CPJ, others warn against censorship attempt from former Brazilian attorney general
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined eight other press freedom organizations in an April 19 statement urging the Brazilian Supreme Court to dismiss the case against journalist André Barrocal filed by former attorney general Augusto Aras. Aras filed a defamation case against Barrocal in response to the reporter’s July 2020 article about Aras’s performance,…
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….
Police investigate Nigeria’s Foundation for Investigative Journalism after corruption coverage
Abuja, April 16, 2024—Nigerian authorities should immediately drop their investigation into the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) and its founder, the award-winning undercover reporter, Fisayo Soyombo, and stop intimidating the chairperson of FIJ’s board of trustees, Bukky Shonibare, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On February 21, Soyombo published an investigation detailing how he…
CPJ welcomes South Africa’s abolition of criminal defamation, calls for further legal reforms
Lusaka, April 10, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing into law a bill that abolishes criminal defamation, and urged authorities to reform other problematic laws that threaten press freedom in the country. On April 3, Ramaphosa signed the Judicial Matters Amendment Act (2023), which includes…
Lesotho courts dismiss lawsuits seeking closure of 2 newspapers, defamation cases ongoing
Two privately owned newspapers in Lesotho—the Lesotho Tribune and Lesotho Times—faced separate lawsuits in February and March 2024, seeking to shut them down, according to the publications’ owners who spoke to CPJ. In late March, the courts dismissed both lawsuits, but the newspapers still face defamation cases in connection with their corruption coverage. Mergence Investment…
Russia adds exiled journalist Mikhail Zygar to its wanted list
New York, April 9, 2024—Russian authorities must drop all charges against Russian journalist and writer Mikhail Zygar and stop harassing exiled members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. “The shameful addition of Mikhail Zygar to Russian authorities’ wanted list shows both their determination to intimidate journalists in exile and their fear…
Georgia ruling party reintroduces ‘foreign agents’ law to parliament
Stockholm, April 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s Tuesday reintroduction into the Georgian parliament of a proposed “foreign agents” law previously shelved after mass protests. “Georgian authorities’ revival of a bill that would smear media outlets as foreign-controlled is deeply concerning and utterly incompatible with their claim…
Kyrgyzstan president signs Russian-style ‘foreign agents’ law
Stockholm, April 2, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Kyrgyzstan to repeal a law, newly ratified on Tuesday by President Sadyr Japarov, that requires some nonprofits, including media organizations, to register as “foreign representatives.” “President Sadyr Japarov’s decision to follow Russia’s lead on ‘foreign agent’ legislation threatens to erase Kyrgyzstan’s 30-year status as a…
Peruvian authorities target journalist Gustavo Gorriti in bribery probe
Bogotá, April 2, 2024 – Peruvian authorities must drop their investigation of journalist Gustavo Gorriti and respect the right of reporters to maintain confidential sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On March 27, Alcides Chinchay, a public prosecutor in the capital city of Lima, opened a preliminary investigation into Gorriti, the editor-in-chief of…
CPJ urges Netanyahu government not to shut down Al Jazeera in Israel
Washington, D.C., April 1, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urgently calls on the Israeli government not to close the Jerusalem-based bureau of Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera and allow the media to report freely on news events in Israel and Gaza during the current conflict. On Monday, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law allowing the…