Middle East & North Africa

New York, January 6, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists is greatly concerned by repeated death threats made against a critical Tunisian journalist living in France.

New York, January 6, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest today of the editor-in-chief and managing editor of the independent daily Al-Ayyam on the third day of a government siege of the compound that houses the paper’s offices in Aden.

New York, January 5, 2010—Mauritanian authorities should immediately release an editor who has served his prison term in its entirety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The refusal to free Hanevy Ould Dehah, editor of the online publication Taqadoumy, appears to be unlawful and reflective of the politically motivated nature of the case.

New York, January 4, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to instruct authorities to peacefully end a siege of an independent daily that is now in its second day in Aden.

We issued the following statement today after Iranian authorities sentenced journalist and economist Bahman Ahmadi Amouee to seven years and four months’ imprisonment and 34 lashes for anti-state activities. Amouee was detained on June 19, 2009, with his wife, Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, editor-in-chief of the Iranian Women's Club...

New York, January 4, 2010—The Iranian government continued an assault on the press as authorities have arrested at least six more journalists, upheld a long prison sentence against another, and barred a television anchor from returning to work. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns these repressive actions and calls for the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists. 

The relentless crackdown on the press in Iran is, well, relentless. In the last few days we have received word that 11 more journalists have been arrested, including former CPJ International Press Freedom Award winner Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, at left.

There are 23 other journalists already in prison in Iran, according to the global census CPJ carried out on December 1. Scores of other journalists have been arrested and released; mores still have been intimidated, beaten and harassed.