Amy Goodman

New York, December 2, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention and interrogation of a U.S. journalist crossing the border into Canada. News host Amy Goodman of the syndicated, community-oriented radio and television program "Democracy Now!" was detained on Nov. 25 as she tried to cross the Canadian border south of Vancouver and questioned about her work. Goodman was on a speaking tour to promote her new book, Breaking the Sound Barrier.

The San Francisco-based Web site Indy Media has posted another article about the arrests of journalists at the GOP Convention last week, with specific attention paid to the case of Democracy Now! reporter Amy Goodman. CPJ reported on the arrest of Goodman and other journalists covering the RNC last week, and posted videos of the arrests here.

Reuters has coverage of the release of Iraqi cameraman Omar Hisham, who was detained by the U.S. military on Thursday. The story quotes our reporting on the release: "We welcome the release of Omar Hisham, but worry about the apparent uptick in journalist detentions," said CPJ's executive director Joel Simon. A second Iraqi journalist, Ibrahim Jassam, a freelance photographer for Reuters, was arrested last week during a raid at his home and is still in U.S. custody.

Also this morning, The Associated Press is running a story about the attempted bombing of an Arab TV correspondent's vehicle in Baghdad yesterday. The bomb was detected on the car as it waited to pick up Arab TV's chief correspondent Juwad al-Hattab, the apparent target of the foiled attack.

New York, September 5, 2008--Dozens of journalists were arrested while covering demonstrations on the third day of the Republican National Convention. They included two Associated Press reporters who, along with other members of the media, were documenting a few hundred protesters trapped by police on both sides of bridge over an interstate highway. The protesters were also arrested.

New York, September 2, 2008—A camera crew, broadcast host, and photographer were arrested Monday while covering protests at the Republican National Convention in St Paul, Minn. Police in downtown St. Paul swept up the journalists while arresting more than 250 other people during an unruly end to an otherwise peaceful anti-war protest, according to news reports and CPJ interviews. All three were later released.

“I held up my press pass as I was filming,” said one of those arrested, Nicole Salazar, a producer and videographer for the nationally syndicated radio and television program, “Democracy Now!” Salazar suffered a bloody nose after being pushed by officers into a parked car, she told CPJ. Sound technician Sharif Abdel Kouddous was arrested as he was coming to her side and holding up a press pass, he told CPJ.

Producers Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Nicole Salazar from Democracy Now! were arrested while reporting on street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. All three journalists were released today. Also arrested was Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke.

This video shows Amy Goodman being placed under arrest:

Nicole Salazar shot this footage of her own arrest:

In August, as East Timor prepared to vote on whether to declare independence from Indonesia, military-backed, pro-Indonesia militias threatened, harassed and physically assaulted journalists covering the disputed territory. The attacks began shortly after the announcement in March of a United Nations-brokered agreement to hold an August 30 referendum on the independence issue.

The Indonesian military was bitterly opposed to the referendum, having occupied the former Portuguese colony in 1975 and fought a protracted war against independence. On April 17, following an escalating series of threats, rampaging militia members sacked the offices of Suara Timor Timur ("The Voice of East Timor"), the territory's only daily newspaper. The paper was shut down for more than two weeks, and many of its employees were driven into hiding. At about the same time, foreign journalists in East Timor began to face threats and beatings from the militias.

September 17, 1999

His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia


Your Excellency,

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned over reports that Indonesian authorities intend to prosecute American journalist Allan Nairn for entering the country in violation of immigration laws. Nairn's name appears on a "blacklist" compiled by the Indonesian armed forces, barring the journalist from reporting in Indonesia.

August 25, 1999

His Excellency Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
President, Republic of Indonesia
Office of the President
Bina Graha, Jalan Veteran No. 17
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia

Your Excellency,

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply troubled by the recent deportation of American journalist Amy Goodman, who was stopped at Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport while en route to East Timor to cover the territory's August 30 vote on independence. Goodman's expulsion directly contradicts your administration's pledges to lift restrictions on foreign journalists, and to ensure that international observers, including media representatives, are allowed free access to East Timor during the historic referendum.