Committee to Protect Journalists - Saudi Arabia tag:cpj.org,2008-09-16://1 2012-03-16T19:18:13Z Movable Type 4.34-en Three Saudis arrested for covering protests tag:cpj.org,2012://1.18922 2012-03-16T19:14:54Z 2012-03-16T19:18:13Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, March 16, 2012--Three Saudi Web managers whose sites cover political unrest in the country's highly restricted Eastern Province should be released from detention immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

]]> Attacks on the Press in 2011: Regulating the Internet tag:cpj.org,2012://1.17646 2012-02-22T04:36:01Z 2012-02-19T23:33:44Z Legislation for Internet security can quickly turn into a weapon against the free press. Cybercrime laws are intended to extend existing penal codes to the online world, but they can easily be broadened to criminalize standard journalistic practices. By Danny O'Brien... Committee to Protect Journalists Thai website editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn faces criminal charges. (AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)

Legislation for Internet security can quickly turn into a weapon against the free press. Cybercrime laws are intended to extend existing penal codes to the online world, but they can easily be broadened to criminalize standard journalistic practices. By Danny O'Brien

]]> Attacks on the Press in 2011: Saudi Arabia tag:cpj.org,2012://1.17568 2012-02-21T05:08:00Z 2012-02-16T11:02:23Z Committee to Protect Journalists Saudi authorities maintained a suffocating atmosphere of censorship as they further tightened the country's highly restrictive media law. In May, a royal decree amended five articles of the law, barring the publication of any material that contravened Sharia law, impinged on state interests, promoted foreign interests, harmed public order or national security, or enabled criminal activity. In January, the Kingdom issued new regulations for online media that included several restrictive and vaguely worded provisions that grant the Ministry of Culture and Information sweeping powers to censor news outlets and sanction journalists. The government withdrew the accreditation of Riyadh-based Reuters correspondent Ulf Laessing in March, apparently angered by his coverage of a pro-reform protest. Reuters stood by the reporting. The same month, amid popular uprisings across the region, authorities banned three critical columnists working for the government-controlled daily Al-Watan. Authorities did not cite a reason, but all three had written about the region's political unrest. In late year, as demonstrations broke out in the kingdom's eastern province, authorities blocked local and international journalists from gaining access to the region. With a few exceptions, the demonstrations went uncovered.

]]> Saudi columnist deported from Malaysia tag:cpj.org,2012://1.18470 2012-02-13T21:52:10Z 2012-02-13T21:59:24Z Committee to Protect Journalists An Internet user checks a Twitter account in Saudi Arabia, where a journalist faces legal action after writing about the Prophet Mohammed on Twitter. (AFP/Fayed Nureldine)

New York, February 13, 2012--Saudi columnist Hamza Kashgari, whose Twitter postings about the Prophet Mohammed have drawn death threats and government reprisals, was deported from Malaysia back to his home country on Sunday, according to news reports. 

]]> Saudi Arabian columnist under threat for Twitter posts tag:cpj.org,2012://1.18452 2012-02-09T23:15:10Z 2012-02-09T23:23:50Z New York, February 9, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns death threats and a publishing ban against columnist Hamza Kashgari for comments he posted on Twitter addressing the prophet Mohammed.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, February 9, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns death threats and a publishing ban against columnist Hamza Kashgari for comments he posted on Twitter addressing the prophet Mohammed.

]]> Morocco, Syria detain journalists; violations across region tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17253 2011-05-04T21:56:41Z 2011-05-04T22:11:46Z New York, May 4, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Morocco today to release editor Rachid Nini and sought the release of journalist Dorothy Parvaz as well as other journalists in Syria. Press freedom violations continued throughout the region, with abuses in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, May 4, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Morocco today to release editor Rachid Nini and sought the release of journalist Dorothy Parvaz as well as other journalists in Syria. Press freedom violations continued throughout the region, with abuses in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen.

]]> Mob damages press in Bahrain; Saudis oust reporter tag:cpj.org,2011://1.16943 2011-03-15T18:47:32Z 2011-03-15T19:02:29Z New York, March 15, 2011--Armed assailants stormed the Manama printing facility of the Bahraini independent daily Al-Wasat early this morning, damaging the press and hindering production of today's edition. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack, which comes just as military contingents from Saudi Arabia and the United... Committee to Protect Journalists Saudi troops roll into Bahrain in this still image from Reuters video. (Reuters)

New York, March 15, 2011--Armed assailants stormed the Manama printing facility of the Bahraini independent daily Al-Wasat early this morning, damaging the press and hindering production of today's edition. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack, which comes just as military contingents from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been enlisted to help contain political unrest in the kingdom.

