France

2011

  
The Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. (Reuters/Benoit Tessier)

CPJ condemns attack on French satirical weekly

New York, November 2, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by today’s firebomb attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the disabling of its website by unknown hackers. The attacks appear to be in retaliation for the paper’s spoof edition, “guest edited” by the Prophet Muhammad.

Read More ›

Spying on news media becomes a dark cloud over Sarkozy's government. (AFP)

Spying on media exposes French government’s dark side

“The freedom of the press and the lie of the state.” The headline Thursday in the influential newspaper Le Monde was bound to make a big splash. While President Nicolas Sarkozy was basking in the glory of his Libyan intervention and celebrating the virtues of democracy, the French “paper of record” was denouncing the dark…

Read More ›

Stéphane Taponier, left, and Hervé Ghesquière say they will return to work as soon as possible. (Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes)

French ex-hostages: Press must continue in Afghanistan

Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière, the two France 3 journalists held captive by the Taliban for 547 days, had a big surprise when they entered the France Télévisions building Thursday afternoon, a few hours after landing at the military base of Villacoublay, close to Paris, where they were welcomed by President Nicolas Sarkozy. 

Read More ›

French journalists released in Afghanistan

New York, June 29, 2001–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes reports from the French government that journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier and their interpreter Reza Din have been released after more than 18 months in captivity. CPJ is seeking further news about the group’s fixer and driver, known as Ghulam and Sattar, who were…

Read More ›

AFP

French news site must prove Uzbekistan is a dictatorship

When Lola Karimova, the Uzbek president’s youngest daughter, decided to sue the French online newspaper Rue89 in August for libel, she wanted to restore the reputation of her country. Or did she? Her case against one of the most irreverent Paris media outlets is slowly turning into a public relations fiasco for her and the…

Read More ›

CPJ

Remembering Bernard Estrade, a friend and AFP legend

Legendary Agence France-Presse correspondents Bernard Estrade died last week in Paris after a long illness. He was one of the great reporters of his era and a great friend of CPJ.

Read More ›

Ilham Aliyev (AP)

CPJ presses slow, cautious Council of Europe on Azerbaijan

Strasbourg prides itself on being the “European capital of human rights.” The historic French city, located on the border with Germany, is home to the Council of Europe (CoE), a 47-member institution focused on the promotion of democracy and the rule of law. It is also the seat of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR),…

Read More ›

(Lucie Umukundwa)

Out of Africa: Lucie Umukundwa five years later

Five years after helping her leave her region due to threats, CPJ catches up with Rwandan journalist Lucie Umukundwa to learn more about her struggles to resettle in another continent, regain a foothold in journalism and continue to make an impact in Africa.

Read More ›

People keep vigils in hopes for justice in the murder of Hrant Dink. (Reuters)

Paris and Brussels mobilize for Hrant Dink murder trial

On January 19, 2007, Hrant Dink, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos, was gunned down in front of his office building in Istanbul. The murder sent shockwaves through the Turkish and international human rights and press freedom communities. It also triggered a mobilization of thousands of Turkish intellectuals, activists, and citizens that…

Read More ›

2011