CPJ, partners call on Congress to reject proposed State Department reorganization plan
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined human rights partners in a June 13 statement calling on the U.S. Congress to reject Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s proposed reorganization of the State Department. Secretary Rubio’s proposed plan, announced in May, would drastically downsize the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), which is responsible for documenting and responding…
‘Get ready’: LA journalists warn of potential violence against press ahead of nationwide protests
As protests over U.S. immigration enforcement raids began throughout the country last week, journalists rushed to cover the rapidly evolving story. Focus turned to Los Angeles, California, as President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines, notably without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. Journalists on the ground in LA quickly became part of the…
DRC journalist detained, 3 others questioned over report on stadium’s sanitation
Kinshasa, June 13, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the three-day detention of RTNC journalist Willy-Albert Kande and interrogation of colleagues Marcelin Mwananteba, Don Kubutana, and Laurent Ngala over coverage of sanitation conditions at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “DRC authorities should have never…
Togo detains TV5 Monde journalist, forces deletion of protest videos
Dakar, Senegal, June 11, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Togolese authorities to investigate and hold accountable the gendarmes who detained journalist Flore Monteau and forced her to delete footage she took of anti-government protests on June 6. Monteau was released the same day. “The arrest of Flore Monteau continues a pattern of censorship through detention…
CPJ, others urge restraint after federal officers injure journalists covering Los Angeles protests
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday joined 27 press and civil society organizations in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressing alarm that federal officials might have violated the First Amendment rights of journalists covering recent protests in Los Angeles, California, which started following immigration raids in the city. The…
CPJ, partners condemn state violence against the press in Honduras
CPJ and other six press freedom groups launched a joint statement expressing deep concern over recent attacks against journalists and media outlets in Honduras, including Salvadoran journalist Javier Antonio Hércules Salinas’ June 1 killing and the judicial criminalization of at least 12 media outlets facing ongoing legal complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Statement signatories have also submitted…
CPJ calls on Venezuelan government to release human rights defender
CPJ and 24 other international press freedom groups, led by IFEX, signed an open letter urging the Venezuelan government to immediately release lawyer and human rights defender Eduardo Torres, a member of the Venezuelan Program for Human Rights Education-Action. Government officials confirmed that Torres was detained May 13 but have since provided no information on…
Ethiopia detains prominent journalist despite court‑ordered bail
Nairobi, June 10, 2025—Ethiopian authorities should immediately release journalist Tesfalem Waldyes, founder and editor-in-chief of the privately owned news outlet Ethiopia Insider, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. He remains in detention despite having been granted bail. “The detention of Tesfalem Waldyes, even after a court-ordered his release, underscores the Ethiopian government’s disregard for judicial processes…
Cambodian journalist Chhoeung Chheng’s killer sentenced to 12 years in prison
Bangkok, June 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes justice for Cambodian journalist Chhoeung Chheng, whose killer, Sy Loeuy, was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Siem Reap provincial court on May 28, according to multiple press reports. The ruling was made public June 5, the reports said. Described as a local farmer and…
Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh on hunger strike in Evin Prison
Paris, June 9, 2025—Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, who is serving a 10-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison, launched a hunger strike on June 7 to protest the seizure of his essential documents, including his birth certificate, which he needs to manage his legal affairs and protect his assets abroad. Valizadeh, a former Radio Farda reporter, returned to…