Iraqi security forces beat journalist Mohamed Kader al-Samarrai at COVID-19 checkpoint
On March 31, 2020, two officers of the Iraqi Police Sixth Emergency Regiment assaulted Mohamed Kader al-Samarrai, director of the local broadcaster Al-Maliyah TV, after stopping him at a checkpoint to enforce the country’s COVID-19 curfew, according to a Facebook post by al-Samarrai and reports by the National Union of Journalists in Iraq and the…
Three newspaper staffers charged with ‘attack on national unity’ over COVID-19 report in Algeria
On April 1, 2020, officers of Algeria’s National Gendarmerie arrested three employees of the privately owned Essawt El-Akhar daily newspaper and interrogated them about a story the paper published that day about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to news reports and Abdelrahman Saleh, the employees’ lawyer, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.
CPJ Insider: Urgent call to #FreeThePress, COVID-19 updates, and more
CPJ Insider: Spring 2020 Edition Thank you for your incredible support of CPJ during these unprecedented times. We are especially grateful to Twitter for its recent gift of $500,000 in support of our work to confront press freedom violations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff is working remotely—as a result, we may be slightly delayed…
Slovenian journalist Blaž Zgaga on facing off against a government fighting COVID-19 coverage
Blaž Zgaga is a freelance Slovenian investigative journalist and a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists who covers national security and defense. In his reporting, he has uncovered corruption and written about arms trafficking in the region.
Kashmiri journalist Raihana Maqbool on reporting on COVID-19 amid ongoing restrictions
Journalists in Jammu and Kashmir have spent the past eight months navigating an intense crackdown by Indian authorities in the region, including unprecedented restrictions on communications and the longest internet shutdown in a democracy. Now, they have the added challenge on trying to report on the COVID-19 pandemic. India has instituted a strict 21-day national…
Togo suspends 2 papers after French complaint, and a third for criticizing decision
New York, April 3, 2020 — Authorities in Togo should lift the suspensions of the Liberté, L’Alternative, and Fraternité newspapers and ensure all media are free to cover politics and all other newsworthy topics, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Two reporters charged for spreading ‘false information’ about COVID-19 in the Philippines
Bangkok, April 3, 2020 — Cavite City authorities in the Philippines should withdraw their criminal complaints against journalists Mario Batuigas and Amor Virata, and refrain from threatening journalists covering the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