]]> Attacks on the Press 2010: Middle East and North Africa Developments tag:cpj.org,2011://1.16629 2011-02-15T05:01:55Z 2011-02-15T02:28:37Z Committee to Protect Journalists Saudi online media regulations alarmingly restrictive tag:cpj.org,2011://1.16519 2011-01-14T15:41:08Z 2011-01-14T15:46:20Z Dear Minister al-Khuja: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about new regulations for online media you issued on January 1. The rules contain several provisions that can be used to restrict coverage. The provisions are vaguely worded, contain numerous loopholes, and grant the Ministry of Culture and Information blanket powers without providing online media protection against abuse. Most alarmingly, the new regulations would also subject online media to the kingdom's already existing highly repressive press law. Committee to Protect Journalists After running leaked cables, websites face harassment tag:cpj.org,2010://1.16394 2010-12-10T21:25:52Z 2010-12-10T22:05:44Z New York, December 10, 2010--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns harassment of the Lebanese news website Al-Akhbar after it published U.S. diplomatic cables that were first disclosed by WikiLeaks. The website was hacked this week by unknown attackers, while the Tunisian government blocked domestic access to the site. Saudi officials... Committee to Protect Journalists Al-Akhbar after it published U.S. diplomatic cables that were first disclosed by WikiLeaks. The website was hacked this week by unknown attackers, while the Tunisian government blocked domestic access to the site. Saudi officials blocked access to the independent website Elaph, which also published some of the cables.

]]> CPJ calls for the release of Saudi editor and academic tag:cpj.org,2010://1.16378 2010-12-08T20:11:47Z 2010-12-08T20:44:58Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, December 8, 2010--The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Saudi authorities to immediately release Mohamed al-Abdulkarim, an Islamic law professor, human rights activist, and the editor-in-chief of an online magazine. He was arrested on Sunday, two weeks after an article he wrote was published online.]]> Human rights coverage spreads, despite government pushback tag:cpj.org,2010://1.13971 2010-02-16T05:53:30Z 2010-02-15T22:04:31Z By Mohamed Abdel Dayem and Robert Mahoney The media in the Middle East loved the Intifada. Every detail of Israel’s violations of human rights in the late 1980s in the West Bank and Gaza appeared in the Arabic and Farsi press. The governments that owned or controlled these media... Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/ Reports of Egyptian police torture spark protests in Cairo. (Reuters/Mona Sharaf)By Mohamed Abdel Dayem and Robert Mahoney

The media in the Middle East loved the Intifada. Every detail of Israel’s violations of human rights in the late 1980s in the West Bank and Gaza appeared in the Arabic and Farsi press. The governments that owned or controlled these media outlets loved it, too. When pan-Arab satellite television stations emerged in the 1990s, they looped hours of footage of Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers repressing Palestinians. ]]> Attacks on the Press 2009: Middle East and North Africa Developments tag:cpj.org,2010://1.13914 2010-02-16T05:02:10Z 2010-02-15T17:43:53Z Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/ Saudi operator Arabsat takes Iran’s Al-Alam network off air tag:cpj.org,2010://1.14205 2010-02-03T21:30:50Z 2010-02-04T14:41:32Z New York, February 3, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Saudi-run satellite operator Arabsat to return to air the Iranian-owned Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Alam, which stopped broadcasting January 27 without prior notice, according to international news reports. In a statement published on its Web site, Al-Alam said that... Committee to Protect Journalists An Al-Alam journalist reports from Saudi Arabia in 2008. (AP)

New York, February 3, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Saudi-run satellite operator Arabsat to return to air the Iranian-owned Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Alam, which stopped broadcasting January 27 without prior notice, according to international news reports.

In a statement published on its Web site, Al-Alam said that “Arabsat, in continuation of its censorship policies and as a move to confront the news networks which reflect the realities of the world, has today once again cut broadcasting of the Al-Alam network.” Al-Alam was previously taken off the air by both Arabsat and the Cairo-based satellite service provider Nilesat in November. Both cited a contractual breach without elaborating further. 

]]> Pre-empting the Satellite TV Revolution tag:cpj.org,2009://1.10696 2009-02-10T05:55:00Z 2009-02-10T03:48:11Z Uneasy about satellite television coverage of civil strife and economic hardship, Arab governments are trying to reassert control over the medium. Will a new regional agreement halt the satellite revolution? By Joel Campagna... Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/ By Joel Campagna
]]>