2019
CPJ testifies to Congress on the threats Cuban journalists face
Washington, D.C., July 11, 2019–At a congressional hearing today, Carlos Martínez de la Serna, program director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, highlighted the most pressing threats to the media in Cuba and called on Congress to act when and where it can make a difference for Cuba’s journalists.
In BBC interview, Tanzanian foreign minister says journalist Azory Gwanda is dead
Nairobi, July 10, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Tanzanian government to provide a detailed public account of the fate of freelance journalist Azory Gwanda after the country’s foreign minister, Palamagamba Kabudi, said in an interview that the journalist is dead.
Syrian security forces arrest pro-Assad reporter Rabea Kalawandi
Beirut, July 10, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about the arrest of Syrian journalist Rabea Kalawandi, a reporter for Iranian state-run broadcaster Al-Alam TV, and called on Syrian authorities to reveal the reason for his arrest or release him immediately.
AFP freelance journalist Hamza Turkia shot while covering clashes in Libya
On June 19, 2019, an unidentified individual shot Hamza Turkia, a freelance photographer and videographer at the time working for French news agency Agence France-Presse, in the hand and leg while the journalist was covering clashes between forces allied with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord and the self-styled Libyan National Army in Tripoli,…
Former official assaults Indian journalist, family in Gujarat
On July 6, 2019, three men assaulted Harshad Ahir, Valsad bureau chief of privately owned daily Gujarat Mitra, and his wife and infant child at their home in Gujarat’s Valsad district, in western India, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via phone, and news reports.
In era of reform, Ethiopia still reverts to old tactics to censor press
On June 22, Ethiopia was plunged into an internet blackout following what the government described as a failed attempted coup in the Amhara region. In the aftermath at least two journalists were detained under the country’s repressive anti-terror law, part of an uptick in arrests that CPJ has noted in the country since May.
Indian investigative agency questions Greater Kashmir editor Fayaz Kaloo for 6 days
New Delhi, July 9, 2019–Indian authorities should stop harassing journalists and employees of the Greater Kashmir newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Fayaz Kaloo, the editor-in-chief of the privately owned newspaper–one of the leading dailies in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir state–was questioned for nearly a week by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), according…
Report by Turkish pro-government think tank criticizes foreign outlets, journalists
On July 5, 2019, Turkey’s Foundation for Political, Economic, and Social Research, an Ankara-based think tank, released a report that described some foreign media outlets operating in Turkey and their correspondents as “anti-government” and “pro-terrorism.”
UK should not deny media access based on propaganda label
CPJ writes to U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to express concern at his government’s decision to deny accreditation to Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik based on a determination that the outlets are a form of propaganda. The move empowers autocratic governments around the world who use a similar rationale to justify the repression of critical journalism.