In Ethiopia, 5 journalists pressured to apologize for terrorism to win release
Nairobi, August 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release five journalists who have been in detention for three years awaiting trial, instead of pressuring them to admit to, and apologize for, taking part in a deadly insurgency in exchange for their freedom. Gobeze Sisay, Meskerem Abera, Genet Asmamaw, Dawit…
Gabon’s online news outlet Info241 suspended for publishing allegations about president
Dakar, August 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Gabonese authorities to reinstate the privately owned news site Info241, which was suspended by the country’s media regulator for relaying comments by an influencer about President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and his entourage. “Deciding to shut down a 13-year-old media outlet is more an act of…
CPJ, partners submit report to the UN on Venezuela UPR
The Committee to Protect Journalists and other six international and local organizations submitted to the United Nations a report on freedom of expressions and press freedom in Venezuela that will be examined during the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), at the 54th session of the UPR Working Group, scheduled for January–February 2027….
CPJ, partners demand release of detained Shi’a Muslims in Egypt, including journalist Haidar Qandil
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Wednesday to strongly condemn the arrest and enforced disappearance of at least 36 Shi’a Muslims in Egypt, including journalist Haidar Qandil, and called for their immediate release. Qandil was arrested on June 22, 2026, outside the offices of Al-Dostor newspaper in Giza, Greater Cairo, and taken…
Russia sentences journalist Vasilisa Shishkina to 12 years in jail on treason charges
Berlin, August 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Russian authorities to swiftly clarify the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of journalist Vasilisa Shishkina on treason charges and her subsequent sentencing in May to 12 years in prison amid reports that she was targeted because of her work. Shishkina, an editor at the regional outlet Nomer…
CPJ joins call for Zambian authorities to keep internet on during elections
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined #KeepItOn Coalition partners in urging Zambian authorities and telecommunication providers to ensure free and open internet access before, during, and after the country’s general election on August 13. In the letter, the coalition highlighted Zambia’s 2021 internet shutdown, when access to major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter,…
Kuwait arrests political commentator, revokes citizenship of 2 journalists
Washington, D.C., August 11, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kuwaiti authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kuwaiti political commentator Mohammed Saleh al-Sabti. Al-Sabti was arrested in July after taking part in an interview on Saudi-owned channel Al-Arabiya, according to the independent media outlet Newsroom, as well as a Kuwaiti blogger and a rights…
Malaysian company files US$24 million lawsuit against veteran journalist P. Gunasegaram
Jakarta, August 11, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and its executive vice-chairperson, Salim Fateh Din, to withdraw their excessive RM100 million (US$24.45 million) defamation lawsuit against veteran journalist P. Gunasegaram over an opinion piece on an urban rail project. The lawsuit, filed in the Shah Alam High Court…
CPJ welcomes dismissal of defamation lawsuit against journalist Jeff Stein
Miami, August 10, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit against investigative journalist Jeff Stein, editor of the SpyTalk podcast on Substack. Stein was sued for $1 million earlier this year by Keith Bass, the assistant secretary of War for Health Affairs and former director of the Office of Medical Services at…
Amid spike in journalist killings in Mexico, CPJ urges federalizing cases to end impunity
Six journalists have been murdered in Mexico this year, five of them in just over two months, marking one of the deadliest spikes in violence against journalists that CPJ has documented in over a decade. Despite several organized calls for justice in the Mexican states where the reporters were killed, government authorities have not addressed…