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.
Paraguayan judge releases drug trafficker who had planned to kill journalist
New York, September 11, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned for the safety of Paraguayan journalist Cándido Figueredo Ruiz following the release from prison of an alleged drug trafficker who had previously planned to kill him.
Independent journalist Yulia Latynina flees Russia following attacks
New York, September 11, 2017–Russian journalist Yulia Latynina, who writes a column for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and hosts a weekly radio show on Ekho Moskvy, has fled Russia after a series of attacks, according to local and international reports. In the latest incident on September 3, attackers set fire to the journalist’s car,…
Kazakh editor convicted of money laundering, banned from journalism
New York, September 7, 2017–A Kazakh court today handed down a suspended prison sentence to Zhanbolat Mamay, editor of the independent newspaper Sayasi kalam/Tribuna, for charges of money laundering, and banned him from working as a journalist for three years, according to media reports. Mamay said he plans to appeal.
Cameroon releases three journalists jailed under anti-terror law
New York, September 1, 2017–The office of President Paul Biya announced August 30 that Cameroon is ending criminal proceedings against those detained during unrest in the country’s two English-speaking regions. Atia Tilarious Azohnwi, political editor of The Sun, Tim Finnian, editor of Life Time magazine, and Hans Achomba, a freelance documentary filmmaker, are among those…