European Parliament calls for repeal of Hong Kong security laws
Brussels, April 25, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed Thursday’s call by the European Parliament for the repeal of two Hong Kong security laws that it said undermine press freedom and for the release of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. The parliamentary resolution condemned Hong Kong’s adoption last month of…
CPJ recognizes vital role of free press on democracy ahead of White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner
New York, April 24, 2024 — Ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association’s (WHCA) annual dinner on Saturday, April 27, the Committee to Protect Journalists reaffirms the importance of press freedom for democracy. This year’s WHCA dinner takes place at a time when journalists face grave threats globally and in a year when much of…
Indian journalists’ 2024 election concerns: political violence, trolling, device hacking
As the scorching summer peaks this year, India’s political landscape is coming to a boil. From April 19 until June 1, the world’s biggest democracy will hold the world’s biggest election, which the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in power since 2014, is expected to win….
Gaza journalist Diaa Al-Kahlout describes 33 harrowing days in Israeli custody
Diaa Al-Kahlout, the veteran Gaza bureau chief for the Qatari-funded London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, had been covering the Israel-Gaza war for two months when he became part of the news. On December 7, Al-Kahlout was detained along with members of his family by Israeli forces in a mass arrest in Beit Lahya in northern Gaza….
Myanmar jails filmmaker Shin Daewe for life for buying a drone
Award-winning Myanmar documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe is serving a life sentence on charges of illegal possession of an unregistered drone, a criminal offense under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Law, according to news reports. Shin Daewe was arrested on October 15, 2023, while picking up a video drone she had ordered online to use for filming a documentary, according…
CPJ calls on United Nations to investigate Israel’s arbitrary detention of Palestinian journalists
Israel escalates practice of detaining journalists without charge amid war New York, March 25, 2024—Israel is utilizing administrative detention to detain a record number of Palestinian journalists without charge during the Israel-Gaza war, according to an urgent appeal submitted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention…
Belarusian journalist Ihar Karnei sentenced to 3 years in prison on extremism charges
New York, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentencing on Friday of Belarusian journalist Ihar Karnei to three years in prison and a fine of 20,000 rubles (US$6,115) on charges of participating in an extremist group. “It took three days for the Belarusian authorities to send Ihar Karnei to prison for three…
Russian journalist Igor Kuznetsov given 3-year suspended sentence, remains behind bars
New York, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday condemned the three-year suspended sentence issued to Russian journalist Igor Kuznetsov for participating in an extremist group and called on authorities to release him immediately and drop all charges against him. On Wednesday, a court in the Russian capital, Moscow, gave Kuznetsov, a reporter…
CPJ welcomes release of DRC journalist Stanis Bujakera, calls for release of Blaise Mabala
Kinshasa, March 19, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s release of journalist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, but is alarmed by his six-month prison sentence and fine of 1 million Congolese francs (US$400) and the ongoing detention of journalist Blaise Mabala, who has been in custody since December. After more than…
Russia jails journalist over plane crash coverage, detains another during election
New York, March 19, 2024—Russian authorities must drop all charges against journalist Sergey Kustov, release him, and stop prosecuting the press to stifle their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, a court sentenced Kustov, chief editor of local broadcaster Bars, to 10 days imprisonment on charges of disobeying a police officer,…