Brazilian media outlet that covers women’s rights targeted with DDoS attack
Between March 26 and April 2, 2021, unidentified internet users orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Portal Catarinas, an online media outlet specializing in gender, feminism, and human rights, according to Paula Guimarães, the portal’s executive director and a report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI). The attacks flooded the site with traffic…
Local official orders 2 journalists detained during municipal meeting in Tanzania
On April 12, 2021, security personnel with Tanzania’s Temeke municipality briefly detained two broadcast reporters—Dickson Billikwija with the privately owned Islands TV, and Christopher James of the privately owned ITV and Radio One—at a local official’s request, according to news reports and both journalists, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. That official, Lusubilo Mwakabibi—the…
Malawi police question journalist Watipaso Mzungu over article calling president ‘a joker’
On April 6, 2021, police in the Malawi capital of Lilongwe interrogated Watipaso Mzungu, the chief reporter of the privately owned news website Nyasa Times, about an article he published on April 2, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and a report by his outlet. In that article, Mzungu quoted…
Nigerian governor threatens to ‘deal with’ journalists who covered 2018 corruption case
On March 19, 2021, Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Nigeria’s northern Kano state, said in an interview with the BBC’s Hausa-language service that he planned to “deal with” journalists who produced a 2018 series of videos published by the privately owned Daily Nigerian news website, which alleged that he had received bribes. “We are making…
French journalist Sylvain Mercadier barred from entering Turkey, deported
On March 19, 2021, police in Turkey’s Istanbul Airport barred French freelance journalist Sylvain Mercadier from entering the country, detained him overnight, and deported him back to France, according to news reports, tweets by the journalist, and Mercadier, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview. Officers took Mercadier into custody soon after his flight…
Lebanese news website The961 briefly blocked amid currency exchange crackdown
On March 10, 2021, the Lebanese state-run internet service provider Ogero blocked the entire English-language news website The961 for nine hours without warning during a government crackdown on black market money changers, according to the site’s director, who communicated with CPJ by email, and the regional press freedom organization SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural…
At least 3 journalists detained overnight in Yemen, pressured not to cover protests
On February 18, 2021, police in Hadramout Governorate, Yemen, detained at least three journalists and forced at least two of them to sign statements promising not to cover political protests in the region, according to the a statement by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, a local press freedom group, and Mohammed al-Yezidi, a local reporter familiar…
Russian journalist Ilya Azar sentenced to 15 days for allegedly organizing protests
On March 3, 2021, the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow sentenced Ilya Azar, a correspondent for the liberal Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, to 15 days of detention and a fine of 150,000 rubles (US$2,014) for allegedly organizing illegal protests on Facebook, according to news reports and a statement from his employer. On March 5, the…
Liberian journalists assaulted while covering senate election, sports tournament
On December 14, 2020, two supporters of Liberian senatorial candidate Botoe Kanneh beat up and threatened to kill Henry Bobo Gboluma, a reporter with the privately owned Local Voices Liberia news website, according to Gboluma, who spoke by phone with CPJ, and a report by his employer. Gboluma said he photographed the men at an…
Northern Ireland police investigating graffiti threats to reporter Patricia Devlin
On February 12, 2021, graffiti painted by unidentified people appeared at three locations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, featuring a gun crosshair and the name of Patricia Devlin, a reporter for the Irish newspaper Sunday World, according to a report by her employer and Devlin, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Police have opened an…