Turkish journalist Mehmet Karakeçili beaten, Hale Gönültaş threatened
Istanbul, September 7, 2023—Turkish authorities should ensure the safety of journalists Mehmet Karakeçili and Hale Gönültaş and hold to account those responsible for recent incidents involving the journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On the evening of August 29, Karakeçili, chief editor for the local news website Virantv in the southeastern city of…
Haitian radio journalist’s home destroyed in arson attack
Miami, August 31, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the August 23 arson attack on the home of radio reporter Arnold Junior Pierre and calls on Haitian authorities to restore order to the country so journalists can do their jobs without fear of retaliation. On August 23, unidentified armed individuals set fire to Pierre’s home…
Armed men attack Nigerian journalists covering clashes in Bayelsa state
Abuja, August 30, 2023—Nigerian authorities should swiftly identify and hold to account those responsible for recently attacking a group of journalists in southern Bayelsa state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On August 14, a group of unidentified men carrying guns, knives, and sticks attacked journalists who were reporting on the aftermath of clashes…
Kashmiri journalist Iftikhar Gilani receives threatening messages online
On August 6, 2023, an anonymous user posted on X, previously known as Twitter, accusing Kashmiri journalist Iftikhar Gilani of collaborating with Indian authorities in monitoring the activities of Kashmiris in Turkey, including those supporting the “pro-[K]ashmir struggle.” The post accused Gilani of committing “crimes and traitorous acts,” according to Gilani and CPJ’s review of…
CPJ joins call to protect journalists in Niger 1 month after coup
New York, August 25, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday joined at least 79 journalists and press organizations in calling on Niger’s military authorities to protect the rights and safety of journalists. “Journalists in Niger must be able to work safely and free of intimidation, especially as the country and region grapple with political…
CPJ joins call for investigation into police treatment of Brazilian journalist Danielle Zampollo
CPJ has joined three press freedom groups in calling for the São Paulo state government to investigate the case of an unidentified police officer who harassed and pointed a rifle at TV Globo reporter Danielle Zampollo while she was covering an August 3 police operation in the Prainha community in the city of Guarujá, about 52 miles (84 kms) from São Paulo. Zampollo was in Prainha following…
Two years into Taliban rule, media repression worsens in Afghanistan
When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, they promised to protect press freedom and women’s rights – a key facet of their efforts to paint a picture of moderation compared to their oppressive rule in the late 1990s. “We are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks. Private media can continue to…
Masked men threaten to kidnap journalist Sahiana Maman Hassan in Niger
On July 28, 2023, three masked men in a pickup truck threatened to kidnap Sahiana Maman Hassan, editor of the news magazine Le Témoin de l’Histoire, in Niamey, Niger’s capital, according to the journalist and Ibrahim Harouna, president of the Press House, a local media association, who both spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Hassane,…
Taliban must end media crackdown in Afghanistan after two years’ rule
Kuala Lumpur, August 14, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Taliban to stop its relentless campaign of media intimidation and abide by its promise to protect journalists in Afghanistan. “Two years after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan’s once vibrant free press is a ghost of its former self,” Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program…