Iraq / Middle East & North Africa

  

Press conditions deteriorate in Iraqi Kurdistan

President Barzani: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about deteriorating press freedom conditions in Iraqi Kurdistan, including deadly violence and official harassment.

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Massoud Barzani (Reuters)

Veteran journalists seek justice in Iraqi Kurdistan

Last week, a number of prominent journalists who cover Iraqi Kurdistan wrote an open letter to the president of the Kurdish Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, and the president of Iraq, Talal Talabani, calling on them to bring to an end a sharp rise in violations of press freedom. A journalist was abducted and murdered in the country as…

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Reporter abducted, slain in northern Iraq

New York, May 6, 2010—A reporter for independent news outlets was found shot to death this morning in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul after being abducted Wednesday in Arbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, according to news reports. Authorities in both cities must conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of Sardasht Osman and bring…

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Ten Journalist Murder Cases to Solve

CPJ challenges authorities in 10 nations to bring justice and reverse culture of impunity New York, April 29, 2010—In the Philippines, political clan members slaughter more than 30 news media workers and dump their bodies in mass graves. In Sri Lanka, a prominent editor who has criticized authorities is so sure of retaliation that he…

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Audio Report: Ten Murder Cases to Solve

In our special report, “Ten Journalist Murder Cases to Solve,” CPJ challenges authorities to solve these news media slayings and reverse the culture of impunity. Here, CPJ’s Robert Mahoney explains why each of these cases can be solved if governments demonstrate political will. Listen to the mp3 on the player above, or right click here to…

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The White House says it wants to improve transparency. Greater access to information could prevent deaths of journalists in the field.

FOIA needs new muscle behind it, not just promises

These are busy days for Freedom of Information. On April 5, the watchdog Web site that knows no borders, WikiLeaks, posted a classified U.S. military video showing U.S. forces firing on Iraqi civilians, killing many, including two Reuters journalists, as well as wounding children. Two days later, the Pentagon posted a redacted U.S. military assessment of the same incident concluding that U.S. troops fired “in accordance…

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Chmagh (Reuters)

CPJ seeks Pentagon investigations in Iraq journalist deaths

Dear Secretary Gates: The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by a video recently disclosed by the Web site WikiLeaks showing a U.S. military strike that took place on July 12, 2007. The attack killed an unspecified number of individuals, including Reuters photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and his assistant, Saeed Chmagh.

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Newspaper editor seized in Iraq; whereabouts unknown

New York, April 22, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi authorities to clarify the disappearance and current whereabouts of Saad al-Aossi, editor-in-chief of the critical weekly Al-Shahid.

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Mudhafar al-Husseini

An Iraqi in America: A year still unclear

I just can’t believe that it’s been almost a year since I arrived in the States. It’s been very quick, seemingly quicker than waiting in a drive-through line for a restaurant. 

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Journalists assaulted covering Iraqi Kurdistan protests

New York, April 20, 2010—Anti-riot police assaulted journalists covering two different protests in Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan on Saturday and Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attacks and calls on authorities to stop harassing journalists reporting in the field.

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