Peruvian journalist sued by judge for defamation, ordered to pay a $14,500 fine
Bogotá, July 28, 2026—Peruvian judicial authorities must stop harassing journalist Carlos Yofré López for an old case and allow reporters to do their jobs without fear of unfounded defamation lawsuits, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. On July 20, an appeals court in the Pacific coast province of Huaura upheld a lower court decision that found…
Azerbaijan: CPJ condemns shocking sentences handed down in Toplum TV case
New York, July 28, 2026 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the extremely harsh prison sentences of up to 15 years handed down on July 27 to journalists and other individuals associated with leading Azerbaijani news outlet Toplum TV on charges related to receipt and use of foreign funds. “The shockingly heavy sentences meted…
Brazilian journalist is assaulted, threatened after alleged public funds embezzlement exposé
São Paulo, July 27, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the reported assault and threatsagainst Brazilian journalist Chico Melo, director of independent media group Integração, at Cruzeiro do Sul, in the northern state of Acre, and calls on authorities to swiftly and comprehensively investigate the attack and bring those responsible to account. Melo, 54, was…
Bangladesh charges journalists Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu with crimes against humanity
New Delhi, July 27, 2026—Bangladeshi authorities should immediately drop the charges of crimes against humanity against journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu and release them without delay, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Prosecutors at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday submitted a formal charge sheet naming the two journalists and 39 other…
CPJ, partners urge White House Correspondents’ Association to publicly defend press freedom at correspondents’ dinner
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, and other organizations in a joint message urging the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) to reaffirm its commitment to the First Amendment at its rescheduled correspondents’ dinner on…
Philippine journalist Marchel Espina charged with unjust vexation over opinion article
Bangkok, July 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on the Iglesia Ni Cristo religious group to drop its criminal complaint of unjust vexation against journalist Marchel Espina over an opinion piece published by a community news site. On July 17, Espina, former editor-in-chief of the local SunStar Cebu, voluntarily surrendered to the…
Hungary’s initial media reforms are promising but lasting safeguards still needed
Hungary’s new government has taken promising first steps to restore press freedom after years of state capture under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, but authorities must now move beyond quick fixes to deliver transparent, durable reforms that ensure the media is protected from any and all political interference. After his Tisza party won a landslide…
Cuban journalist threatened, interrogated by state security over newsletter
Miami, July 21—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls on the Cuban government to end its harassment of journalist Austin Llerandi of Amanecer Habanero, a non-state media newsletter. Llerandi told CPJ that state security agents came looking for him at his father’s house on July 13 in Havana, demonstrating invasive knowledge of his personal life…
CPJ, partners call for investigation into the killing of Yemeni journalist Mohammed Aydah
The Committee to Protect Journalists, together with the Yemeni Media Freedom Observatory and the National Organization of Yemeni Reporters, sent a letter on Tuesday to members of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen calling for a swift, independent, and professional investigation into the killing of journalist Mohammed Aydah. CPJ and its partners urged Council Chairman…
CPJ, SCM submit report to UN ahead of Syria human rights review
The Committee to Protect Journalists, together with the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), has submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council documenting persistent threats to press freedom in Syria, ahead of the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR, a UN mechanism that reviews each member state’s human…