Attacks on the Media

South African journalist Karyn Maughan criminally charged over report on former President Zuma

Former South African President Jacob Zuma and his legal team should immediately drop their private criminal prosecution against Karyn Maughan, a reporter with the privately owned News24 site, and allow the press to report on court proceedings without intimidation or fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 6, Zuma’s legal team notified Maughan in a court summons that it had filed criminal charges against her in connection to her August 10, 2021 News24 report on Zuma’s medical condition, according to multiple news reports, a statement by local press freedom group South African Editors’ Forum, as…Read more

Four Zimbabwean journalists beaten, forced to delete footage by ruling party supporters

  • Posted on August 30, 2022
  • /Under Assault
 Zimbabwean authorities should investigate the brutal assault of four journalists working for private media outlets, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure that party supporters do not attack members of the press covering political rallies, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.  The reporters assaulted are: Chelsea Mashayaombe, a reporter for online newspaper Zimbabwe DailyPellagia Mpurwa, a reporter for online magazine Technomag Tongai Mwenje, managing editor of news website SportBriefToneo Rutsito, editor of Technomag Around 12:30 p.m. on August 25, the journalists were injured after they filmed a convoy of 20 vehicles of the…Read more

Two journalists in Mozambique attacked by police while covering officer’s funeral

Mozambican authorities must investigate and hold to account police officers who assaulted two broadcast reporters and ensure that journalists are able to report freely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On August 4, reporters for privately owned broadcaster Tua Televisão, Alexandre Eusébio and Ivaldo Novela, were assaulted by five officers of Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in the capital, Maputo, while covering the funeral of another police officer who had committed suicide, according to media reports, a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern…Read more

Two journalists in Mozambique attacked by police while covering officer’s funeral

Mozambican authorities must investigate and hold to account police officers who assaulted two broadcast reporters and ensure that journalists are able to report freely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On August 4, reporters for privately owned broadcaster Tua Televisão, Alexandre Eusébio and Ivaldo Novela, were assaulted by five officers of Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in the capital, Maputo, while covering the funeral of another police officer who had committed suicide, according to media reports, a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern…Read more

Gambian police attack, detain journalist Yusef Taylor

Gambian authorities should swiftly investigate and hold to account the police officers who harassed journalist Yusef Taylor, drop any charges against the journalist, and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On July 5, police officers blocked Taylor, editor and manager of the privately owned Gainako news website, from reporting about a land dispute in Gambia’s West Coast region, and then arrested him and charged him with obstructing police, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by the local press freedom group…Read more

Sri Lankan security forces detain, assault journalists covering political unrest

  • Posted on August 2, 2022
  • /Under Assault
Sri Lankan authorities must thoroughly and swiftly investigate recent attacks on journalists by the country’s security forces, hold the perpetrators to account, and cease harassing the staff of Xposure News, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On the early morning of July 22, Sri Lankan security forces assaulted at least four members of the press, including three journalists with the privately owned digital news platform Xposure News, covering a military raid on a protest site and subsequent demonstration in Colombo, the capital, according to those journalists, who spoke with CPJ by phone.…Read more

Police attack News First journalists covering Sri Lanka protests

  • Posted on July 12, 2022
  • /Under Assault
Sri Lankan authorities should thoroughly and transparently investigate the recent police attack on journalists covering anti-government protests, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On the evening of Saturday, July 9, members of the paramilitary police Special Task Force assaulted a reporting team with the privately owned broadcaster News First covering a protest outside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s residence in the capital city of Colombo, according to a report by CNN and multiple reports by News First. That evening, demonstrators broke into Wickremesinghe’s residence and set it on fire amid protests over…Read more

Zimbabwean journalist Anyway Yotamu charged after assault by police

  • Posted on July 12, 2022
  • /Under Assault
Zimbabwean authorities should drop all charges against freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu, investigate his assault by police, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.  At about 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 7, police officers assaulted Yotamu while he was filming an altercation between taxi drivers and parking attendants in the central business district of the capital, Harare, according to the journalist and his lawyer Shamiso Dhlakama, both of whom spoke to CPJ via messaging app, multiple local media reports, a Facebook post by the Zimbabwe chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute…Read more

Pakistani journalists Ayaz Amir and Ahmer Shaheen attacked in separate incidents in Lahore

  • Posted on July 12, 2022
  • /Under Assault
Pakistan authorities must immediately investigate the attacks against journalists Ayaz Amir and Ahmer Shaheen, ensure their safety, and hold the perpetrators accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Unidentified men separately attacked Shaheen, chief editor of the news website iNEWS, on June 30 and beat Amir, a senior analyst with the privately owned broadcaster Dunya News, on July 1, according to news reports, both journalists, who spoke to CPJ in phone interviews, and a statement by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, which CPJ reviewed. Both attacks occurred in the Punjab provincial capital…Read more

Indian journalist Mohammad Zubair arrested in Delhi

Indian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Mohammad Zubair, and cease harassing him in retaliation for his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. In the evening of Monday, June 27, officers with the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit of the Delhi police arrested Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, after summoning him for questioning, according to multiple news reports and a tweet by Alt News co-founder Pratik Sinha. Sinha wrote that Zubair had been summoned for questioning in relation to a 2020 criminal investigation over his social media posts, for which he was already granted protection…Read more