CPJ welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s release of journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, calls for charges to be dropped
New York, March 23, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Kyrgyz journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy’s release from prison and calls on authorities to drop all charges against her. In 2024, Tajibek kyzy, the director of anti-corruption investigative outlets Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese, was convicted on charges of calling for mass unrest and sentenced to six…
CPJ, partners highlight threats to public broadcaster’s independence in Lithuania
Berlin, March 23, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organizations offered strong support today for independent public service media in Lithuania and highlighted concerns about proposed amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), currently under consideration by the country’s parliament. In a joint statement from the European Broadcasting Union and…
Reporter İsmail Arı imprisoned in Turkey for spreading ‘disinformation’
Istanbul, March 23, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release journalist İsmail Arı and stop misusing the disinformation law, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. Arı, a reporter for the leftist daily BirGün, was taken into custody in the northern province of Tokat, where he was visiting family on March 21. He was taken to Ankara the…
Vietnamese journalist Nguyen Hoang Vi allegedly assaulted while in police detention
Bangkok, March 23, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Vietnamese authorities to investigate the alleged assault and arbitrary detention of independent journalist Nguyen Hoang Vi by Ho Chi Minh City police and to hold those responsible to account. On March 19, Vi was intercepted on the street by police while taking her child to…
CPJ welcomes ruling on Pentagon access in favor of the New York Times
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is heartened by a United States District Court decision on Friday in the case of New York Times v. Pentagon, in which the judge decided in favor of the newspaper, and calls on the Pentagon to heed the court’s decision and abandon last year’s changes to…
Ecuadorian journalist shot after receiving reported false news tip
Bogotá, March 20, 2026—Ecuadorian authorities must swiftly and comprehensively investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in the southern city of Huaquillas and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We urge authorities to swiftly and credibly investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in Huaquillas, determine whether the attack…
In unprecedented overreach, FCC allows merger consolidating local media ownership
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—A decision by the US broadcast regulator to approve the merger of Tegna and Nexstar broadcasting companies — in clear violation of its own norms and regulations — is a concerning sign of government sponsored media concentration in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned on Friday. The Federal…
CPJ welcomes Nashville reporter Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE custody
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop detaining journalists as a tactic to halt or discourage their reporting. Rodríguez was released Thursday evening from…
South African journalist threatened, assaulted, robbed by municipal workers
Lusaka, March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South African authorities to act swiftly on a criminal case of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to the property of two journalists covering a protest in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province for The Witness newspaper. The police have not made any arrests, The Witness’ news editor…
CPJ, partners call for release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj after 3 years in detention
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined 32 civil society organizations in a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj, who marked three years in arbitrary pre-trial detention on March 20. In the joint statement, the organizations said Mehraj’s detention reflects a pattern of persecution of journalists and human…