Journalists threatened by government staffers in North Macedonia town
On April 17, 2019, a reporter and a camera operator working for TV21, a private cable station in North Macedonia, were threatened by local government staffers in Aračinovo, a town east of the capital, Skopje, according to a report from TV21 and a statement by the Association of Journalists of North Macedonia, a local press…
Challenges facing journalists trying to cover 2019 violence in Venezuela
The long-running political crisis in Venezuela escalated on April 30, 2019, after a civilian and military uprising was thwarted by the government of Nicolás Maduro, according to news reports. Opposition leaders Juan Guaidó and Leopoldo Lopez, accompanied by members of the armed forces, congregated on a highway in eastern Caracas and called upon the armed…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of April 28, 2019
Cumhuriyet appeal rejected by local court An Istanbul court on April 30 rejected a stay of execution request from lawyers representing eight staff from the daily Cumhuriyet, the news website T24 reported. The lawyers asked authorities to not act on a local appeals court ruling that upheld their sentencing until the Supreme Court had ruled…
Ugandan regulator suspends staff from 13 outlets that covered Bobi Wine
Addis Ababa, May 2, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Uganda’s media regulator to immediately rescind an order yesterday suspending staff from 13 radio and television stations in connection to their coverage of opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine.
Austrian news anchor Armin Wolf facing intimidation by far-right Freedom Party
Armin Wolf, a news anchor at Austrian public service broadcaster Österreicher Rundfunk (ORF), was threatened and was the subject of attempts at intimidation by several politicians from the far-right Freedom Party of Austria, a member of the country’s governing coalition, following his interview with Freedom Party General Secretary Harald Vilimsky, which aired on April 23,…
Venezuelan authorities restrict internet, block outlets amid unrest
Miami, May 1, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Venezuelan authorities to refrain from restricting access to the internet, social media services, and news outlets in the country during widespread protests and political unrest.
Radio station and show hosts sued for defamation in Liberia
Cape Town, May 1, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over a $500,000 civil defamation lawsuit filed against the Roots 102.7 FM radio station and two of its hosts by the Liberian minister of state for presidential affairs, Nathaniel McGill.
Russian police beat at least 1 journalist, arrest 2 during May Day protests in St. Petersburg
Washington, D.C., May 1, 2019 — Russian authorities should allow journalists to freely cover protests and must investigate the alleged assault by police of Timur Hadjibekov and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Letter calls on Putin to not approve Russia’s ‘sovereign internet’ bill
CPJ and a coalition of international human rights and press freedom organizations called on President Vladimir Putin to not approve legislative amendments known as the “bill on a sovereign internet” that could lead to further limitations on internet and media freedom in Russia.
CPJ joins letter urging Trump administration to address targeting of journalists at border
Washington, D.C., May 1, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined more than 100 human rights and press freedom groups in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials expressing deep concern over recent actions by the department’s law enforcement agencies–Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement–that threaten the…