Defamation

Berlin, June 12, 2019 — German authorities should reject criminal complaints filed by former Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache against news outlets that published a video that led to his resignation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

New Delhi, June 9, 2019 — Authorities in Uttar Pradesh must immediately release Nation Live journalists Anuj Shukla and Ishita Singh, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On May 26, 2019, Bengaluru police opened a criminal investigation into Vishweshwar Bhat, the editor-in-chief of privately owned Kannada-language newspaper Vishwavani, after a complaint was filed against him by a member of the state’s ruling Janata Dal (Secular) party, according to Indian news portal The News Minute.

Abidjan, June 6, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Ivory Coast politician Guillaume Soro to withdraw a criminal complaint against Sidi Tehra, director of the privately owned weekly L’Essor Ivoirien, and champion the reform of the country’s penal code to ensure that journalists are not imprisoned for their work.

Journalists across India are at risk of physical and digital attack in retaliation for their reporting. And during election campaigns, these dangers can increase. As the country went to the polls in recent weeks, CPJ’s India correspondent Kunal Majumder traveled to Guwahati, Imphal, Agartala, Raipur, Bijapur, and Hyderabad to present CPJ’s election safety kit to…

Goma, Congo, May 17, 2019 — Gabon’s media regulator should immediately lift its suspensions of the tri-weekly newspaper L’Aube and the weekly Echos du Nord, and give journalists the freedom to cover issues of public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

New York, May 8, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by civil defamation lawsuits filed in the U.S. state of Florida against journalist Daniel Coronell by former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, now a senator, and his allies, which could have a chilling effect on reporting on the Colombian politician.

Cape Town, May 1, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over a $500,000 civil defamation lawsuit filed against the Roots 102.7 FM radio station and two of its hosts by the Liberian minister of state for presidential affairs, Nathaniel McGill.

Bangkok, April 25, 2019 — Myanmar’s military should drop its criminal defamation case against independent news outlet The Irrawaddy over its coverage of the conflict in the country’s Rakhine state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Berlin, April 17, 2019 — Finnish authorities should drop criminal defamation charges against investigative journalist Johanna Vehkoo on appeal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.