Hong Kong police raid Apple Daily newsroom, arrest founder Jimmy Lai, his sons, and 4 executives
Taipei, August 10, 2020 — Hong Kong police must immediately release all those arrested in connection to today’s raid on Apple Daily publisher Next Digital, and refrain from filing charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. This morning, police arrested Jimmy Lai, founder and chair of Next Digital, at his home in…
Hong Kong police arrest Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai under new National Security Law
Washington, D.C., August 9, 2020–Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital, which owns the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested early Monday in Hong Kong under Hong Kong’s new National Security Law for alleged collusion with foreign powers, according to a tweet by Next Digital executive Mark Simon and news reports. “The arrest of media tycoon…
Beirut’s journalists report on the explosion that tore through their lives and city
Six minutes after the explosion at the Port of Beirut on the evening of August 4, 2020, Natalia Sancha, a correspondent for the Spanish newspaper El Pais, was on her motorcycle, heading to the scene of the blast. Like so many journalists in the city, she was documenting the catastrophe as she was living it. The…
Freelancer Vladimir Sevrinovsky on covering COVID-19 in the North Caucasus: ‘The main misinformation I fight is from the state’
Vladimir Sevrinovsky is a Moscow-based freelance journalist and documentary photographer who has covered social and cultural issues in Russia for independent news site Meduza, independent weekly Russkii Reporter, and Kavkaz.Realii, a regional service of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. Sevrinovsky’s most recent assignment was to report from Russia’s North Caucasus…
Mohamed Monir’s death of COVID-19 is a warning sign for journalists held in Egypt’s prisons
“I am very sick! I need oxygen therapy. Someone help me! Someone please help me get admitted to the Moneera hospital! I am very sick! Please do something before I completely run out of breath!” The Egyptian journalist Mohamed Monir panted, short of breath, as he made a plea from his home over Facebook Live on July 7….
Belarusian journalists detained ahead of presidential elections
Vilnius, Lithuania, August 6, 2020 — Belarusian authorities should immediately release blogger Evgeniy Vasilkov and allow him and other journalists to freely and safely cover upcoming presidential elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 31, police arrested Vasilkov, a blogger who also works as a mechanic, at his garage in Khoiniki, near…
Algerian state prosecutor seeks 4-year sentence for journalist Khaled Drareni
Washington, D.C., August 6, 2020—Algeria’s state prosecutor called for a four-year sentence and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars ($788) for journalist Khaled Drareni during the journalist’s first hearing August 3, according to news reports. “Algerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Khaled Drareni, especially as there is no evidence he did anything except…
Somali military court acquits radio journalist Mohamed Abdiwahab Nuur
Nairobi, August 5, 2020—In response to a Somali military court’s decision today to acquit radio journalist Mohamed Abdiwahab Nuur of charges of murder and being a member of the militant group Al-Shabaab, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are glad that the military court affirmed Mohamed Abdiwahab Nuur’s innocence of trumped-up…
Cuban security forces detain Yadisley Rodríguez Ramírez, interrogate her about news agency director
Miami, August 5, 2020 — Cuban authorities should stop harassing and threatening journalist Yadisley Rodríguez Ramírez, and cease persecuting independent journalists in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 27, at around 10:00 p.m. police and security forces broke into the home of Rodríguez Ramírez in Camaguey in central Cuba without…
Mexican journalist Pablo Morrugares killed in Iguala
Mexico City, August 4, 2020 – Mexican authorities must immediately and credibly investigate the murder of reporter Pablo Morrugares and bring the attackers to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Morrugares was shot and killed in the city of Iguala in early hours of August 2, according to news reports and officials. Morrugares…