Ukraine must prosecute Kuchma in Gongadze murder
New York, December 14, 2011–Today’s court ruling to scrap the case against former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma for allegedly ordering the 2000 murder of independent journalist Georgy Gongadze is a blow to press freedom, said the Committee to Protect Journalists.
CPJ calls on Pakistan to unblock BBC World News
New York, November 30, 2011–The All Pakistan Cable Operators Association must immediately unblock the BBC World News television channel in Pakistan, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Operators began censoring the channel Tuesday in response to a documentary they considered “anti-Pakistan,” and threatened to pull other foreign news channels, the BBC said.
CPJ to hold Ecuadoran authorities accountable for threats
New York, November 11, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reported death threats against César Ricaurte, head of the Ecuadoran press freedom group Fundamedios, which follow a concerted campaign by local authorities to discredit the group and foster a climate of intimidation against independent media and local press freedom activists.
Syrian agreement must be monitored for press freedom
New York, November 2, 2011–The Syrian government’s acceptance of an Arab League proposal to end a crackdown on unrest must be closely monitored by international and domestic media, said the Committee to Protect Journalists in response to news of the agreement today. The measures include granting media access to the country as well as the…
CPJ condemns attack on French satirical weekly
New York, November 2, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by today’s firebomb attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the disabling of its website by unknown hackers. The attacks appear to be in retaliation for the paper’s spoof edition, “guest edited” by the Prophet Muhammad.
Tajikistan must release reporters
New York, October 13, 2011–As a court in Tajikistan prepares to issue verdicts in the politicized criminal prosecutions of BBC correspondent Urinboy Usmonov, and Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, a reporter with the independent weekly Nuri Zindagi, the Committee to Protect Journalists is demanding justice.
Nobel Peace Prize for Yemeni press freedom activist
New York, October 7, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is delighted that the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to renowned Yemeni press freedom activist Tawakul Karman, Chairwoman of Women Journalists Without Chains, along with two other female leaders.
Justice still pending in Politkovskaya murder case
New York, October 7, 2011–Five years after the brutal assassination of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russian authorities to prosecute the masterminds of her killing and end impunity in the murder of journalists.