Blacklisted in Baluchistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a series of commitments to safeguard press freedom during a meeting with a CPJ delegation last week. Among them was a pledge to speak out in support of media freedom and against attacks on journalists, particularly in high-conflict areas like Baluchistan.
Journalist shot dead covering clashes in Egypt
New York, March 28, 2014–An Egyptian journalist was shot dead in Cairo today while covering deadly clashes, according to news reports. Mayada Ashraf was a reporter for the daily Al-Dustour. She had covered previous protests for the paper, the reports said.
CPJ condemns attack on Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi
New York, March 28, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalist condemns today’s attack on the senior Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi in Lahore, which killed his driver. Unidentified gunmen fired on Rumi’s car near the Raja Market neighborhood after he left the studio following his TV show. Rumi and his guard were injured, according to news reports.…
Turkish courts release eight journalists in two days
New York, March 27, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release this week of at least eight imprisoned journalists in Turkey, but calls on Turkish authorities to scrap the charges against them and release all of the journalists jailed in the country.
Freelance Bahraini photographer given 10-year prison term
New York, March 26, 2014–Today’s conviction of freelance photographer Ahmed Humaidan is an attempt by Bahraini authorities to censor independent and dissident voices in the lead-up to the Formula One race in April, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Humaidan, who has been imprisoned since December 2012, was sentenced to 10 years in jail,…
Bahrain sentences 28 to prison in protest trial
Photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan was among 28 Bahrainis sentenced in a trial today. Humaidan, who has been imprisoned since December 2012, was sentenced to 10 years in jail, according to news reports. The Associated Press quoted CPJ’s research in their coverage of the trial.Read the full story here.
Journalist deaths highlight deteriorating security in afghanistan
During an attack in Afghanistan, Sardar Ahmad, a senior reporter for Agence France-Presse’s Kabul bureau, was killed. The assailants killed nine, including Ahmad, members of his family including his wife and two children. Mashable quoted CPJ’s MENA program coordinator Sherif Mansour in their article on the attack. Read the full article here.
Twitter war shines light on how Rwanda intimidates press
“@RFI speak straight up English, frenchie!! U crying? U started not to make sense,” was one taunting tweet from a certain prolific Twitter account belonging to “Richard Goldston.” The account, since deleted, belonging to a self-proclaimed “anti-imperialist,” repeatedly antagonized Radio France Internationale journalist Sonia Rolley for her critical coverage of the deaths of Rwandan government…