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Berlin, January 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Slovak authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the physical attack on Peter Schutz, political commentator with the daily newspaper SME, and to swiftly determine whether he was targeted for his work. “The attack on Peter Schutz is a deeply concerning development in an increasingly hostile environment for the…

Ugandan journalist Ssematimba Bwegiire lost consciousness immediately after a security officer electrocuted him with a stun gun and pepper-sprayed him in the mouth. But he did not report the incident, reflecting widespread disillusionment among the media about authorities’ commitment to press freedom in elections on January 15. Bwegiire, a reporter with privately owned Radio Simba,…

Iranian authorities have imposed a near-total internet shutdown as nationwide protests intensify, severely restricting journalists’ ability to report and cutting off communication with the outside world. The blackout began on January 8, more than a week after protests erupted in late December over mounting economic pressure, currency devaluation, and rising living costs. Journalists and rights…

Sulaymaniyah, January 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern after Syrian government forces detained three journalists and imposed restrictions on independent reporting in the Aleppo neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah following the government’s recapture of the areas following clashes with Kurdish units affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces. “We are deeply troubled by…

The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Rwanda to release all journalists imprisoned for their work and to investigate allegations that prison officials have mistreated and tortured journalists, in a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of Rwanda’s Fourth Cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on January 21. During the review, U.N….

January 12, 2026—On the first anniversary of the arrest of prominent Georgian journalist and Sakharov Prize laureate Mzia Amaglobeli, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) are urging Georgian authorities to immediately release her and credibly investigate alleged violations of her rights. The first woman journalist…

New York, January 9, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists was joined by 87 other rights groups and journalists in expressing concern over the continued detention of Sudanese journalist Muammar Ibrahim by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and calling for his release and protection. Ibrahim has been held since October 26, 2025, following his detention in…

The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Venezuelan authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalists Rory Branker, Nakary Mena Ramos, and Gianni González, drop all charges against them, and ensure that journalists in Venezuela can work freely and without fear of retaliation. “Pervasive attempts to silence critical voices under Venezuela’s Chavez and Maduro regimes must…

New York, January 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release jailed Tunisian journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek and ensure she receives urgent, adequate medical care following reports that her health has severely deteriorated in prison. “Denying detained journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek timely and urgent life-saving medical care is…

An estimated 268 Nicaraguan journalists have fled the Central American country for exile, many settling in the neighboring Costa Rica, to escape what CPJ’s research has documented to be a government-backed system of political repression and judicial harassment against media outlets that often prevents journalists, fearing for their families, from reporting the truth. Yet for…