Taliban ban domestic political and economic broadcasts in Afghanistan
New York, February 14, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Taliban to reverse Thursday’s ban on the broadcast of political and economic programs by domestic Afghan outlets. The Ministry of Information and Culture issued a verbal directive to media executives in the capital Kabul on February 13, stating that organizations may only address…
CPJ denounces Trump administration’s actions against AP, other retaliation against media
Washington, D.C., February 14, 2025–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the White House decision to block The Associated Press (AP) from covering official events after AP’s decision to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its internationally known name, calling the action the latest in an alarming pattern of retaliation against a free press in…
CPJ: Nepal lawmakers should reject social media bill threatening press freedom
New York, February 14, 2025—The Nepalese government should withdraw a recently introduced social media bill that is expected to undermine press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “Nepal’s proposed social media law is ripe for misuse against journalists reporting on critical topics of public interest,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi….
José Luis Tan Estrada: I fled Cuba’s media repression so I could remain a journalist
Cuban journalist José Luis Tan Estrada boarded a plane in Havana last December because he thought exile was the only way to continue his career and protect his family. It was his first time on an airplane. Tan Estrada, 28, had faced escalating repression by Cuban authorities for months. After he was fired from teaching…
Turkish court issues 9 life sentences for journalist Hrant Dink’s murder
Istanbul, February 14, 2025–Turkish authorities must continue searching for those who masterminded the 2007 murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday, after a retrial in which an Istanbul court issued nine defendants with life sentences. Lawyers representing the Dink family said they would appeal the February 7 verdict due…
CPJ urges Zambian government to withdraw cyber bills from parliament
The Committee to Protect Journalists sent a letter calling on the Zambian government to withdraw the Cyber Security Bill 2024 and Cyber Crimes Bill 2024 from the country’s National Assembly for a comprehensive review to ensure they align with constitutional protections of freedom of the press as well as regional and international standards on freedom of expression. CPJ raised concerns that…
In Italy, 4 journalists shot at while reporting on alleged child abuse
Berlin, February 13, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to swiftly complete their investigation into the gunshots fired at four Italian television journalists on February 5 while reporting on the alleged mistreatment of two children by their family. An unknown individual shot at public broadcaster RAI1’s reporter Vito Francesco Paglia and camera…
Dozens of Iraqi Kurdistan journalists teargassed, arrested, raided over protest
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, February 13, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by Kurdistan security forces’ assault on 12 news crews covering a February 9 protest by teachers and other public employees over unpaid salaries, which resulted in at least 22 journalists teargassed, two arrested, and a television station raided. “The aggressive treatment meted out to…
CPJ, partners call on European Commission to hold India to account over rights crisis
On February 13, CPJ joined 11 other organizations in calling on the European Commission to step up its engagement with the Indian authorities over human rights, including press freedom, during its upcoming visit to the country. The European Commission is seeking to strengthen its partnership with India, at a time when the government has been…
CPJ, others call on Egypt to reform its draft Criminal Procedure Code
The Committee to Protect Journalists, along with 11 other press freedom and human rights organizations, calls on Egyptian authorities to reject the current draft of the Criminal Procedure Code so a new code be developed in line with international human rights standards. The joint statement highlights several problematic provisions in the draft—especially Articles 79, 80, and 116—that…