Intimidation & Harassment

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Malaysian authorities should drop all criminal charges against editorial cartoonist Zulikiflee Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar, and stop harassing him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrested Zunar on December 17, the cartoonist said in a statement, the latest incident in authorities' relentless campaign of judicial and police harassment of the journalist. Police in uniform and civilian clothes arrested Zunar and two of his personal assistants at a public event in Kuala Lumpur organized to promote books of his work, press reports said. The cartoonist was detained…Read more

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate release of Nazmul Huda, a reporter who was arrested on 24 December 2016 because of his coverage of a strike by garment workers in Ashulia, the Dhaka suburb where Bangladesh's biggest garment factories are located. The police accuse Huda, who works for Bangla Daily and Ekushey TV (ETV), a privately-owned satellite TV service, of reporting false information and encouraging the strike that began in mid-December in factories that produce clothes for leading international retail chains such as Gap, Zara and H&M. Huda's computer and mobile phone were…Read more

Malaysia's government should cease harassing independent news site Malaysiakini, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the website, and a government-linked pressure group has threatened to "tear down" the website's office. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar informed Malaysiakini'snews editor, RK Anand, by text message on November 3 that police had launched an investigation into the news group's financing under section 124C of the Penal Code, a provision that criminalizes activities authorities deem "detrimental to parliamentary democracy," news reports said. Maximum penalties under the law allow for 15-year…Read more

Pakistan Press Foundation Cyril Almeida, reporter and columnist for Dawn, Pakistan's leading English daily newspaper, was placed on an "Exit Control List (ECL)" to prevent him from leaving the country, after the publication of his story on a meeting between the top civil and military leadership of the country on international pressures on Pakistan to curb militant organisations. The government action was taken on October 10, 2016, four days after his story "Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military" on a meeting in which "blunt, orchestrated and unprecedented warning," was given by the…Read more

Committee to Protect Journalists Nigerian authorities should immediately release at least 11 journalists, bloggers, and media support staff detained in recent days across the country and stop harassing the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. "The impunity with which Nigerian security forces have recently attacked the press is reminiscent of Nigeria's darkest days of military rule," said CPJ West Africa Representative Peter Nkanga. "We call on President Muhammadu Buhari's administration to reverse this alarming slide and let journalists do their jobs without fear of reprisal." At around 1:45 a.m. on September…Read more