No Archive

Clinton seeks release of American in Nigeria

On the heels of a similar letter sent by Sen Charles Schumer (D-NY) yesterday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has sent one today to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about journalist Andrew Berends, who is being held by Nigerian authorities. The letter does not mention Samuel George, Berends’ translator, but George is also in police…

Read More ›

Schumer pushes for release of journalist in Nigeria

Freelance American journalist Andrew Berends and his translator, Nigerian Samuel George have been in the custody of Nigerian State Security Services in Port Harcourt since they were arrested on August 31. Berends, an award-winning filmmaker, legally entered Nigeria in April to complete a documentary called “Delta Boys” about the region’s oil conflict. Sen. Charles Schumer…

Read More ›

Frank Smyth on arrests at GOP convention

CPJ’s Washington Representative Frank Smyth has a posting on The Hill Blog today about the recent arrests of journalists covering protests around the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Read our alert on the incidents here, and click here to watch video footage of the arrests posted yesterday.Read Smyth’s post at The Hill Blog.

Read More ›

Democracy Now! producers arrested at RNC

Producers Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Nicole Salazar from Democracy Now! were arrested while reporting on street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. All three journalists were released today. Also arrested was Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke.This video shows Amy Goodman being placed under arrest: Nicole Salazar shot this footage of her own arrest:

Read More ›

ABC News producer arrested in Denver

ABC News producer Asa Eslocker was arrested on Wednesday while working on a story outside Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel during the Democratic National Convention. He was arrested on charges of interference, trespass and failure to obey a lawful order, according to The Associated Press.

Read More ›

Journalists under increasing threat in Iraqi Kurdistan

Reuters has an in-depth story today on the increasingly dangerous reporting environment in Iraqi Kurdistan. Part of the problem, the article reports a local editor as saying, is that “the government thinks that journalists are the opposition.” Killings, threats, and attacks against journalists are on the rise, with about 60 occurrences reported to CPJ in…

Read More ›

Q & A: An Ethiopian speaks from exile

Feleke Tibebu, deputy editor of private Ethiopian newspaper Hadar, was arrested in a 2005 government-led crackdown on dissidents and the private media. Tibebu (right) and 13 other journalists were charged with “outrages against the constitution or constitutional order,” “impairment of the defensive power of the state,” and “attempted genocide,” after the publication of editorials critical…

Read More ›

Olympics: Games over, censorship renewed

With the Games completed, it’s back to Internet censorship as usual. Remember the issue about Web sites being blocked inside the Main Press Center? The problem was only partially resolved. After complaints, more sites became available to reporters inside the MPC and around the country, though many remained blocked. Research by OpenNet Initiative said that…

Read More ›

Turkish journalists fired on in South Ossetia

Journalists came under fire in their car on August 10 near Tskhinvali. According to the Turkish Daily News, Turkish journalist Recep Öztürk was wounded. It is not clear who was shooting at them–the lines have been fluid as the Georgians and Russians battle in South Ossetia. At least three journalists have been killed and 10…

Read More ›

Finding light in a dark prison

On July 21, CPJ welcomed the release of Tunisian Internet journalist Slim Boukhdhir from prison. A contributor to Tunisian and Arab news Web sites, Boukhdhir was serving a one-year term in Sfax Prison because he had written articles critical of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the country’s first family. CPJ sent a mission…

Read More ›