Venezuela’s new “anti-hate” law seeks to silence media
New York, November 9, 2017-Venezuela’s constituent assembly yesterday unanimously passed a law that mandates punishment including a prison sentence of up to 20 years for anyone who instigates hate or violence on the radio, television or via social media. The new law, the Anti-Hate Law for Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence, states that public and private…
Russian editor arrested, allegedly injured in custody; newspaper raided
New York, November 3, 2017–The editor-in-chief and owner of the independent, Kaliningrad-based weekly Novye Kolyosa, Igor Rudnikov, was allegedly beaten while in custody of Russia’s security service (FSB) and faces criminal prosecution, according to media reports and a staff member who spoke with CPJ on condition of anonymity for safety concerns. On the night of…
China must allow all media outlets to cover events of public interest
Washington, D.C., October 25, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the decision by Chinese authorities to bar at least five prominent news organizations from attending today’s press conference introducing the new leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, as described by press reports and a statement on Twitter by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China.…
CPJ calls on Russian authorities to condemn stabbing attack on Ekho Moskvy journalist
New York, October 23, 2017–An unidentified assailant today broke into the Moscow office of Ekho Moskvy and stabbed Tatyana Felgengauer in the throat, the outlet’s editor-in-chief, Alexey Venediktov, wrote on Twitter. Felgengauer, the deputy editor-in-chief and an anchor at the independent radio station, was hospitalized, according to media reports. Security staff apprehended the assailant, who…
Turkey convicts Wall Street Journal reporter of terrorism
New York, October 10, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the conviction today of Wall Street Journal reporter Ayla Albayrak, and called on Turkish authorities to stop their relentless crackdown on the press. As the Journal reported, a court in the southeastern city of Cizre convicted Albayrak in absentia of terrorism and sentenced her to…
Local photographer abducted from home in central Mexico
New York, October 5, 2017–Armed men dressed as police officers this morning abducted local photographer Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro from his home in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, according to media reports. The state’s general prosecutor said in a statement that the prosecutor’s office is investigating, and denied that the state police…
Zimbabwe arrests NewsDay journalist over story on first lady’s underwear donation
New York, October 3, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release NewsDay journalist Kenneth Nyangani and drop all charges against him. Nyangani was arrested yesterday and charged with criminal nuisance for reporting that First Lady Grace Mugabe had donated used underwear to supporters of the country’s ruling ZANU-PF party,…
Syrian-American journalist killed in Turkey
New York, September 22, 2017–Syrian-American journalist Halla Barakat and her mother, Syrian opposition activist Orouba Barakat, were found dead yesterday in their Istanbul apartment, the Turkish news agency DHA reported today. Friends alerted the police when Halla Barakat, 23, did not show up for her reporting job at the Syrian opposition website Orient Net, according…
Photojournalist charged with terrorism in Turkey
New York, September 15, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Turkish authorities to immediately release photojournalist Çağdaş Erdoğan, and drop the anti-state charges against him. An Istanbul court on September 13 formally charged Erdoğan with terrorism, according to the volunteer journalist collective 140journos.