2017
CPJ urges Cameroonian President Paul Biya to free radio journalist Ahmed Abba
CPJ urges Cameroonian President Paul Biya to instruct military prosecutors to drop charges against Ahmed Abba–a correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s Hausa-language service who has been jailed for 18 months–so that he can be released without further delay. The journalist’s trial before a military tribunal is scheduled to resume on February 2.
CPJ Highlights: January edition
Meryl Streep’s nod to CPJ leads to record-breaking number of donations Earlier this month, Meryl Streep ascended the stage at the Golden Globes ceremony to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award and gave a resounding speech about the importance of a free press in the United States.
CPJ asks German Chancellor Merkel to raise press freedom on Turkey visit
Ahead of her visit to Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists requests German Chancellor Angela Merkel to ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to free the dozens of journalists imprisoned in the country and to urge him to allow the more than 100 media outlets closed since failed July 2016 military coup to reopen and to operate without harassment.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of January 29
Columnist investigated for referendum comments Prosecutors in Istanbul opened an investigation into Bekir Coşkun, a columnist for the pro-opposition daily newspaper Sözcü, regarding remarks he made in a column about a coming referendum on whether the constitution should be amended to increase the president’s powers, Dogan News Agency reported.
CPJ welcomes new EU Representative and Advocacy Manager, Tom Gibson
Brussels/New York–The Committee to Protect Journalists is pleased to announce that Tom Gibson has joined CPJ in the role of European Union Representative and Advocacy Manager. Gibson will be based in Brussels and will lead advocacy efforts involving the institutions of the European Union. “The governments and institutions of the European Union can and should…
CPJ Launches 2017 Free the Press Campaign
Governments using anti-state legislation to silence the press New York, January 26, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today launched its annual Free the Press Campaign to raise awareness of journalists imprisoned worldwide with an event at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. This year, the campaign will highlight the cases of 10 journalists imprisoned around…
Libyan TV journalist arrested without charge
Washington, D.C., January 25, 2017–Libyan security forces should charge or release Wiem Ben Zabia, a cameraman for the Libya Panorama Channel (LPC), the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Security forces detained Ben Zabia at a checkpoint near the eastern Libyan city of Derna on January 14, according to his employer, sister, and a video…
Journalists charged with rioting in Washington
New York, January 24, 2017–Authorities in Washington D.C. should drop rioting charges against at least three journalists arrested while covering protests on the day of the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.