CPJ, partners call on Bangladesh to dismiss Digital Security Act cases over freedom of expression
Prime Minister Sheikh HasinaPeople’s Republic of Bangladeshinfo@pmo.gov.bd Sent via email Madam Prime Minister Hasina, We, the 19 undersigned press freedom and human rights organizations, write to seek your administration’s urgent intervention to immediately end the harassment and intimidation of journalist Adhora Yeasmean, who faces an investigation under the Digital Security Act (DSA) for her April…
CPJ urges India to review ‘dangerous’ legislation that threatens press freedom
New York, August 25, 2023—Indian lawmakers must thoroughly review three bills that threaten the independence of the press, and the government should withdraw and significantly amend its new data protection law, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We are gravely concerned by the Indian government’s apparent attempts to pass a series of bills undermining…
India blocks social media accounts of Gaon Savera news outlet ahead of workers’ convention
New Delhi, August 23, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the social media accounts of the independent news website Gaon Savera, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, August 21, Gaon Savera’s Facebook page became inaccessible in India, and its account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was also blocked the following day,…
CPJ calls for protection of journalists in Bangladesh ahead of UN human rights review
Bangladesh authorities are increasingly attempting to silence the media through arbitrary detention, legal harassment, and censorship, according to a joint submission to the United Nations by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Asian Legal Resource Centre. The submission, sent for the 44th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group…
Chinese publisher Lü Hua charged with extortion after reporting on alleged corruption
Washington, D.C., August 22, 2023—Chinese authorities should immediately release Lü Hua, founder and publisher of the independent news website Hubei Xinshidianwang (Hubei New Perspective Site), and respect media organizations’ right to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 19, police arrested Lü in the city of Huanggang, in central Hubei province,…
Taliban detains Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati in Afghanistan
New York, August 22, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Iranian photojournalist Mohammad Hossein Velayati and cease harassing members of the press in Afghanistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On August 19, Taliban authorities detained Velayati, a photographer for Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, at Kabul International Airport before he…
India blocks The Kashmir Walla website and social media accounts
New Delhi, August 21, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the website and social media accounts of the independent Kashmiri news outlet The Kashmir Walla, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Saturday, August 19, The Kashmir Walla became inaccessible in India following an order by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to…
Two Bangladeshi journalists investigated under Digital Security Act
On July 29, 2023, the Savar Model Police Station in Bangladesh’s central Dhaka district opened an investigation into Nazmus Sakib, editor of the Dainik Fulki newspaper and president of the Savar Press Club, and Md Emdadul Haque, a reporter for the Amader Notun Somoy newspaper, after registering a July 28 complaint against them under four…
Taliban authorities detain 2 journalists, ban women’s voices from broadcasts in Helmand
New York, August 15, 2023 — Taliban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Ataullah Omar, stop harassing members of the press, and drop all restrictions on women’s ability to work in the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, August 13, Taliban intelligence agents summoned Omar, a journalist at the independent…
Two years into Taliban rule, media repression worsens in Afghanistan
When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, they promised to protect press freedom and women’s rights – a key facet of their efforts to paint a picture of moderation compared to their oppressive rule in the late 1990s. “We are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks. Private media can continue to…