin, February 3, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to thoroughly investigate the attack on two RAI journalists who were assaulted while reporting on a protest, and to ensure that those responsible are held to account. RAI is an Italian public broadcaster. “The physical attack on the RAI crew in Turin is part of a deeply…
Gunmen storm Yemen’s Aden Al-Ghad offices, injuring staff
Washington, D.C., February 3, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Yemen’s internationally recognized government to immediately launch a swift and transparent investigation into the Sunday attack on the headquarters of independent Yemen-based media outlet Aden Al-Ghad, and to hold those responsible accountable. According to a statement by Aden Al-Ghad, the attack was…
Georgia moves to tighten restrictive media funding laws, add lengthy jail terms
New York, February 2, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgia’s parliament to reject proposed amendments to media and civil society funding laws that would further restrict the country’s shrinking space for independent reporting. The proposals, which follow last year’s passage of a punitive “foreign agent” law and legislation requiring government approval for foreign grants, widen the definition of a “grant” to…