Imprisoned

New York, December 12, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Azerbaijan to drop all charges and release 12 journalists as the trial against Germany-based Meydan TV began Friday in the capital, Baku. “The sorry sight of 11 journalists and a respected journalism teacher on trial in the case against award-winning Meydan TV only underscores the vast…

New York, December 12, 2025—Ahead of Monday’s expected verdict in the national security trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against the 78-year-old publisher and release him immediately and unconditionally. Lai, whose health has worsened after spending…

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, December 9, 2025 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release Iraqi Kurdish reporter Omer Ahmed and his crew, who were arrested on December 3 in the city of Sardasht in West Azerbaijan province while covering a cultural festival. “The arrest of Omer Ahmed and his crew shows…

New York, December 8, 2025—Algerian authorities must cease their legal attacks on the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday, as a seven-year prison sentence was upheld against French journalist Christophe Gleizes, and convictions issued against Algerian columnist Saad Bouakba and Vision TV director Abderrahim Harraoui. On Wednesday, December 3, the Tizi Ouzou…

December 8, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists has written to heads of government across Asia ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10, urging them to immediately free reporters imprisoned for their work. As of December 1, Asia holds at least 106 journalists behind bars, with China (50), Myanmar (27), and Vietnam (16) the…

After a vain search of local hospitals and mortuaries, the family of journalist Maneno Selanyika concluded their mourning rites on November 8 with prayer, but without a body. He was one of three journalists among hundreds or more Tanzanians killed during protests over a disputed election. Selanyika was killed on the evening of October 29,…

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its media has experienced an unprecedented crackdown. Hundreds of journalists have been forced into exile, where they continue to face transnational legal persecution, and their families have been harassed back home. Meanwhile, reporting from inside Russia has become increasingly difficult, with journalists and media outlets often silenced…

One year after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, whose family ruled Syria through iron and fire for five decades, journalists say they enjoy more freedom than ever but also uncertainty in the face of conflict as they wait for the introduction of new media laws.  CPJ’s interviews with 20 journalists and press groups found conditions…

Bangkok, December 4, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the recent release of six journalists in Myanmar as part of a pre-election amnesty of more than 3,800 political prisoners, but urges junta authorities to free all remaining jailed members of the press. Those freed are Zaw Linn Htut (Phoe Thar), Htet Htet Khine, Nay Naw, Nyein Chan Wai, Aung San Lin, and Sithu…

Berlin, December 2, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on Russian authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of journalist Nika Novak, who has gone missing from a prison in Bozoy, in the Siberian region of Irkutsk. Novak is serving a four-year prison sentence after being convicted in November 2024 on charges of “confidential cooperation with a foreign organization,”…