Canadian journalist arrested, charged with obstruction while reporting
On January 10, 2024, police in Edmonton, Canada, arrested and charged Indigenous journalist Brandi Morin with obstruction in connection with her reporting on a homeless encampment raided by police, according to social media posts from Morin and Ricochet, the publication for which she was on assignment. Morin was in the encampment conducting interviews for a story about the Indigenous-led…
New York police arrest, charge journalist Reed Dunlea during protest against Israel
Washington, D.C., February 14, 2024—New York City law enforcement should immediately drop all charges against freelance journalist Reed Dunlea and take steps to ensure that reporters are not detained while covering protests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday. Dunlea was collecting audio for his podcast, Scene Report, at a February 10 protest in…
4 Nigerian journalists charged with cybercrime, defamation over fraud investigation
Abuja, February 9, 2024—Authorities in Nigeria should immediately drop all charges against journalists Adisa-Jaji Azeez, Salihu Ayatullahi, Salihu Shola Taofeek, and Abdulrahman Taye Damilola, and allow them to work without fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday. On Tuesday, police officers arrested Azeez, managing director, and Ayatullahi, editor-in-chief, of the privately owned The Informant247 news website, over…
Pegasus spyware used to target Togolese journalists Loïc Lawson and Anani Sossou
New York, January 23, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by findings that the phones of Togolese journalists Loïc Lawson and Anani Sossou were infected with Pegasus spyware in 2021, and repeats its calls for an immediate moratorium on the use of such surveillance technologies and for legal proceedings against the journalists to be…
Azerbaijani authorities charge Kanal 13 journalists Aziz Orujov and Shamo Eminov over alleged foreign donor money, order channel blocked
Stockholm, January 8, 2024—Azerbaijani authorities should release journalists Aziz Orujov and Shamo Eminov, overturn a block on their outlet Kanal 13, and stop retaliating against critical independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On December 22, police in the capital, Baku, detained Eminov, a freelance reporter who contributes to the popular YouTube-based broadcaster…
Four Allô Sénégal journalists detained, charged with defamation and incitement following minister’s complaint
Dakar, December 20, 2023—Senegalese authorities should unconditionally release four journalists from the online news outlet Allô Sénégal, who are detained on defamation and incitement charges, and stop criminalizing the work of the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Agents from the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC), a branch of the Senegalese police, arrested six…
Russia brings new charges against jailed journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Maria Ponomarenko, targets exiled journalist Masha Gessen
Paris, December 14, 2023—Russian authorities must immediately release journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Maria Ponomarenko, drop all charges against them, and stop harassing exiled members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, the Telegram channel Baza and state news agency Tatar-Inform reported that Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national and an editor…
Russia extends detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich by 2 months
New York, November 28, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Russian court’s decision on Tuesday to extend the pretrial detention of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich until January 30, 2024. “While the latest extension of the detention of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich—who has been wrongly detained in Russia for the past eight months—was expected, it…
Alabama publisher, reporter arrested, charged with disclosing leaked information
Washington, D.C., October 31, 2023—Authorities in Escambia County, Alabama, should immediately drop all charges against Atmore News publisher Sherry Digmon and reporter Don Fletcher and thoroughly investigate the motives behind their arrests, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Police arrested Digmon and Fletcher on October 27 on charges of disclosing leaked information, according to…
Nigerien journalist Samira Sabou arrested on treason allegations
Dakar, Senegal, October 12, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Nigerien authorities to drop all allegations against journalist Samira Sabou and allow her to work freely. “Authorities in Niger must swiftly drop all legal proceedings against journalist Samira Sabou, return her phone, and ensure that journalists in the country can work without fear…