CPJ joins call for UN to continue scrutinizing human rights situation in Eritrea
The Committee to Protect Journalists and 29 other civil society organizations today sent a letter to members of the United Nations Human Rights Council urging them to continue to scrutinize the human rights situation in Eritrea. The letter was sent ahead of the 41st session of the Human Rights Council, which will take place in…
CPJ joins call for UN Human Rights Council to address crackdown in Tanzania
The Committee to Protect Journalists and 29 other civil society groups yesterday wrote to the member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council urging them to address the deteriorating situation for human rights, including freedom of the press, in Tanzania during the upcoming 39th session of the council in September.
CPJ welcomes UN Human Rights resolution on releasing jailed journalists, right to encryption
Washington, September 29, 2016–The United Nations Human Rights Council’s annual resolution on journalist safety for the first time urges all states to release arbitrarily detained journalists. The resolution, co-sponsored by 87 countries and adopted today in Geneva, raises new concerns about mounting attacks on journalists during elections and calls for states to protect the confidentiality…
CPJ joins call to renew Iran special rapporteur mandate
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined 34 other organizations in calling on the U.N. Human Rights Council to vote in favor of renewing the mandate of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The vote is scheduled to take place during the 31st session of the…
CPJ raises concerns over UN agenda on preventing violent extremism
Preventing and countering violent extremism has been a major issue on the international agenda in the past year, prompting the United Nations Secretary-General to launch a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism in December and the UN Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution last fall.
CPJ joins call to renew mandate of human rights rapporteur in Iran
The Committee to Protect Journalists, along with 35 human rights groups, today joined a call for member states of the U.N. Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran at the council’s 28th session.
Sri Lanka moves to silence NGOs, press groups
The Sri Lankan government has taken yet another step to silence critical media coverage, banning non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from holding press conferences and issuing press releases, as well as running workshops or training sessions. The action, announced Sunday by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defense, left the country’s many press groups wondering whether they are even…
Rajapaksa regime under UNHRC, Commonwealth scrutiny
On February 13, Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in her annual report to the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that Sri Lanka’s government has not taken enough steps recommended by its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Although the LLRC is seen as a flawed attempt to heal Sri Lanka…